The birds are covered in red, white and brightly coloured feathers, as if a painter had decorated them. Some have heads like a lion's mane, others like a white kadam flower. Antor Gorapi, a college student in Shariatpur, has found success rearing such foreign chicken breeds, and now earns at least Tk 30,000 a month from them.

Antor Gorapi, 24, is the younger son of Mokles Gorapi and Maksuda Khanam of Bhojeshwar union in Naria upazila. He is a student at the local Upasi Taraprasanna Degree College. He started rearing chickens about a year ago, after being drawn to the European Short Silkie breed he saw on a Facebook page. With some money from his mother, he bought a pair of the birds for Tk 4,500 from neighbouring Chandpur district. He never looked back. He collected eggs from that pair, bred them himself and began selling the chicks. Little by little, he used that money to build a farm of foreign chickens.

His farm now has at least 100 birds of eight breeds, including European Silkie, Indian Sultan, Columbian Light Brahma, Golden Sebright, Buff Polish Cap, Fayoumi and Tiger, with an estimated value of around a lakh taka. A single pair sells for Tk 10,000 to Tk 30,000. Chicks hatched from his birds' eggs go to several districts, including Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Sherpur and Faridpur. The income, at least Tk 30,000 a month, pays for his studies and pocket money, and he sometimes buys gifts for his parents. His family is pleased, and neighbours are being encouraged to rear different chicken breeds.

His mother, Maksuda Khanam, said: "At first I was annoyed by my son's chicken rearing. Now, instead of wasting time with bad company, he spends his time on the chickens. He earns his own pocket money from it. He is doing something and becoming self-reliant, and that is not a bad thing."

Neighbour Nargis Akter said: "Antor is our neighbour. I really like that he rears such beautiful chickens. I have a lot of empty space at home, and I would like to get foreign chickens from him and rear them."

Antor Gorapi said: "After joining an animal and bird group on Facebook, I developed a passion for rearing foreign chicken breeds. Then, with some savings and some money from my mother, I brought home a pair of European Silkie chickens. I hatched their eggs and started selling the chicks. With the money from those chickens I collected other breeds. Now I earn Tk 30,000 a month."

District Livestock Officer Dr Abu Bakar Siddique said: "Young people and teenagers are being inspired to rear different foreign chicken breeds and are becoming self-reliant. They are paying for their studies with the extra income and helping their families. We will always stand by them and offer our help."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.