Free-range chickens sell easily, and raising chickens brings hope for prosperity

Zhang Guiqin is busy inside the chicken coop.

In early spring, the reporter came to Xinshengtun Village, Lubei Town, Jarud Banner. This village, once known far and wide as a poverty-stricken village, has undergone earth-shaking changes. Clean and flat cement roads have been paved all the way to every household's doorstep, neat and uniform color steel tile houses are spacious and bright, and publicity paintings of traditional Chinese virtues add beauty to the spotless white walls... A beautiful scene of a new countryside unfolds before the eyes.

In a courtyard on the east side of the village, the reporter met Zhang Guiqin, a poor household. She was busy feeding the chickens in the coop. With a call from her, a flock of chickens clucked and ran up to her. Although she was so busy that her head was covered in sweat, a bright smile was always on her face.

"Thanks to the good policies of targeted poverty alleviation, I can live a good life. Otherwise, I really don't know what I would have done!" A few years ago, a sudden car accident left Zhang Guiqin enduring more than a month of hardship in the hospital. While suffering physically, it also plunged the family finances into difficulty. In 2015, her two sons got married one after another, making things even worse for this family.

"I owed more than 100,000 in external debt! The family only had those few dozen mu of dry land, which originally could not produce much grain, and in the past two years corn was not worth much either. Now things are better. The government paid to support us in raising chickens, which gave me a way to earn money!" In 2016, Zhang Guiqin was listed as a targeted poverty alleviation household in the village. Cadres assigned to assist her came to her home many times to discuss with her good ways to escape poverty and become prosperous. After many discussions, Zhang Guiqin decided to make use of the family's large courtyard and use more than 5,000 yuan funded by the government to develop free-range chicken breeding. "The car accident left aftereffects, and I can't do heavy work. Raising chickens is just right for me!"

At the beginning, Zhang Guiqin did not understand breeding techniques, and more than 100 chicks died, more than half of them, which really made her anxious for a long time. When the assisting cadres learned of this situation, they sent her books on breeding and epidemic prevention techniques and invited experts to give on-site guidance. Gradually, Zhang Guiqin's breeding techniques became more and more proficient. "I built a shed for the chickens to keep them warm, and they lay eggs in winter just the same. I also learned how to hatch chicks, and I am now familiar with epidemic prevention and other matters!"

When the reporter asked about sales, Zhang Guiqin smiled even more happily. "I don't worry about selling at all! Customers come to me on their own. Free-range chickens are 150 yuan each, and free-range chicken eggs are 1.5 yuan each. Demand exceeds supply!" In 2016, in only 4 months, Zhang Guiqin's income from raising chickens reached more than 7,000 yuan.

Now, Zhang Guiqin's breeding business is thriving. She not only raises free-range chickens, but also raises white geese. In the courtyard, a larger breeding greenhouse has already broken ground. "I plan to further expand the breeding scale, from the current more than 200 to more than 1,000!" When talking about future development, Zhang Guiqin is full of confidence.