Although it's a hobby that requires investment in both money and care, for many years, ornamental chickens have attracted many people in Quang Tri province due to their passion and love for the hobby. This movement has created a healthy environment and contributed to preserving and spreading beautiful, purebred Vietnamese chicken breeds.
Besides raising Tan Chau bantam chickens, Mr. Bui Manh Dung also owns pairs of Onagadori chickens with long, silky tail feathers - Photo: LE TRUONG
These days, Mr. Nguyen Duc Thong in Ward 5, Gio Linh town, seems busier than usual with caring for and grooming his Tan Chau bantam chickens in preparation for the "Beauty of Tan Chau Ornamental Chickens" competition to be held in Phu Tho province this March. Having been passionate about raising ornamental chickens since 2015, Mr. Thong has participated in numerous competitions and won high awards.
Mr. Thong shared: “Because of my passion, I researched many chicken breeds to raise. When I learned about Tan Chau bantam chickens, I was truly captivated by their colorful plumage, thick, long, flowing tails. From then on, I started looking for breeding stock, learning about raising chickens from forums and many provinces and cities in the North and South. To pursue this hobby, I have to put in a lot of effort, from breeding, caring for, cleaning the coops to daily training, which takes a lot of time.”
According to Mr. Thong, to qualify for competitions, Tan Chau fighting chickens, besides being carefully selected through generations of breeding, require meticulous attention to detail from the breeder, ensuring a nutritious diet and suitable housing. In addition to vegetables, bran, and rice, the chickens need to be fed supplementary vitamins and protein sources such as worms, crickets, beef, fish, vegetables, grass, and tomatoes. The housing itself must have sufficient light, a lined floor, and perches to prevent the chickens' feathers from breaking during movement.
“A beautiful rooster is judged by its plumage. Therefore, Tan Chau fighting roosters must be bathed and sunbathed every day. In addition, rooster breeders must pay attention to the comb, beak, and eyes, ensuring they are small, compact, and proportionate to the plumage. However, the most important thing is that during the period leading up to competitions, the roosters selected to compete must weigh no more than 1.1 kg, and must not have their combs, ears, wattles, tails altered, dyed, or have feathers extended to be eligible to compete,” Mr. Thong further shared.
As a passionate enthusiast of ornamental animals, Mr. Bui Manh Dung in Dong Ha City has dedicated many years of his time, effort, and money to raising ornamental chickens, especially the Tan Chau bantam breed. According to Mr. Dung, raising ornamental chickens sounds simple, but to create a satisfactory "fighting rooster," the owner must invest. The Tan Chau bantam breed is a hybrid created from the Tan Chau wild chicken ( An Giang province) and the Japanese bantam, and through many generations of domestication, it has become the beautiful breed we see today.
Mr. Nguyen Duc Thong takes care of his Tan Chau bantam chicken farm - Photo: LE TRUONG
Currently, after researching, learning, and searching for ornamental chicken breeds throughout the country, Mr. Dung has built a small chicken farm with a full range of famous breeds. Among them are the Onagadori chickens from Japan, a precious breed in the Land of the Rising Sun with long, glossy tails. Other breeds include the Brahma chicken from the USA, the African Star chicken, the Silver Scale chicken from the UK, and the Mini Cochin chicken from North America. Mr. Dung is most proud of his Tan Chau bantam chickens, which he cares for with all his passion for purebred Vietnamese ornamental chickens. Besides famous ornamental chicken breeds, Mr. Dung also owns a unique collection of ornamental animals including peacocks, pheasants, ostriches, turkeys, and more.
Mr. Dung shared: “Raising and caring for ornamental chickens is much more difficult than raising traditional chickens. Besides survival, the most important qualities of ornamental chickens are their beauty, from their smooth feathers and graceful gait to their crowing and the bond between the owner and the fighting rooster. Therefore, in addition to a special diet, Tan Chau bantam chickens and many other ornamental chicken breeds need to be raised in cages with fans to cool them in the summer and heaters in the winter. Furthermore, a lot of time needs to be dedicated to training them to be friendly with people and to train them to do as desired by creating sounds with a snap of the fingers.”
According to Mr. Dung, a beautiful rooster must meet the standards of a balanced physique, agile demeanor, a "dwarf" plumage (meaning the feathers under the wings and the mane on the neck are long, covering almost the entire neck). In particular, the tail feathers must be long but balanced, softly curved, and not joined... If a male "fighting rooster" has a coat of many different colors and is strong and healthy, it has an advantage in scoring points when participating in competitions.
Sharing a common passion for ornamental chickens, the Quang Tri Ornamental Chicken Club has been established in the province for many years. Its aim is to create a platform and opportunities for ornamental chicken breeders to exchange experiences in caring for and breeding chickens, resulting in beautiful and high-quality birds with diverse colors.
As the head of the Quang Tri Ornamental Chicken Club, Mr. Dung shared that since its establishment, club members have actively participated in the "Beauty of Tan Chau Ornamental Chickens" competitions nationwide and won many major awards. However, due to various factors, maintaining the club's activities is currently facing considerable difficulties. Nevertheless, exchanges and interactions among ornamental chicken enthusiasts in the province are still maintained during holidays and festivals, and club members continue to participate in major competitions nationwide.
The majestic appearance, vibrant plumage, and gentle crowing of ornamental chickens in general, and Tan Chau bantams in particular, motivate people like Mr. Dung and Mr. Thong to invest effort, time, and money in creating their own "fighting roosters." For them, raising ornamental chickens with dedication and passion brings them peace of mind, as it is not only a hobby but also contributes significantly to the preservation and development of beautiful chicken breeds, especially purebred Vietnamese chickens.
Le Truong
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/thu-choi-ga-canh-lam-cong-phu-191712.htm
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