| dc.description.abstract | Study of Capon farming industry within Hakka commnuities
Executive Summary
Caponization technique has continued living for well over 300 years in the history of Taiwan. During the past, there were caponizing specialists practicing the technique for poultry farms particularly within rural Hakka societies. In order to improve the quality and to enrich taste of fresh as well as to reduce aggressiveness, cockerels, within 6-8 weeks old, are surgically castrated. Bureaus, central or local, pay little attention to the cultivation of traditional capons breed; for that reason, relevant studies are rare and breeding knowledge pass down from generations to generations without leaving any written from. Nevertheless, capons remain as one of the mainstream breed in poultry market of Taiwan.Through 1970 to 1990, after intensive natural and human selection for approximately 20 years, native-breed and simulated-native-breed are the only two Taiwanese so-called coloured-landfowls in poultry farming of Taiwan. The former is smaller in body size; the latter is larger in mass and takes longer time to reach maturity. This study applied snowball sampling technique to sample 7 capon farmers among poultry farming populations in Hsinyu of Taoyuan and Chubei and Hsinfong of Hsinchu. Through in-depth interviews with the farmers, the results clearly demonstrate that ranchers in Hsinchu, especially in Chubei and Hsinfong areas, prefer growing large-size capon breed to small-size one. Hakka people keep capons as sacrificial offerings to their ancestors and village deity. During the annual ceremony at the worshipping venue in front of the village deity shrine, there are capon competitions and tradition Hakka opera, called Ping-an Si. Hakka diaspora always returned to participate in this cultural event every year to show their affections toward hometown. After reading relevant studies and reports, it is known that poultry farmers in central, southern and eastern part of Taiwan prefer small-size capon breed as mention above to satisfied customers at highly competitive poultry market since its price tends to be higher than another. Farmers in Hakka communities, especially in Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli, however, like better the large-size variety which required more patient and constant care during the process of raising as well as longer growing time. This devotion in poultry farming reflects Hakka people’s sincere respects to their ancestors and gods.By means of collecting field data and in-depth interviews with caponizing specialists and landfowls farmers, the main objective of this study is to provide comprehensive knowledge and insights of possible future development to bureaus, central or local, regarding this long-lasting culture of capon farming within Hakka people. | en_US |