Successful farmer of free-range chickens in Bắc Giang

HÀ NỘI — Chicken farmer Nguyễn Hữu Quý, puts his success down to hard work, dedication, but also embracing new ways of thinking in his farming methods.

That success, with free-range crossbred fighting chickens now brings in profits of billions of đồng every year.

Quý family’s chicken farming facilityin Bắc Giang Province is built on a hill side of acacia trees spanning over 5.4 hectares. “Recently we have invested in the construction of three additional barns, each over 500 metres square, bringing the total number of barns to 20, with a capacity of around 40,000 to 50,000 chickens per year”, Quý said.

Born in 1977, in Ngò 2 Hamlet, Đồng Kỳ Commune, Yên Thế Distric, the land of his birth is famous for the Yên Thế Hill Chicken brand.  Quý went through various jobs, but none helped his family achieve financial stability. Realising that the abundant land in his hometown was ideal for livestock farming and seeing many families prosper from raising chickens, he decided to invest in poultry, with the ambition of building a successful life on his native soil.

Nguyễn Hữu Quý tends to his chicken farm. Photo VNA/VNA

After doing some research, he chose to raise crossbred fighting chickens, recognising their advantages - they have strong resistance to disease, have fast growth and are suited to the hilly terrain. In 2005, using his savings and borrowing from relatives, he began a trial run with about 3,000 crossbred fighting chickens in his backyard.

As he worked, he continued to gather knowledge and experience from various sources. After more than four months, the first batch of chickens thrived, proving to be more profitable than general farming. Seeing the potential, his family decided to expand their chicken farming operations.

In 2007, Quý started building his chicken farm in Ngò 2 Hamlet and purchased additional hillside land from surrounding households, expanding the total farming area to 5.4 hectares.

The farm, nestled on the hill and surrounded by acacia and eucalyptus trees, provides a cool, open environment for the chickens to thrive. Moreover, he cleverly recycles their waste as fertiliser for the trees. Today, his family farm sells around 40,000 to 50,000 chickens annually, generating billions of đồng in revenue. In 2022 alone, the farm earned 8.7 billion đồng (about US$3.5 million) in revenue, with a net profit of approximately 2.4 billion đồng after expenses.

Sharing his farming experience, Quý explained that raising free-range crossbred fighting chickens shares many similarities with traditional methods. The chickens roam freely in large open spaces under the shade of trees, allowing them to forage for additional food like grass and insects to supplement their diet, alongside their regular feed.

The farming process is carried out with strict attention to detail, from selecting breeds to daily care, with each growth stage requiring different approaches. The chickens must be monitored daily and if the weather changes, they need to be checked even hourly. In the first month, the chickens are fully vaccinated against diseases such as Newcastle disease, pasteurellosis, and H5N1 avian flu. The free-range area is carefully fenced off to prevent exposure to outside pathogens, while the barns are designed to be cool in the summer, warm in the winter and always kept clean.

To ensure everything runs according to plan, Quý meticulously records each stage of the process in a logbook to avoid mistakes or confusion. However, Quý admits that there have been times when he and his wife lost sleep and skipped meals due to unpredictable weather causing the chickens to fall ill. Fortunately, their proactive approach to farming techniques and thorough vaccination schedules helped minimise any significant losses.

To keep his chickens in top condition, Quý embraced modern farming methods, using automated systems for feeding and watering. On top of that, he makes sure to clean and manage the waste carefully, so nothing harmful is released into the environment. Thanks to these efforts, his chickens are known for their high quality and appealing appearance, attracting traders from Hà Nội and big wholesale markets who come directly to his farm to buy.

Not only has Quý created wealth for himself and his family, but his chicken farm also provides jobs for between eight to fourteen local workers, earning them an average income of six million đồng per person per month. He’s always willing to share his farming experience with others.

Nguyễn Hữu Quý (centre) receives the award for 'Exemplary Citizen of Bắc Giang Province 2023. Photo VNA/VNS

In 2019, to promote sustainable farming, Quý and several households in Ngò 2 Hamlet formed a chicken farming cooperative with 12 members.

As the cooperative's leader, his model farm hosts up to twenty visiting groups each year. He offers advice, training and shares his knowledge of farming and scientific advancements with fellow farmers in the hamlet and commune, as well as with visitors.

Additionally, each year his family supports poor or struggling households with chicken breeds and financial assistance to help them develop their own farms. One example is Nguyễn Hữu Tuấn’s family from Ngò 2, who, thanks to Quý’s guidance, have expanded their flock of crossbred fighting chickens to over 8,000 birds a year.

In 2023, Quý was honoured as one of the 100 Outstanding Farmers of Vietnam and recognised as one of the 'Top 10 Exemplary Citizens of Bắc Giang Province' for the year.