In Chenxi County, Hunan Province, a unique breed of native chicken has captured attention—not for its size or flavor, but for the unusual accessory it wears: glasses. At first glance, this may sound strange, even unbelievable. People wear glasses to improve their vision, but why would chickens need them? This peculiar practice began with Shu Yuanliang, a local farmer who discovered an unexpected problem while raising chickens.
In September 2004, Shu Yuanliang bought his first batch of local chickens. After just over a month of feeding, he noticed a serious issue: the chickens were constantly pecking at each other. Some died daily, and many of the survivors were left bare-skinned, with only a few feathers remaining. The aggressive behavior was so severe that nearly 80% of the original flock had been lost. Unlike the naturally raised chickens in Chenxi, which are usually free-range and less violent, these overcrowded birds in Shu’s yard were fighting more intensely than ever before.
Shu tried various methods to reduce the aggression, but nothing worked. Then, when he started selling the chickens, he realized the importance of feather quality. A feathered chicken could sell for up to 11 yuan per pound, while those with lighter coloration sold for around 8 or 9 yuan, and completely featherless ones fetched as low as 5 yuan. This revelation made him think deeply about how to improve the appearance of his birds.
In Chenxi, consumers prefer live chickens, especially during festivals, where the presence of full feathers is seen as a symbol of quality and authenticity. Featherless chickens were not popular, and people often associated them with caged, unhealthy birds. With over 5,000 chickens in his yard, Shu and his wife spent countless hours trying to find a solution.
Eventually, they came up with a creative idea: what if the chickens wore glasses? They believed that by limiting the chickens’ vision, they might reduce the aggressive pecking. When they first tried this, they were amazed—the number of fights dropped significantly, and the chickens also gained weight faster, as they were less active and more relaxed.
By September 2005, Shu introduced the first batch of “glasses-wearing†chickens to the market. The dealers were impressed—they looked like free-range chickens and were easy to handle. As a result, the price of the chickens increased, and demand grew quickly.
Inspired by the success, Shu partnered with a mold-making factory to create lightweight, comfortable glasses that didn’t harm the chickens. By the second half of 2005, he expanded the practice to pheasants, achieving similar results. The efficiency of his farm improved dramatically, and the unique concept of “glasses chickens†became a talking point in the region. What started as a simple solution to a farming problem evolved into a creative and successful business model.
Aloe-emodin supplements,Aloe emodin extraction,Aloe emodin solubility
Xi'an Sentian Biotechnology Co., Ltd. , https://www.sentianbio.com