Xiaoshan Chicken

Xiaoshan Chicken

　　The Xiaoshan Chicken is a dual-purpose breed for both meat and eggs. Also known as “Yue Chicken” or “Sandy Land Large Breed Chicken,” it originates from Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, and is distributed across the Hangjiahu and Shaoxing regions.

　　1 Main Characteristics: It has a relatively large body size, a square yet rounded shape, a well-proportioned physique, fine bones, and tightly packed feathers. The head is of moderate size, the beak slightly curved, with the front part yellow…

　　2 Conservation Method: Gene bank preservation. The National Local Chicken Breed Gene Bank (Jiangsu) introduced the breed in 1976 for off-site conservation. By 2002, the breed was endangered in its place of origin.

　　【Production Performance】

　　1 Adult Weight and Meat Production: The average weight of an adult rooster is 2,759 grams, and that of a hen is 1,940 grams. At 105 days old, the average semi-eviscerated slaughter rate is 84.7% for roosters and 85.6% for hens; the average fully eviscerated slaughter rate at 105 days is 76.5% for roosters and 66.0% for hens.

　　2 Reproductive Performance: Hens begin laying eggs at an average age of 185 days. The average annual egg production is 141 eggs, with an average egg weight of 58 grams. The average eggshell thickness is 0.31 mm, and the average egg shape index is 1.39. Roosters reach sexual maturity at 178 days. The mating ratio of roosters to hens is 1:12. The average fertilization rate of breeding eggs is 84.85%, and the average hatching rate of fertilized eggs is 87.47%.

　　【Development and Utilization】

　　The Xiaoshan Chicken is one of China’s renowned large-sized dual-purpose local chicken breeds, especially famous for its capon in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions. Future efforts should continue to focus on selective breeding to improve production performance, while also using the Xiaoshan Chicken as a parent breed for crossbreeding, primarily to produce high-quality yellow-feathered broiler chickens through hybrid combinations.