Wild chickens develop into productive flock

08-07-2009 | |

Just 4 years after accidentally stumbling on 7 eggs in the jungle, a veteran soldier in Vietnam has a flock of nearly 300 pure-bred endangered wild jungle chickens.

Pham Van Ha went to Quang Nam 4 years ago when he inherited some land from his father. He discovered 7 eggs that belonged to a wild jungle hen. Ha brought the eggs home and let his domestic chickens incubate them.

After 20 days, 7 baby jungle chickens hatched. He tried to raise the small flock, but 4 of them died after just 1 month. “I was worried about the 3 left, which included a cock and 2 hens,” he said.

Fearing that the home-made food could have caused the deaths, he went to the forest to find natural food for the birds, such as worms and grasshoppers. The 3 jungle chickens grew up rapidly beside the household flock.

One day, the 3 wild chickens suddenly scampered off into the forest. Ha thought they may have heard the call of the wild and would never return. Later that day, however, the birds were back. “That day, I understood that they had followed their instincts into the forest, but they will also come to me as their home.”

After 2 months, the 2 wild hens laid dozens of eggs. Most of the eggs grew into baby fowls and after just a year, the small flock had grown into the hundreds.

In addition to letting the flock forage in the forest, Ha feeds them with corn and rice. “The wild fowls are very healthy because their immune system has had a boost from eating the wild food,” Ha believes.

After nearly 4 years from the day he found the first eggs, Ha’s flock has earned him over VND200 mln and he has sold 500 wild chickens.

Source: VitnamNews

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Kinsley
Natalie Kinsley Freelance journalist





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