Raising specialty capon chickens for the Lunar New Year season

In the past, capon was a traditional dish served during festivals, Lunar New Year celebrations, and ceremonial occasions such as weddings and funerals among many ethnic minority communities, including Hoa, Tay and Nung people, living in Dong Nai province. Over time, the dish has developed into a highly valued specialty, increasingly favoured by the market, especially toward the year-end festive season when numerous cultural and social events take place. The specialty capon now frequently appears at banquets for distinguished guests or is selected as a gift for the traditional Lunar New Year.

A capon farm in Cam My commune. Photo: Binh Nguyen

Accordingly, the capon farming model has been expanded across many localities in the province. Farms are also actively increasing their stock to meet the strong year-end market demand.

A sought-after specialty

This year, capon prices have risen sharply compared to the same period last year. At present, farm-gate prices range from 120,000 to 130,000 VND per kilogram, while during last year’s Lunar New Year peak, prices reached only around 100,000 VND per kilogram. This marks the highest price level recorded in several years.

Sharing her decision to invest in capon farming, Ho Thi Huong, a poultry farmer in Cam My commune, said that, as a consumer, she previously had to spend up to 1 million VND to buy a pair of castrated roosters. Recognising the product’s high economic value and superior quality, she decided to develop this farming model. For the 2026 Lunar New Year season, she plans to supply approximately 2,000 castrated roosters to the market, three to four times higher than in other months of the year, as demand during Tet rises significantly.

Nguyen Phuc Dai, owner of a capon farm in Phu Hoa commune, shared a similar view. He noted that capon is a traditional dish of the Hoa ethnic group. With a large Hoa ethnic population living in the area, capon farming has developed strongly and has become a high-value economic model locally. Although farms supply the castrated roosters year-round, the main production season remains the Lunar New Year market.

According to farmers, free-range local chickens are typically ready for sale after around three months. In contrast, capon chickens require at least 7 to 12 months to develop their characteristic flavour and meat quality. As a result, farms usually begin stocking chicks for the Tet season from the fifth lunar month each year.

Feed quality plays a decisive role in producing chickens with tender meat, glossy feathers, yellow skin and good weight. Many farms start supplementing maize into feed when the chicks are around 20 days old. Moreover, chickens must be raised for a sufficient duration to ensure premium quality. The castrated roosters are more difficult to raise, requiring strict care and disease-prevention measures, including maintaining clean, well-ventilated housing.

Over time, capon farming techniques have evolved. Previously, roosters were castrated after about 90 days, when they weighed about 2 kilograms. Today, farmers often perform castration when chicks are only 20 to 30 days old. This change helps chickens recover faster, reduces mortality rates, and minimises losses. Ho Thi Huong noted that in the past, waiting until chickens were larger had resulted in the loss of several hundred chickens from a flock of 2,000. In contrast, early castration now results in only minimal losses.

A specialty treat for guests

Previously, farmers mainly used the local Tau Dat chicken breed, also known as Tau Vang, for capon production. In response to increasingly diverse market demand, many other breeds such as Tam Hoang and Noi chickens are now also used. When sold, these castrated roosters typically weigh over 4 kg each.

Boiled capon served with dipping sauce made from xa ken root, a traditional dish of the Hoa ethnic community in the province

During festivals and the Lunar New Year, capons are commonly chosen as gifts due to their attractive appearance, with long, glossy feathers, appealing colours and golden skin after cooking. They are also selected for ancestral worship and ceremonial occasions, as their meat is notably more fragrant, sweeter, and richer than that of ordinary chickens. Capons can be prepared in various dishes, including boiling, roasting and steaming.

Notably, many farms have developed herbal-fed capon chickens, which are valued not only as a delicacy but also as a nutritious, health-enhancing food.

Phan Dang Chanh, owner of the Long Khanh poultry wholesale facility in Xuan Lap ward, said we supply various local chicken breeds, including Ta, Mia, Ac, and Noi chickens. However, Tre chickens account for the largest share. With a herbal-fed Tre chicken farming chain of around 400,000 chickens, this is considered one of the largest specialty herbal chicken models nationwide. During the Tet season, the facility also raises herbal-fed capon chickens.

Long Khanh facility selects Tre chickens for capon production. According to Chanh, Tre chickens are a highly regarded local breed in Vietnam, known for their high-quality meat. Meanwhile, capons from other breeds often weigh more than 4 kg each, making them less suitable for today's small households. Herbal-fed Tre capons, by contrast, typically weigh just over two kilograms at harvest, meeting the needs of smaller families.

He added that herbal feeding improves meat flavour and nutritional value. In addition to being a high-quality protein source, herbal-fed chicken meat helps boost consumers’ resistance thanks to the medicinal properties of herbs. Furthermore, herbal feeding reduces disease incidence and replaces antibiotics in disease prevention, making the product a clean and safe food choice increasingly prioritised by consumers.

One notable dish is boiled capons served with a dipping sauce made from xa ken root, also known as xa kieng, dia lien or sand ginger. This dish is a specialty of the Hoa ethnic community in the province. Many Hoa families grow xa ken in their home gardens. In traditional medicine, the root is used to relieve colds, support digestion, reduce pain, strengthen bones and joints, and is also used in herbal bathing for postpartum women.

Capon farming is considered an effective economic model that many localities in the province are prioritising for expansion. Nguyen Dai Thang, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Cam My commune, said the commune has a long tradition of raising capon chickens. This unique product delivers high economic value and is particularly in demand during festivals and Tet. The locality is working to develop an OCOP brand for capon chicken as a foundation for scaling up the model. Authorities will also support farmers in expanding production through value chains linked with garden tourism and other economic activities, contributing to higher incomes for rural households.

Xa ken root, with its spicy taste and distinctive aroma, is often mixed with soy sauce as a dipping sauce for capons, sometimes combined with chilli and coriander. Capons are simply boiled to preserve their tender, rich, naturally sweet meat. Beyond being a culinary delight, this specialty reflects the refinement and cultural depth of the Hoa, Tay, and Nung ethnic communities' culinary traditions.

By Binh Nguyen – Translated by My Le, Thu Ha