Rudong County Xindian farmers seize the Year of the Rooster opportunity to raise chickens

On the first day of the first lunar month, the sound of "crackling" firecrackers rang out everywhere, but Tao Ruihua, a farmer in Xindian Town, Rudong County, was still busy in the chicken coop.

At 6 a.m., Old Tao headed straight to the chicken coop to start observing the chickens and checking their health. "Cluck, cluck, cluck..." In the 800 sq m chicken coop, 6,000 chickens were huddled head to head "playing." "Time waits for no one. Look, the chicks change every day, there's no time to waste." Old Tao said to the reporter while busy, adding that in just over 10 more days these chickens would be ready for market, and he hoped they would fetch a good price.

"Come eat breakfast. It's the New Year, so try to eat breakfast before the chickens do, ha ha ha..." His wife's laughter came from the kitchen. Old Tao pursed his lips and smiled as he mixed feed for the chickens: "It doesn't matter if I eat late, but they can't wait." Perhaps because they had built up quite a rapport with their owner, the chickens were already eager to move as soon as they heard the sound of food being prepared. When the coop door opened, hundreds of chickens surged out and, familiar with the route, raced all the way to the trough to feed, a lively scene. Old Tao joked, "People are like chickens: you have to be diligent, and only with effort can you have a chance to succeed."

Feeding, watering, ventilating... This routine was like an equation in Old Tao's mind, so familiar that it could not be more familiar. "Neither coop hygiene nor food can be neglected." Old Tao talked about his many years of know-how. These past two days, taking advantage of the good weather, whenever they had a moment, Old Tao and his wife hurried to mix corn, soybean meal, vitamins and other chicken feed to ensure food for the "chicken babies." "Each chicken eats about 4 liang of food and drinks 8 liang of water per meal... this ratio makes them most comfortable."

This year is the Year of the Rooster. Speaking of his 26-year bond with chickens, Old Tao was a little emotional: "Others won't believe it, but these chickens are like my children. When they are lively and jumping around, I smile all over; when they are sick and suffering, I feel listless." Over the years, Old Tao had experienced the golden age of chicken farming and also the roller-coaster thrill of fright. "I've said many times that I wouldn't raise them anymore, but after a few days, I'd catch new chickens again. It's an addiction I can't quit." Old Tao said with a smile that due to avian influenza and supply and demand, last year the 5 batches of chickens he raised had average returns, earning a full-year profit of 70,000 yuan.

"After this batch of chickens is sold, I'll start comprehensive disinfection to welcome the next batch of chicken babies. This year I plan to raise 30,000." Looking at the lively flock, Old Tao was full of confidence and energy.