You can refer to this location as "You Zhi Farm." Introduction
Walking into the rural path of Lufeng Village in Zhudong Township, Hsinchu County, you will see the large sign for "Youzhu Ranch" written on the exterior wall of the building. What first catches the eye inside the ranch are the towering silos storing soybean feed. Upon closer inspection, you will find five chicken coops scattered throughout, some of which are for raising chicks, while others are for egg-laying hens. Additionally, numerous chickens run freely in the open space beside the coops, each one being a cherished treasure of the ranch’s second-generation owner, Luo Youzhu. At just under 30 years old, Luo is a native Hakka from Hsinchu County, who grew up watching his father, Luo Shilong, raise chickens and developed a deep affection for them. After serving in the military, Luo briefly worked in sales for a year, but the pressure of that job led him to decide to return home to help out and start his chicken farming journey. Friendly Farming — Happy Laying Hens Initially, the Luo family raised native chickens. One day, a sales representative selling eggs visited and mentioned good market prices for eggs, sparking Luo Youzhu’s interest in raising egg-laying hens, especially since there were some unused coops at home. "Chickens in a chicken-raising family just want to try raising all kinds of chickens," Luo Youzhu joked. Thus, father and son ventured into the realm of egg-laying chicken farming, gradually gaining experience, and now Youzhu Ranch is fully focused on raising egg-laying hens, becoming a "happy ranch" for the entire family. What makes Youzhu Ranch unique is its use of pasture-raised methods for the egg-laying hens, as typically only meat chickens enjoy such "free-range" treatment. "Why should egg-laying hens be kept in cages day and night to lay eggs? It doesn’t feel right," Luo Youzhu, who has always regarded chickens as companions, believes that treating them kindly leads to better eggs. Although the free-range method may seem economically inefficient, he insists on the principle of "ethical sourcing," treating the chickens humanely. The egg collection system at Youzhu Ranch is designed to automatically gather eggs, ensuring they do not fall to the ground and reducing contamination without washing them in water. But how do you get these accustomed to running chickens to obediently lay eggs in the designated nesting boxes? When the hens are about to lay, they will crouch and remain still; this is the moment to gently place them in the nesting boxes until they get used to laying there. Training over a thousand chickens for this takes one to two months, with continuous repetition from morning to night, making the effort quite challenging. Home-Mixed!! Non-toxic Healthy Feed To keep the chickens happy, it is essential that they eat non-toxic, healthy food. Entering the feed mixing warehouse at Youzhu Ranch, you will find various ingredients stacked high, as employees carefully weigh each component before blending it, then sending it to the coops for the chickens to feast on. Starting with Luo Shilong, they have experimented with different feed mixtures; Luo Youzhu has continued to tweak the recipes, having altered it over thirty times, studying how various ingredients affect egg shell thickness and yolk color. "It’s just like a home-cooked meal where rice is the staple." The ranch's feed is grain-based, supplemented with trace elements, seaweed, and probiotics, with the proportions meticulously adjusted for each batch. Luo Youzhu believes that this is similar to how a mother cooks at home, knowing precisely where the ingredients come from. By avoiding synthetic chemicals and focusing on the quality of the feed, Youzhu Ranch’s eggs are more natural and toxin-free, gaining recognition from many customers despite frequent food safety issues. Step by Step!! Overcoming Marketing Challenges There were challenges in marketing as well. When Luo Youzhu first transitioned from raising native to egg-laying chickens, he not only lost his original customers but also faced skepticism from many channel partners who thought he was merely dabbling and questioned his longevity in the business. However, a fortuitous encounter with the "Animal Society of Taiwan," an organization that emphasizes humane animal farming, introduced Youzhu Ranch's non-toxic eggs to many organic store owners, helping resolve some of the marketing issues. Additionally, Luo Youzhu took to the front lines, participating in numerous small farmers' markets to communicate face-to-face with consumers. "I often tell consumers that while a dozen eggs may seem expensive, the value behind them is not visible." Gradually opening up the market, you can now find Youzhu Ranch’s eggs at local direct sales stations for young farmers and organic stores in Hsinchu County. "When times are tough, I remember the reasons I insisted on this path, which stemmed from the joy of finding the first egg," said Luo Youzhu. In each egg, he finds his purpose and works hard to share this simple happiness with more people.
