Xintai Flower Chicken

Xintai Flower Chicken

　　The Xintai Flower Chicken is a dual-purpose local breed used for both meat and eggs. It is mainly produced in Tianbao Town near Mount Culai, hence it is also known as the "Tianbao Flower Chicken." It is distributed across mountainous towns such as Shilai, Longting, and Jinan, and is highly favored by the public for its strong disease resistance, good foraging ability, suitability for free-range farming, and delicious meat.

　　　 In the 1960s, the Jinan Flower Chicken was introduced and crossbred with local native chickens through mixed farming, resulting in the formation of the Xintai Flower Chicken local breed. The Xintai Flower Chicken has a well-proportioned body, medium size, compact structure, and an elegant appearance. Its neck is of moderate length and flexible, the forepart is slightly narrower, the back is long and straight, the hindquarters are relatively plump, the legs are long, and the tail feathers are high and upright, giving the body an oval shape. The overall plumage is primarily characterized by black-and-white horizontal speckled feathers, though some have large patterns of white, black, and red feathers forming bold designs. The hens usually have earthy yellow or red heads with neat and delicate feathers that are pleasing to the eye; the roosters often have red neck feathers, black tail feathers, and predominantly black beaks and claws, though yellow ones also exist. Their skin is uniformly yellow. Adult roosters weigh between 2 to 2.5 kilograms, while adult h

　　　 The Xintai Flower Chicken is the preferred breed for rearing in mountainous areas, hills, wastelands, and forest clearings. It feeds on grass leaves, seeds, insects, and drinks dew from plants, resulting in a naturally balanced nutrition and pure, fragrant meat flavor. Its egg yolks are round and firm, not easily broken, and no matter how cooked, they maintain a bright color and exceptional taste. Since 1980, efforts have been made to purify, strengthen, and protect this breed. Four fully automatic incubators have been introduced, with a hatching capacity of over one million chicks per year. The chicks are sold to cities and counties such as Zibo, Tai’an, Laiwu, Sishui, and Ningyang. By the year 2000, the population of Xintai Flower Chickens had reached 2.6 million, producing more than 200 million eggs annually.