Dong Tao Chicken is a famous and rare breed of chicken in Vietnam. The outstanding feature of this chicken breed is its majestic appearance, red skin, and very big and sturdy legs. Dong Tao Chicken is a specialty breed from Dong Tao village, Khoai Chau district, Hung Yen province. In the past, people used to use this chicken breed for ceremonial offerings or to present to the King. When newly hatched, Dong Tao chickens weigh from 38 to 40 grams. However, when fully developed, the rooster can weigh from 4.5 to 6 kilograms, and the hen can weigh from 4 kilograms and up.
Dong Tao Chicken is a famous chicken breed in Vietnam. Photo: Amusing planet
Many people seek to buy Dong Tao chickens as gifts during festivals and Tet. In reality, an average Dong Tao chicken as a gift can cost from 2.5 to 3 million dongs per chicken. Moreover, chickens with boat-shaped bodies and large combs can be sold for prices of up to 3 to 5 million dongs. Especially, Dong Tao chickens with beautiful body shapes and big legs can even be sold for tens of millions of dongs per chicken.
However, in reality, there is still a breed of chicken that is much more expensive than Dong Tao chickens in Vietnam.
Brahma chickens are even bigger than Dong Tao chickens. Illustration photo
This breed of chicken is called Brahma, also known as the “King of chickens” or the unicorn chicken. According to the Vietnamese Bird Garden website, Brahma chickens leave an impression on everyone at first glance because they are completely covered in feathers, right down to their feet. At first glance, Brahma chickens look like “fierce dogs” because of their large size, thick feather coverings, and majestic appearance.
Brahma chickens are recognized as the “King of chickens” because they have super heavy weights, from 9 to 18 kilograms for roosters and about 7 kilograms for hens.
Brahma chickens are a large muscular breed believed to have originated from America. However, Far East countries like Bangladesh and China believe that Brahma chickens originate from their lands. Besides the majestic appearance, Brahma chickens also have strong resistance as they can adapt to the most extreme weather conditions and are less prone to common diseases.
Why are Brahma chickens so expensive?
Brahma chickens are known as the “King of chickens”. Photo: Chickens and more
The reason why Brahma chickens are sought after by many people worldwide is because they believe that this breed brings luck, elegance, power, and wealth to the owner.
Rich people seek Brahma chickens to raise them at home or as presents. This large breed of chicken started to be imported into Vietnam since the early 20th century. However, in recent years, Brahma chickens have only been sought after by many people for ornamental purposes, despite their high prices of over tens of millions of dongs per chicken.
In the market, Brahma chickens around 2-3 weeks old have prices of 400,000 dongs per chicken, while chickens that have been raised for 4-6 weeks have prices of around 600,000 dongs per chicken. Grown Brahma chickens have prices ranging from 15 to 30 million dongs per pair, depending on their colors.
Brahma chickens are also known as unicorn chickens. This is a breed of chicken with a very high selling price in Vietnam. Photo: Mannapro
According to Dan Viet newspaper, mature Brahma chickens (if they have white feathers and black striped necks) have prices ranging from 25 to 35 million dongs per pair of rooster and hen. Besides, Brahma chickens with different feather colors have prices ranging from 15 to 20 million dongs per pair.
Many people prefer to raise Brahma chickens not only because they bring luck but also because they are very easy to raise. The food for Brahma chickens is relatively simple as they mainly eat rice, ground corn, crickets, and worms…
In addition to their ease of raising and adaptability to different environments, Brahma chickens also have good reproductive abilities. From about 6 months old, Brahma chickens start laying eggs. Brahma hens can lay from 150 to 200 eggs per year, depending on their care. Especially, the hatching rate is very high, up to 90%, if using an incubator.
Brahma chickens are famous for their delicious meat. However, in Vietnam, Vietnamese people mainly buy chickens while they are still young to raise them, then sell them to other enthusiasts for ornamental purposes or as presents.
According to PT&TH Long An TV Station, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Nam (Cho Moi district, An Giang province) is the one who has successfully bred purebred Brahma chickens. Mr. Nam shared that Brahma chickens, or unicorn chickens, are easy to raise because they can adapt to harsh weather conditions, have strong resistance, and are less susceptible to diseases. In terms of food, in addition to rice and ground corn, breeders should also supplement their diet with bran to provide more nutrients.
In addition to breeding, breeders or enthusiasts should also create a free-range space for Brahma chickens to get used to and adapt well to the environment and climate conditions.
Brahma chickens have common feather colors such as white-gray, ash-gray, and gray-yellow. This breed of chicken lives on average from 5 to 8 years and can even live for more than 10 years if they are well taken care of.
References: AZanimals, Livestock conservancy
