The Great Giant Chicken Adventure Continues with Viggo:
Our First Exceptional Malay/Asil Cross and a Difficult Goodbye
After six years of Malay chicken breeding, hundreds of hours of work, and thousands of dollars invested in our MIGHT Project, I recently discovered something I hadn’t anticipated: just how difficult it would be to part with one of our birds.
Not just any chicken, but one of our first successful Malay/Asil crosses, a magnificent young rooster representing years of effort, patience, and hope.
Six Years of Malay Chicken Breeding
In 2020, Viggo and I began the M.I.G.H.T. Project (Malay Invigoration Gene Hybridization Team), an effort to improve the health, vigor, and longevity of the magnificent Malay chicken.
Our current mission is to introduce genetic diversity from ancient Asil bloodlines while preserving the Malay’s extraordinary size, upright stature, and distinctive characteristics. We hope to develop healthier, more athletic, and more resilient birds we call our Cascadia Mighty Malays.
It’s an interesting paradox: introducing new genetics to preserve an ancient breed while remaining faithful to its defining characteristics.
After years of challenges, setbacks, and unexpected losses, our first generation of Malay/Asil crosses produced just two roosters and a few hens. Their appearance, athleticism, and vigor have encouraged us that we’re moving in the right direction.
And I certainly hadn’t planned on selling them.
An Unexpected Connection
Recently, Tung, a gentleman originally from Vietnam, and his wife, Cindy, drove up from Seattle to visit our farm.
Although I had many, many other chickens available for sale, Tung was particularly captivated by our Malay/Asil crosses.
As we talked, I learned that Cindy was working hard to care for her father-in-law, helping him remain at home rather than enter a nursing facility.
That struck a personal chord. I’ve been caring for my own mother, who also wishes to age in place. I understand the love, commitment, and challenges involved in honoring that wish.
I appreciated Tung and Cindy not simply as customers, but as people whose family values resonated with my own. Perhaps that made parting with one of our special birds a little easier.
A Difficult Goodbye
As I described the challenges, years of work, disappointments, and hopes for these magnificent chickens, I found myself becoming surprisingly passionate. At one point, I almost found myself yelling at Tung, not out of anger, but out of sheer excitement and passion for everything Viggo and I had poured into this project.
I realized just how much of our hearts we’d invested in these birds. Parting with this rooster was harder than I’d imagined.
Ultimately, I agreed to let Tung take him home.
One of my favorite moments came when Viggo entered the pen to catch the bird. Watching him close the pen, chase the rooster, and finally capture him reminded me how much my son has grown through this adventure.
Fortunately, we still have the rooster’s brother and several first generation hens, so our breeding program will continue.
But watching that beautiful bird leave was bittersweet.
More Than Just Chickens
I often tell Viggo there’s absolutely no financial justification for what we’re doing.
We lose money hand over fist on this project!
But the MIGHT Project has never really been about money.
It’s about teaching my son perseverance, sticking with something when progress is slow and setbacks seem endless. It’s about animal husbandry, genetics, responsibility, and preserving the extraordinary diversity of our rare domestic animals.
And it’s about understanding a paradox of sorts: sometimes improving something requires embracing change while remaining faithful to the qualities that make it special.
And that doesn’t just apply to breeding chickens. The balance between embracing change and pursuing progress while remaining grounded in our standards and values is at the heart of what we’re trying to accomplish, not just in our breeding project, but in our lives as father and son.
The Adventure Continues
I’m thrilled that Tung appreciated our rooster enough to take him home. I hope this remarkable bird brings him as much enjoyment as he brought us and inspires others to appreciate these extraordinary heritage chickens.
This first generation of Malay/Asil crosses gives us reason to be hopeful about continuing this project.
But most of all, I’m thankful and appreciative that I get to share this crazy giant chicken adventure with my son. What a blessing!
