Mountain free-range chicken farming sets Liu Xiangzhi on the road to prosperity

    "I have more than 1,400 of these 'Jinling Sanhuang chickens' in this batch. They have been raised for over three months, and each one now weighs more than 4 jin. I have already arranged with a purchasing company, and they are coming tonight to buy and haul them all away. This batch of market chickens will bring in at least 10,000 yuan in net profit." On the morning of May 18, Liu Xiangzhi of Group 2, Chadian Village, Songjiang Town, Dongpo District, said happily to the reporter while scattering corn to feed the chickens.

These are all "Jinling Sanhuang chickens" that Liu Xiangzhi specially introduced from Renshou. They have a uniform body shape and feather color, short and small legs, strong disease resistance, and a high feed-to-meat ratio. They get their name because their feathers are yellow, their feet are yellow, and their skin is deep yellow. She knows well that today's confined, force-fattened broilers have gradually "fallen out of favor" on dining tables where people increasingly value healthy and safe food, while a new ecological approach to chicken farming, using mountain free-range rearing and feeding them entirely on grain and green feed, is gaining ground. Chickens raised this way have crisp yellow skin, delicate meat, a fragrant taste, and a good mouthfeel. They have already become the "new favorite" of Chengdu food establishments such as "Tianfu" and "Liaoji" bangbang chicken and large food manufacturers. These more than 1,400 chickens will soon be hauled away by buyers, and net profits of more than 10,000 yuan will let Liu Xiangzhi once again taste the joy of success.

Today Liu Xiangzhi looks a little tired, because she just bought 2,000 chicks last night and was busy vaccinating these delicate little creatures against Salmonella, without closing her eyes all night. "In the first month after chicks are born, they need 7 vaccinations, and then their survival rate can be guaranteed to reach more than 97%. After getting through this dangerous period, you still cannot let your guard down. Almost all the ones introduced are roosters, and they like to fight, so we have to constantly watch their movements and step in to 'break up fights' in time. Otherwise, the weaker chickens may be pecked to death alive. When necessary, the stronger ones have to be separated." The quiet Liu Xiangzhi becomes unstoppable once she starts talking about the "chicken business." She opened a door near the bedroom, and there were 2,000 little golden fluffballs in the warm brooding room, which was specially built because the chicks might not adapt to sudden temperature changes. She carefully tends these little treasures, scattering feed and giving them water, caring for them meticulously. Watching her skilled movements, it is hard to imagine that a year ago she was a complete outsider to the breeding industry.

Ten years ago, Liu Xiangzhi cooked at construction sites in Guizhou and did domestic work for people, earning only 400 yuan a month for her hard work. Not only were the fields left uncultivated, but she also could not attend to her only daughter's education. As her daughter's high school entrance exam approached, Liu Xiangzhi finally panicked and hurried back to look after her daughter. The child went to school during the day, so surely such good time could not be wasted, right? The diligent and capable Liu Xiangzhi began pondering ways to get rich. People nowadays are full of caution about food, and when buying poultry or livestock they always ask, "Is it home-raised? Was it raised on feed?" With vast land and few people, wasn't free-range chicken farming a path to prosperity? Liu Xiangzhi acted as soon as she decided. Last year she first raised funds to buy 300 chicks, built a simple chicken coop, and used 8 mu of fenced woodland, taking the first step in mountain chicken farming. But due to lack of experience and poor management, after the first batch of chickens was sold, she actually lost 3,000 yuan! Just as Liu Xiangzhi was feeling discouraged, Renshou County Xieshan Tianyuan Poultry Co., Ltd. became a turning point in her business. After learning about Liu Xiangzhi's setback in breeding, the company provided her with proper native chicken chicks and offered door-to-door supporting services in epidemic prevention and treatment, feeding management, and chicken coop facilities, which greatly boosted her confidence in breeding, and her chicken-raising skills improved a great deal. Under her careful care, the second batch of 600 chicks bought back in June last year reached a 100% survival rate. After deducting costs, net income was more than 4,200 yuan!

Liu Xiangzhi counted on her fingers: this year she will market at least 5 batches of ecological native chickens. Calculating an average of 1,000 per batch and a profit of 8.5 yuan per chicken, she will earn at least 42,500 yuan for the year. That is equivalent to the total income from 8 years of working for others in the past! Raising chickens not only increases income, but also allows her to balance production and family life, achieving many goals at once!