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