Pullet rearing farms, though not popular among the farmers, are doing brisk business in Tsirang. The term “pullet” refers to a young hen, usually under one year of age. There are two pullet rearing farms compared to over 100 commercial poultry farms.
The farm brings in day-old chicks from Sarpang and rears it in their farm for 45 days. The farm then supplies the pullets to farmers who are in need of pullets ready to hatch egg. The pullet farms in Tsirang have supplied more the 15,000 pullets since its establishment a year ago.
“Till two weeks, it is difficult to rear the chicks because we bring them when they are just a day old. We have to look after the chicks like our own children. We spend first four nights with the chicks to look after them. After four days it is much easier to rear them,” said Pema Wangchuk, a farmer of Goserling Gewog.
The farm supplies pullets to farmers as far as Paro, Zhemgang and Haa. Most of the time, their supply does not even meet, the local demand. According to the farm owners, the demand for pullet is high due to difficulty in rearing the day old chicks.
“So far our supply has been outnumbered by the demand for our pullets,” said Pema Wangchuk, reasoning that the farmers in Dzongkhags like Thimphu and Paro cannot rear the day old Chicks because of the cold weather.
The business has been good for the pullet farm owners so far. They pay little less then Nu. 40for a day-old chick and sell it for more than Nu. 220, after keeping 45 days in their farm.
