The ancient Japanese breed of chickens known as “Onagadori” or Long-Tailed Japanese Chickens is a beautiful bird traditionally raised by the upper noble class of Japanese society.
However, this breed is relatively unknown in Thailand, and many people find it hard to believe that they even exist, despite their substantial profitability.
Chalermchai Maneebun, 40 who had previously worked in Israel and returned to his homeland in Khon Kaen province seven years ago, became interested in learning more about the long-tailed chicken after he saw the Japanese ancient photo, featuring their exquisite and unique beauty on social media.
He began by purchasing a pair, a male and a female for 18,000 baht from a Thai importer. He later imported them four more times, one pair at a time.
Due to the delicacy of raising these chickens, only one pair survives. However, this pair was enough for Chalermchai to continue breeding and selling long-tailed Japanese Chickens over the past 4-5 years.
At present, he has more than 20 of these chickens in various sizes, with some already sold. He currently has only two of the long-tailed breed, which become even more stunning when the wind rustles their beautiful tails.
His white long-tailed chicken, with its pristine and complete characteristics, is said to be the only one of its kind in Thailand. Its tail is 2.70 meters long, and his customer from Myanmar has agreed to buy it for 150,000 baht.
As for the black and white one, it was praised by a conservation center in Japan for its authentic and stunning beauty, reminiscent of ancient portrayals. This chicken will not be for sale, he said.
Chalermchai recommends newcomers who are hesitant to invest to start by buying two-month-old chicks, as they have not been graded yet, and to raise them together for 2,500-3,000 baht per pair. However, when they reach 5-8 months of age, their tails will begin to grow, and they can be graded, with prices ranging from 7,000-10,000 baht.
He said his customers come from both Thailand and abroad, including Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Malaysia, generating an average monthly income of 30,000-50,000 baht. Understanding the limitations of raising these chickens, Chalermchai emphasizes that it is not a difficult task, as they are fed with pellets different from typical chicken fed with unhusked and uncooked rice and rice bran.
The concentrate feed cost is not high, at 20 baht per kilogram, and each chicken consumes about 1 kilogram of feed per week. (TNA)
