They say a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, but according to 24-year-old Yang Zejun, 4000 birds can bring in about 140,000 yuan ($20,502) over the Spring Festival holidays.

A recent graduate of Sichuan Agriculture University, Yang opened Junhun Agriculture and Livestock Company in Hanchang town, Dayi county, Sichuan Province in 2008. The business was a chance for Yang to finally put his degree in livestock husbandry to good use.

Not able to find a job related to his major at first, after graduation Yang invested in four forklifts and a bulldozer to rent at construction sites in his hometown of Qionglai, Sichuan.

"I was making good money, but I wanted to use what I studied to earn a living," Yang said.

While renting to a client who was building a farm to raise boars, Yang was inspired to get into the livestock business himself. Relying on his educational background, further research and loans from his family, Yang invested 80,000 yuan to buy 100 pheasants and mallards in the autumn of 2008.

"Both pheasant and mallard are tastier than poultry, and they are in real demand," Yang said.

Though his family and girlfriend were opposed, Yang was convinced of the market potential in livestock. Selling off all his rental equipment to raise capital, Yang decided to expand and open an operation in the larger livestock-trading center in Hanchang, Sichuan.

Along with friend and former classmate Du Hui, 23, the two started their new business last May, not only raising pheasants and mallards, but also planting vegetables.

"I want to run the company in an environmentally friendly way, using pheasant and mallard manure to fertilize the crops," Yang said. "Seeing our project come to fruition is an amazing feeling."

However, the livestock business does come with certain risk. Before construction was finished, the birds were living in their vegetable greenhouse. When a big rainstorm hit Hanchang last autumn, all of Yang's 11 employees found themselves trying to keep the greenhouse from collapsing. During the ordeal, about 300 birds escaped and 20 others died.

"When I think back to that night, I'm still frightened," Yang said.

Setbacks like these and the monetary risk involved also strained Yang's 8-year relationship with his girlfriend, who ended up leaving him in September.

"She said that I shouldn't risk expanding my business and complained that I always smelled of manure," Yang said.

"At least the popularity of my pheasants and mallards can bring me some solace."

After Yang began to see a profit, his family decided to jump on the bandwagon. Yang and Du's fathers got involved, investing most of their savings totaling more than 4 million yuan.

Currently the farm has 10,000 mallards and 2,000 pheasants, most of which are sold to nearby restaurants and wholesale markets. They also are preparing to expand again and build ponds to start a fishery.

"I'm looking to keep our products green to be sold in big supermarkets as a new organic brand," Yang said.