Along with the rapid increase of per capita income in the Republic of China in recent years, diet habits are changing. Up to 1975, the average intake of calories per person per day was 2,801 or 1.31 times that of 1952. The daily consumption protein was 74.8 grams, 1.55 times that of 1954. The average consumption of eggs in 1975 was 28.8 grams, an increase of 11.2%, compared with that of 1973.
With the increasing consumption of eggs, poultry farming has become a major enterprise. Every locality in Taiwan has large-scale chicken farms. The largest keeps 200,000 chickens regularly. Farms with several thousand chickens are quite common. Some poultry dressing houses are now operated electrically. Production and sales are in balance. The chicken market shows the sign of a bright future.
Chickens and eggs sold in Taiwan's market were worth NT$24 million per day in 1975 according to Taiwan Provincial Government. Annual production was over NT $8,000 million in 1975. The daily sale of chickens totaled 171,000, the daily sale of eggs 5.510.000. Chickens and eggs have become necessary food items for most people. The annual consumption of eggs per person averages 124.4; that of chickens 5 .86 kilograms. Chicken consumers totalled 84.7% of the population. The percentage of families that ate chickens once every 7-15 days was 65.6. People's color preference in chickens was in this order: black, red and varicolored, white. The rate of egg consumers reached 87.5%. Each family ate 3.6 eggs on an average day. Eggs were taken most eaten at breakfast. Supper time was next.
In addition to local poultry, Taiwan imported chickens for cuisine and for eggs from the U.S.A., Canada, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Japan, West Germany, Denmark, Israel and South Africa. Though the raising of chickens is mostly for food, there are those who simply enjoy the fun of participating in championship competitions. Mr. Yu Chia-su of Taoyuan County won a special award earlier this year for raising a chicken weighing more than 16 catties.
Intensive raising of chickens at Kangshan in southern Taiwan.
Chicken houses on a Kangshan farm.
This farm at Kaohsiung produces eggs in great volume.
Tungyi chickens are good news to gourmets.
Vaccination for small chickens.
The a chicken farm at Kaohsiung.
The plucking is done by automatic machines.
Tungyi chickens ready for the market.
The packing of chickens at Tungyi farm.
Inspecting chickens after killing.
Thorough cleaning of chickens at Tungyi farm.
Egg packing at Shinkang chicken farm.
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