Exploring other side of poultry farming through ‘luxury birds’

With the current situation in poultry farming in Nigeria, some Kano State poultry farmers are now in the business of rearing and selling what is termed as ‘Luxury Birds’.

Luxury birds are exceptional birds mostly imported into the country from other nations and are usually very expensive and in high demand.

One of the farmers, Malam Sanusi Ali, said that some of the poultry farmers began rearing luxury birds to remain in poultry business.

According to him, though the innovation requires more knowledge and expertise, it has a minimal cost and gives very high return on investments.

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He explained that with the current situation in poultry farming, poultry farmers are gradually moving into luxury birds rearing to make ends meet. “It is no longer story that poultry farmers are finding it very difficult to continue doing their normal poultry business, while others local poultry people like us have taken to luxury birds rearing which is really doing well,” he said.

Another luxury bird business operator Alhaji Shehu Bello revealed that he was introduced into the business by a Chinese national who gave him a pair of Polish chicks and after a few months he sold them at the cost of N20,000.

“When I was at the verge of closing my poultry farm, a Chinese national introduced me to luxury bird rearing. He gave me two Polish chicken chicks and taught me how to manage them, and after a few months, I sold them for N20,000. That was how I began.”

Most of the poultry farmers that have adopted luxury bird rearing are into rearing of birds like white peacock, Padu chicken, Opentoon chicken, Polish chicken, Silky chicken, among other birds.

A check at the luxury birds market revealed that a pair of Brama Chicken sells for N30,000; Chinese geese N40,000; Opentoon Chicken N60,000; silky chicken N20,000 while white peacock price depends on size.

It was, however, gathered that these species of birds are mostly imported and in high demand by wealthy people who can afford it. The irony is that the birds are usually purchased not for consumption but to beautify houses.