End-of-Year Feasts: Sales Of Chicks On The Rise

Poultry farmers are now raising chicks that will be ready for use during the feasts.

New groups of poultry farmers have cropped up following the upcoming end-of-year feasts. Chicken, be it table birds or layers are solicited by most families during the period. While some like it in its fried form, others prefer barbecue while some smoke or boil for pepper soup. In order to satisfy consumers, small-holder poultry farmers will supplement chicken market during the festive period.

In Marché de Chèvre in the Douala II municipality where chicks and chicken are also sold, a trader in chicks, Joseph Tchouanmo, said since the beginning of November, families and poultry farmers have been buying chicks and feed in the market. To him, table bird chicks are still being bought till press time because if well fed, will take less than 45 days to be ready. A table bird chick is sold for between FCFA 500 and FCFA 550, five times more expensive than the chick of a layer that sells at FCFA 100.

While table birds takes at least 4...