Young Farmer from Ternopil Region Breeds Rare Decorative Chickens
Vasyl Dovhal, a fourteen-year-old young farmer from the town of Zbarazh in the Ternopil region, is engaged in raising five different breeds of decorative chickens. Among his collection are Indonesian black ayam cemani, Chinese silkies, bantams, and golden chickens.
This is reported by AgroReview
Rare and Unusual Breeds on His Farm
Vasyl’s interest in poultry farming began at the age of two when he helped his grandmother care for the chickens. Currently, the boy keeps 60 chickens and dreams of expanding his farm in the future.
One of the young poultry farmer’s proudest possessions is the rare Indonesian breed — ayam cemani. These chickens have black feathers, skin, meat, bones, and even earlobes and eyes. It is believed that these characteristics indicate the breed’s purity. The eggs of ayam cemani are slightly smaller than regular ones, and a rooster can weigh up to two kilograms, while a hen weighs half a kilogram. According to Vasyl, these birds can have either aggressive or timid temperaments.
“This breed is called ayam cemani. Farmers raise this breed for its unique appearance. Their features include black meat, comb, bones, internal organs, and earlobes-eyes. This is an indicator of their purity. The eggs are medium-sized, slightly smaller than those of a regular chicken. A rooster can weigh two kilograms, and a hen half that. Their temperament can be aggressive or timid,” Vasyl Dovhal shared.
Modern Approach to Raising and Promoting a Hobby
In a specially built chicken coop-aviary, which he constructed with his father over six months, there are eight silkies and five ayam cemani. Each breed has designated areas for sleeping and free-ranging. Chinese silkies are known for their unusual plumage that resembles silk and their inability to fly due to their fluffy covering. In a year, one such hen lays between 100 to 130 eggs, and they also have five toes on their feet and black meat.
Most of Vasyl’s chickens were raised from eggs using an incubator. Chicks appear approximately after 21 days, which corresponds to natural conditions, but it is essential to carefully monitor the temperature and humidity in the device.
Vasyl shares about his farm on social media: “I have my own TikTok account where I post about the lives of my chickens. I also communicate with other experienced people in this field and learn from them. My dream is to develop my farm and turn it into a business. I want my future work to bring me more satisfaction.”
Vasyl actively shares his experiences on social media, inspiring his peers to engage in poultry farming and planning to build a successful business around his passion.