Zhenyuan County, Gansu: Understory "Confinement Chickens" Open Up a Path to Prosperity

People have heard of farmers raising free-range chickens and barred chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), but when it comes to "confinement chickens," it really does sound a bit unfamiliar. Recently, in a patch of woodland in Beicha Village, Yinjiacheng Township, Zhenyuan County, glossy black-feathered "confinement chickens" could be seen playing and foraging among the trees. Because of their distinctive black feathers, the whole woodland seemed to have been dyed black.

Judging by appearance, the "confinement chicken" is smaller than an ordinary free-range chicken, is covered entirely in black feathers, and lays very small eggs, with nothing particularly special about it. So why would anyone raise them? Ma Jianfeng, a villager from Beicha Village, Yinjiacheng Township, explained the reason. He said, "Don't be fooled by its small size; every part of it is a treasure. Black feathers, black skin, black meat, black bones, black internal organs, green-shelled eggs, each one has excellent medicinal value. Take its green-shelled eggs, for instance, one can sell for 1.5 yuan."

For Ma Jianfeng, the "confinement chicken" is his magic weapon for getting rich. In 2015, he discovered that someone in Xiaocha Township, Pengyang County, Ningxia, was raising them. Out of curiosity, he also rented a farm there and began raising "confinement chickens." Thanks to good market conditions and the company's order purchasing, he earned more than 100,000 in a year. However, after deducting the rent, there was not much income left, and at the time he felt somewhat discouraged. When he returned home for the Spring Festival in 2016, he heard that the county was implementing a land transfer policy and was also giving rewards and policy support to people returning to their hometowns to start businesses. Looking at the large patch of woodland in front of his home, he immediately felt confident again. With the help of the local government, he transferred 500 mu of barren hills and woodland, applied for an 80,000 yuan startup loan, and built his own "confinement chicken" farm right at his doorstep. He said, "If the government hadn't given me the green light, how could my farm have gone so smoothly?"

Ma Jianfeng said that raising them in woodland is good for the chickens' growth. The "confinement chickens" spend all day eating insects and grass among the trees and grass, enjoying plenty of sunlight and exercise. These chickens' disease resistance is far higher than that of chickens raised indoors. Because their meat is delicious and nutritious, and both the meat and eggs are pollution-free green foods, they are very popular in the market. In 2016, the 4,000 "confinement chickens" on his farm brought in nearly 100,000 yuan from eggs alone. He said with a smile, "The confinement chicken's effective egg-laying period is 12 months, and one chicken can lay more than 150 eggs a year. Just the income from eggs is quite good." Today, he has not only established the Zhenyuan County Xifeng Professional Breeding Cooperative, but also signed a long-term purchasing contract with Shandong's Hesili Company. The company not only purchases eggs at a guaranteed price, but even buys back old chickens at a certain price, completely solving his sales problem.

With excellent quality, considerable "money" prospects, and complete contractual guarantees, under Ma Jianfeng's leadership, more than 20 farming households have already joined in raising them. Speaking of his next plans, Ma Jianfeng said that with national policies so favorable now, he not only wants to expand his breeding scale, but also wants to open an online store, register his own "confinement chicken" brand, operate both online and offline at the same time, and lead more people onto the path to prosperity.