Taking care of these tiny chickens and collecting eggs daily makes them feel like real “farmers”, they said.
The Rise in Popularity of Rutin Chickens
Fitting in the palm of an adult’s hand and weighing only about 50 grams, Nguyen Chien Thang’s (51, Cau Giay) rutin chickens are crowded around a food tray, pecking at their meal. Looking at these animals, which he considers his “pets”, Mr. Thang shared: “I currently have 22 rutin chickens in a self-designed cage in my living room. After a tiring day at work, I look at them to find joy. They are very cute; when they are small, they are adorable, and when they grow up, they are round and funny.”
Mr. Thang is designing another chicken coop in the bathroom to prepare for raising more rutin chickens.
The rutin chicken seller shared that this animal originates from Thailand. It is a hybrid between a quail and a gô chicken. The rutin chicken is named after the word ‘rutin’, or vitamin P, a type of flavonoid found in citrus fruits and some other plants, but also present in the eggs of this animal.
Busy harvesting the eggs, which are light brown or olive with occasional sparse black spots, into a plastic basket, Mr. Thang happily exclaimed: “This breed of chicken is easy to raise and lays a lot of eggs! I have five adult hens, and they lay five eggs every day without fail for the past five months. Taking care of them is also very simple; I feed and change their water in the morning, and when I come home from work at night, I collect the eggs. I only need to clean the coop once or twice a week, spread straw for the chickens to live on, and sprinkle probiotics on top to prevent odors.”
Holding a rooster with a crown pattern on its head, Mr. Thang shared: “The feathers on the rooster’s body will be brighter and fresher than those of the hens. The color of the hen’s feathers is quite similar to that of a quail. I’m incubating the eggs for the second time now. In a few days, when the eggs hatch into chicks, I will share them with some friends so they can raise them together for fun. Many people watched the video of my chicken coop on social media and then messaged me to ask for a pair of roosters and hens because they found them too cute.”
According to a survey by Dan Viet reporters, typing the keyword “rutin chicken” into the search bar on social media will bring up numerous related groups and pages, with an average membership of tens of thousands of people. Many accounts claim that raising this breed of chicken is very suitable for “healing” purposes. “You only need to raise a few because if you have too many, they will make a lot of noise. Adding a few miniature landscapes to the box, watching these chickens grow and lay eggs every day really helps reduce life’s pressures,” said a social media user.
According to Mr. Bui Manh Ha (30 years old), a rutin chicken seller in Ha Dong, this breed of chicken is relatively inexpensive, with an average price ranging from 80,000 to 100,000 VND/chicken, depending on the size. “For week-old rutin chicks, the selling price is only about 30,000 VND/chick. If the owner raises the chickens from a young age, they will be more attached to them,” said Mr. Ha.
Selling Thousands of Chickens Every Month
Quickly catching rutin chickens and placing them in a box for delivery to customers, Mr. Ha, a rutin chicken seller in Ha Dong, shared: “There are months when I sell over 1,000 chickens. The peak season is during the summer when parents want their children to stay away from their phones, so they buy rutin chickens for their kids to take care of. During that time, I sell a lot of chickens; it’s normal to sell 100-200 chickens a day.”
Rutin chickens are becoming popular pets among Vietnamese youth.
Mr. Ha said that usually, customers buy six chickens at a time, including two roosters and four hens. “Actually, the natural ratio of rutin chickens is already about 30% roosters and 70% hens. So, I usually advise customers about this natural ratio and suggest they buy according to it for optimal egg-laying and hatching,” he added.
When asked about the demographics of his customers, Mr. Ha replied: “My customers come from various age groups, from students to office workers and housewives who buy chickens for their children to take care of. The inquiries come from all over the country, from the North to the South.”
However, Mr. Ha usually only accepts orders from Hue to the North. Sharing the reason for this, he said: “To ensure that the chickens are not transported for too long and to maintain their quality when they reach the customers, I usually only accept orders that can be delivered within 48 hours. For customers in the South who want to buy rutin chickens, I will refer them to some reputable farms in the area.”
Pointing to the chicken coop decorated with various motifs, such as trees, small stones, and wooden fences, Mr. Ha continued: “There are many types of coops. Some people prefer glass coops, while others opt for wooden ones. Those with a higher budget will order a custom-made, beautiful coop. Many customers confided in me that they utilize all the empty spaces in their houses to place rutin chicken coops. Even though they don’t live in rural areas, taking care of these chickens makes them feel like real ‘farmers’ in the city.”
Popular among office workers, rutin chickens are the perfect pets for those with limited time and money for pet care. With just 1 million VND, one can own a pair of rutin chickens, along with a coop and other decorative items. The main food for these animals is cereals and chick crumbs because their mouths are small, and they cannot eat rice or grains like regular chickens.
Once a trending pet in China, rutin chickens are now gaining popularity among Vietnamese youth. Typically, rutin chickens are sold in pairs, with prices ranging from 250,000 to 300,000 VND.
