Roosters in demand as Kurdistan Region restaurants turn to Diyala’s poultry market

DIYALA – In Kurdish cuisine, the rooster holds a stronger presence than chicken, with families often honoring guests by serving roasted roosters. One of Kurdistan’s most well-known restaurants, Othmani Kalasher in Sulaymaniyah, is famous for its rooster dishes. But in certain seasons, poultry farms in the region struggle to meet demand.

Vendors at Baqubah’s weekly market say Kurdish customers purchase nearly all the available roosters — sometimes in the hundreds — for both home cooking and restaurant supply.

Every Thursday morning before dawn, the market near the Diyala stadium intersection comes alive as breeders and hobbyists arrive with a wide variety of birds, including Arab roosters, turkeys, ducks, geese, and other fowl raised in rural areas.

“A lot of people from the northern governorates come to this market because they want to buy poultry. Restaurants there always prefer them. The advantage is that the older the bird, the heavier it becomes, and more importantly, the meat is tastier,” said vendor Aysar Fuad. “Turkey meat does not fall apart when cooked, no matter how long it is exposed to fire, and that is what many people want.”

Prices vary by bird type and weight, with Arab roosters in particularly high demand.

“Arab roosters are popular and their price starts at 15,000 dinars ($10.64) per pair if the weight is two kilograms or more, and sometimes reaches 20,000 dinars ($14.18),” said vendor Khazal Nassif. “As for the turkey that is one year old, the price is 12,000 dinars ($8.51) per kilogram, which means if it weighs six kilograms, it can reach 72,000–80,000 dinars ($51.06–$56.74). Geese sell for between 40,000 and 45,000 dinars ($28.37–$31.91), and Egyptian male ducks sell for 15,000 to 16,000 dinars ($10.64–$11.35). Demand is high, sometimes sales of Arab roosters reach 100 or even 200 in one day.”

“Every Thursday many visitors come to the Baqubah market from Kurdistan, Baghdad, and other governorates, and their main requests are Arab roosters and turkeys,” said poultry seller Hassan Habib. “Diyala has many rural areas that supply poultry to the market each week, which are then bought and redistributed to markets and restaurants.”