Jakartans remain in fowl mood
Jakartans remain in fowl mood
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Jakarta is indeed a big kampong with many residents insisting on
keeping cages full of songbirds and even chickens in their homes,
notwithstanding the obvious health risks.
Some keep them as status symbols, some say that the birdsong
is relaxing, and some just keep chickens for the sake of getting
a regular supply of fresh eggs.
Take a walk through any kampong in Greater Jakarta and you
will more than likely come across a few free-range chickens.
"Keeping chickens is like saving money," Johar, a resident of
Kampung Sasak in Cinere, South Jakarta, said on Friday.
"For only Rp 70,000 (around US$7), in eight months we will
reap the benefits -- eggs and in the end more chickens. We do not
even have to feed them," said Johar, who keeps a rooster and a
hen at the side of his house.
Johar, as well as others who keep fowl in the area, insist
that their birds pose no danger. "None of them are sick, anyway."
Meanwhile, in densely populated areas such as Bukit Duri and
Manggarai in South Jakarta, pigeon coops are also common as
pigeon racing is popular among children and teenagers.
"We still have races every Sunday afternoon," said Namang, a
local youth, as he showed The Jakarta Post a two-high row of
coops that houses around 30 pigeons.
The bamboo base of each coop is thickly blanketed with
droppings.
"We can't have the bases too clean as the droppings from the
birds on the upper row will fall on the birds underneath," Namang
explained, adding that he only cleaned the coops once or twice a
month.
None of the birds and chickens in these two areas have been
found to be sick or infected. Nevertheless, sanitation and
hygiene is not a major concern of the locals.
But those with education and money are willing to pay whatever
it takes to keep their pets healthy as putting them down is
definitely not an option.
"We are providing vaccines for free, especially for individual
poultry keepers. The sick animals can be vaccinated at the
Jakarta Husbandry Agency," the Ministry of Agriculture's Director
General of Husbandry Mathur Riady told the Post on Friday.
His office has provided a cumulative total of 93,154 doses of
H5N1 vaccine for Jakarta alone. However, disinfectant is not
provided.
Poultry and bird keepers can also bring their birds to Jakarta
Animal Hospital, units of which are located in Sunter, North
Jakarta, and Ragunan, South Jakarta. But, vaccination does not
come for free.
"My wife has been nagging me to set my bekisar chicken free. I
would rather take it for vaccination instead," said Hartono, 67,
who took his pet to the Ragunan Animal Hospital for a shot that
cost him Rp 100,000.
The hospital's veterinarian suggested that the shots be given
to chickens only. "Birds are vulnerable to stress because of
injections. But, if the owners insist, then they can go ahead,"
said Yeye, adding that keeping the cages clean should be enough
to prevent the birds from being infected.
The latter option seems to be the one preferred by many as the
hospital sold all of its stock of sprayable disinfectants in one
day.
I-box
Free vaccines can be obtained at the husbandry and fisheries
offices in:
1. Central Jakarta 021-3519086
2. East Jakarta 021-4808337
3. West Jakarta 021-5680732
4. South Jakarta 021-7206147
5. North Jakarta 021-4308876
Preventive measures are also available at the Ragunan animal
hospital (021-7891093) :
1. Vaccine shot Rp 100,000
2. Veterinarian visit Rp 200,000
3. Disinfectants Rp 25,000
4. Vitamins Rp 20,000
From various sources