Even with the recent egg shortage, Mingde Minimum-Security Prison continues to keep its egg prices stable.
These handpicked free-range chickens from the Livestock Research Institute are not bred by normal feed and are allowed to stroll on areas covered in vegetable leaves, tightening their muscle while filling up on vegetables and fibers. The feeding unit is located in the mountainous area of the Mingde Minimum-Security Prison while the chicken is cared for by the inmates. In collaboration with the COA's Livestock Research Institute, these chickens receive high-level disease prevention protection as well as special feed and are named "Mingde Chicken," highly popular and in high demand.
Chiang Chen-heng, Deputy Warden, Mingde Minimum-Security Prison: “We hope that the farming and technical guidance can teach and nurture the inmates' hard work as well as foster their confidence when farming is successful.”
The Mingde Minimum-Security Prison, due to its spread-out terrain, is highly suitable for raising free-range chicken. The annual production is at 30,000 chickens with an output value exceeding NT$10 million. However, though the cost of ingredients keeps going up over the past year, the prison continues to keep its prices stable.
Chiang Chen-heng, Deputy Warden, Mingde Minimum-Security Prison: “Because we farm and cultivate ourselves, plus we take into consideration the chain reactions on increasing prices, we endeavor to freeze the prices while we still can control the costs. We have not raised the price on the recent new "Golden Chicken" either.”
A chicken will be sold when is raised to between 2.5 catties to 3.5 catties. The prison has also developed chicken essence and other products. With respect to the outbreaks of avian flu, the prison noted that because they apply a strict SOP, including periodic disinfecting, and regular check-ups by vets, coupled with a free-range and low-density feeding environment, the risk of contamination is lowered; therefore, there had never been any outbreak of avian flu before.
一隻隻健康壯碩的放山雞，在雞舍裡覓食。這些來自畜產試驗所選育的土雞，不只有一般的飼料供應，還能在撲滿菜葉的散步區踱步，一邊緊實雞肉、一邊補充蔬菜纖維。飼養單位是山上區的明德外役監獄，由收容人飼養；還和農委會畜產試驗所產官學合作，在防疫、飼料調配下功夫，取名明德雞，很受市場歡迎。
明德外役監副典獄長江振亨說明：「這個養殖還有技術指導，我們都希望讓收容人能夠培養他們勤勞的習慣，然後也透過養殖的成功，提高他們的自信心。」
位在台南山上區的明德外役監，因為地勢遼闊，很適合放山土雞生長，年產量約3萬隻，產值上千萬。但近一年來原物料一直漲價，獄方持續凍漲。
明德外役監副典獄長江振亨表示：「自己養殖，加上我們考量到整個社會物價波動因素，所以目前盡量在成本控制底下，我們最近推出的黃金雞是沒有漲價。」
雞隻養成2斤半到3斤半左右，對外販售，獄方也研發滴雞精，多樣化產品。對於全台陸續傳出禽流感，獄方表示，有一套標準防護措施，包括定期消毒、獸醫師定期巡視雞場；再加上放山原因，飼養密度低，傳染風險降低，過去從沒發生過禽流感疫情。
