RDA Publishes Book on Chicken Raising for First-time Farmers

The National Institute of Animal Science, a research outfit under the Rural Development Administration, has published a booklet on chicken raising to help the newly minted farmers.(image:Grzegorz Łobiński@flickr)

SEOUL, Korea, Jan 15 (Korea Bizwire) – As the baby boomers in their 50s or older retire from their urban jobs, the number of those who come back to the farms is on the rise. As of the end of last year, there are 47,000 such households in the countryside. Some of the retirees opt to grow crops only but some others are interested in raising chickens as a way to complement their income.

In a situation where more and more health-conscious consumers pay premiums on organic foods and their interest in food safety has heightened, small-scale chicken raising and selling fertilized eggs could be a lucrative business proposition.

In response to the demand, the National Institute of Animal Science, a research outfit under the Rural Development Administration, has published a booklet on chicken raising to help the newly minted farmers. Titled “How to Become a Small-scale Chicken Farmer,” the book offers tips on what kind of chickens to choose, how to build chicken coops, how to feed, and how to respond to chicken diseases. It also includes case studies on successful chicken farmers for readers to emulate.

Choi Hee-cheol, manager at the National Institute of Animal Science responsible for poultry science, said, “Recently there are many more people interested in raising chicken. Some of them settle in the countryside, but some others opt to farm chickens in suburban settings or even in apartment terraces. We hope that the new booklet could help the small-scale amateur chicken farmers set their first steps.”

The book is available in the e-book form through the Rural Development Administration’s library (http://lib.rda.go.kr) or any farmer candidate can order a print edition for free at 031-290-8568.

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