Faisal Ahmed Shuvo, a college student from a remote village in Bagerhat, has become an inspiration for many unemployed youths in the area for his success in farming of 25 foreign chicken breeds.
Inspired by his success, other youths are seeking advice on starting their own farms. A pair of American Wyandotte Splash chickens of his farm is now selling at Tk 70,000.
Shuvo, an Honours second-year student from Malliker Ber village in Rampal Upazila, started his experimental foreign chicken breeds farming in 2019 after watching YouTube videos.
He borrowed Tk 3,400 from his father and bought four European Silkie chickens. Over time, he acquired more foreign chickens, turning his hobby into a source of income.
His farm, Shuvo Agro, now earns him Tk 500,000 to 600,000 annually.
In addition to European Silkie chickens, his farm now has 200 to 300 foreign chickens of 25 species including European Brahma, Silkie, Hamburg, Silver, Brahma, Cosmo, Fighter, Ringneck, Buff Polish Cap Frizzle, White Polish Cap, Bantam, Wyandotte, Sebright, and other species. He has also installed an incubator machine for hatching eggs.
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Faisal said, "I had a hobby of raising chickens. In 2019, I bought four European Silkie chickens with 3,400 Taka from my father after watching YouTube videos. Once they started laying eggs, I never looked back. Now, I have at least 25 species of foreign chickens and sell chicks online through social media, especially Facebook. I couldn't have achieved this without my family's support."
He said that his farm's annual income is Tk 6 lakh with the most expensive pair of Wyandotte Splash chickens costing a pair Tk 60,000 to 70,000 .
The farm also houses the world's smallest bird species, the King Quail, originating from Asia and Australia, with a pair priced between Tk 8,000 and Tk 10,000.
He sells chicks hatched from eggs, with one to ten-day-old chicks costing Tk 1,000 to 1,200 per pair, and fully grown chickens priced between Tk 20,000 and Tk 70,000 per pair, said Shuvo.
He has sold chickens in 55 districts including Bagerhat, Khulna, Barishal, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Cumilla.
Inspired by Faisal, many unemployed youths have started their own foreign chicken farms.
Visitor Soikat Sheikh said, "I saw these chickens on YouTube, and now I can see them in person. It feels great."
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Another visitor, Robiul Islam, said, "As a young entrepreneur, I want to start a foreign chicken farm, so I came to see Shuvo's farm. I saw many species of foreign chickens and was very impressed."
Faisal's father, Saiful Islam, said, "Shuvo is an example of how one can earn money without chasing jobs. He achieved what we couldn't in our time, thanks to the internet."
Bagerhat District Livestock Officer Mohammad Saheb Ali said, "I have heard about Faisal Ahmed Shuvo's foreign chicken farm, which has about 25 species from various countries. The district livestock office is keen on supporting such young entrepreneurs in every possible way."