Raising chickens under the trees earned a Gansu farmer 400,000 yuan last year
“I used to follow other people out to work as a migrant, and I could not earn much in a year. Now I have started my own business right at my doorstep, using this mountain gully woodland, and last year I sold more than 28,000 chickens, with a net income of more than 400,000 yuan.” Speaking of the returns from raising chickens under the trees, farm manager Zheng Fucheng was very excited. “This year the more than 12,000 chickens I am raising will be ready for market in just over a month, and I estimate I can earn another 300,000 yuan!”
No people are seen in the woods, but the crowing of chickens can be heard. Arriving at the Hongjing Under-forest Breeding and Chicken Raising Professional Cooperative, located halfway up the mountain in Yuanzheng Village, Chengguan Town, Zhenyuan County, one sees flocks of native chickens, some chasing one another, some foraging, and some standing on the branches singing loudly…… Raising chickens under the trees has become a unique sight in the mountains.
“I used to follow other people out to work as a migrant, and I could not earn much in a year. Now I have started my own business right at my doorstep, using this mountain gully woodland, and last year I sold more than 28,000 chickens, with a net income of more than 400,000 yuan.” Speaking of the returns from raising chickens under the trees, farm manager Zheng Fucheng was very excited. “This year the more than 12,000 chickens I am raising will be ready for market in just over a month, and I estimate I can earn another 300,000 yuan!”
Talking about his entrepreneurial experience, Zheng Fucheng told reporters that by chance he learned that under-forest breeding in Wanggouquan Village, Guoyuan Township had very good returns. After investigation, comparison and feasibility study, he found that the terrain features of his own home were also suitable for raising native chickens under the trees, and that native chickens are easy to raise, have strong disease resistance, and sell well. In October 2014, he invested more than 800,000 yuan to build a 1,013-mu chicken farm at his doorstep and completed a 350-sq-m chicken house. This year, he invested another 400,000 yuan, transferred 1,000 mu of land, tidied up the breeding farm area, and cultivated 1,000 mu of seedling forest.
“My farm is halfway up the mountain, facing the Ru River, with high vegetation coverage, broad terrain, good air and no pollution. It is a good place for raising chickens on open range. Free-range chickens mainly feed on weeds in the woodland, supplemented with an appropriate amount of corn and wheat. Because they are raised ecologically on open range, they are purely natural and pollution-free, with delicious meat and a chewy texture, and they are very popular in the market. In particular, some large hotels have extended olive branches to me.” Zheng Fucheng talked about his “road to wealth” as he walked.
Zheng Fucheng did some calculations: of his 12,000 chickens this year, 10,000 can be sold in September, averaging 5 jin each, and sold to Ningxia and other places at 23 yuan per jin, bringing gross income of 120 to 130 yuan per chicken; after deducting costs of about 90 yuan, the net profit is 30 yuan per chicken, so these 10,000 chickens can bring more than 300,000 yuan in net income. At the same time, under-forest breeding not only solves the problem of idle woodland, but most importantly, raising chickens on open range in woodland has low investment cost, quick results, low labor intensity and simple raising methods. Every household can raise them, and it is a good way for people to get rich. Driven by Zheng Fucheng, 4 households in the same village have already begun investing in chicken raising. “Under Zheng Fucheng'sleadership, I have raised 1,000 chickens this year. After working hard for most of the year, in another month I will also have returns, and it looks like I can earn more than 30,000 yuan too.” Villager Cao Dengxue said happily.
Zheng Fucheng said: “Next, I plan to encourage 20 neighboring households to raise meat-cross and red-feathered chickens, with an average of 1,000 chickens per household, and a net income of about 40,000 yuan per market cycle. At the same time, we will introduce modern feeding equipment and management models, implement scientific feeding, form a comprehensive agricultural breeding base integrating green feeding, epidemic prevention, training and sales, create our own brand, and make this road to wealth broader and farther.”