A rare chicken species of Vietnam, thought to exist only in legends

The nine-spurred chicken is mentioned in the legend of Son Tinh - Thuy Tinh as a dowry that King Hung required to choose a son-in-law for his daughter. However, this type of nine-spurred chicken is appearing in real life and they are raised by people for high economic efficiency. Currently, nine-spurred chickens are raised a lot in Tan Son district, Phu Tho province .

The nine-spurred chicken has a heroic appearance with five-colored feathers, a blood-red comb, bright eyes, a wide chest, a tail curved like a rainbow, and a loud crow. In particular, the chicken has large, strong legs with 4-5 spurs on each side, each spur is different in length, the top spur is completely horned, curved like a sickle.

The nine-spurred chicken has a tall stature, red comb, and bright eyes.

There are 2 types of spurs: horn spurs and regular spurs (fingers).

The nine-spurred chicken is a fierce breed of chicken, with ruffled neck feathers and red eyes. It can deliver a deadly kick to knock down or scare its opponent into running away.

In Tan Phu commune, Tan Son district, Phu Tho province, nine-spur chickens are raised in natural conditions, so they have a high ability to adapt to the living environment and are resistant to diseases. Nine-spur chickens are very strong, intelligent, and have reflexes and speed according to the instinct of wild chickens: going up the hill to dig worms, catch crickets, and at night, coming back to sleep on the floor or in trees.

Nine-spurred chickens in Tan Son are small in size, the largest one weighs only about 1.5 - 2.5 kg/chicken. The number of purebred multi-spurred chickens in Tan Son district is currently not much, the natural incubation rate is 30 - 35% so chickens with all nine spurs are becoming rare.

9-spurred chickens are "hunted" by many chicken players for tens of millions of dong to play during Tet or as pets.

The nine-spurred chicken, which seems to only exist in the legend of Son Tinh - Thuy Tinh, now exists in real life and lays 'golden eggs' that many people are interested in. The nine-spurred chicken is "hunted" by many tycoons and chicken players for tens of millions of dong to play with during Tet or as a decoration.

In 2012, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued a list of additional rare livestock genetic resources that need to be preserved, including the Phu Tho multi-spur chicken breed. The fact that the multi-spur chicken breed is identified as a rare livestock genetic resource that needs to be preserved will contribute to improving the quality and brand of multi-spur chicken.

The "divine chicken" from legend is not only a spiritual symbol of the indigenous people but also becomes an opportunity for economic and tourism development for the people here.