Why is the Vietnamese Bantam Chicken so expensive compared to other small chicken breeds?

                                                                               

                                                   

Rhode Island Red is a popular chicken breed in Vietnam. The appearance of Rhode Island Red is quite small. Specifically, adult females weigh only about 1.7 kg, while males weigh from 2 – 2.5 kg. In fact, Rhode Island Red can reproduce when they are about 4 – 5 months old. In the first year, Rhode Island Red can lay from 100 – 120 eggs. After that, if they are well cared for and raised properly, they can increase egg production to 160 – 180 eggs per year. In the market, Rhode Island Red is priced from 180,000 to 200,000 VND/kg.

However, there is a chicken breed that is smaller than Rhode Island Red but is much more valuable.

This breed is the Sebright chicken, originating from England. They are priced around 7 million VND/pair. Sebright chickens were created in the 19th century, as part of a selective breeding program conducted by British researcher John Saunders Sebright (1767 – 1846). Sebright chickens are also the first poultry breed in the world to have their own club for enthusiasts. Compared to other chicken breeds, Sebright chickens are even smaller, even smaller than Rhode Island Red in Vietnam. When fully grown, these chickens weigh only about 600 – 800 grams.

Why are Sebright chickens expensive?

According to experts, Sebright chickens are a symbol of luck, prosperity, and wealth, so they are also known as Dai Cat (Great Fortune) chickens. The game of keeping Sebright chickens in Vietnam has become popular in the past 10 years. However, on every occasion at the end of the year, many people seek to buy this rare chicken breed.

According to ornamental chicken enthusiasts, Sebright chickens are considered a precious breed, like “mythical creatures.” Sebright chickens come in two main colors, silver-white and golden-yellow. In particular, each feather of a Sebright chicken has a prominent white or black border, as if it was added on. The value of Sebright chickens is based on their plumage. Specifically, the more beautiful and evenly colored their feathers are, the higher their price will be.

This breed is also sought after and purchased as Tet gifts. Among them, yellow Sebright chickens are more expensive than other colors. Ornamental chicken enthusiasts consider that Sebright chickens with yellow feathers are more valuable than other colors. This is because yellow Sebright chickens are not only rarer than silver or golden colors, but also very good for feng shui.

Sebright chicks are priced at about 1.5 million VND/chick when they are about 1 week old. Meanwhile, adult Sebright chickens have prices ranging from 5 – 10 million VND/pair. However, chickens that have won prizes at competitions can be priced up to tens of millions of VND.

According to Dân Việt newspaper, the number of extremely rare and beautiful Sebright chickens accounts for only about 2%. Furthermore, beautiful Sebright chickens are often sought after by wealthy individuals for breeding and admiring. Sebright chickens only lay about 60 – 80 eggs per year. Some strains have a higher reproductive ability. However, the majority of female Sebright chickens do not know how to incubate eggs. Therefore, those who raise Sebright chickens often use other hens to incubate eggs for this chicken breed. By using this method, the hatching rate is much higher compared to using an incubator.

In addition, because Sebright chickens have a weak immune system and are very susceptible to disease, breeders need to pay close attention to careful care, keep the coop clean, and especially avoid raising them in excessively cold places.

References: Livestock conservancy, Chickens and more