Hongshan Chicken

Hongshan Chicken

Hongshan Chicken is a product with geographical indication.

　　The Hongshan Chicken from Suixian is one of China’s renowned "Three-Yellow" chicken breeds, originating from the northern foothills of the Dahongshan Mountain Range. It was gradually developed through long-term selective breeding by local residents who favored chickens with yellow feathers, beaks, and shanks, and has a history spanning nearly two hundred years. The Hongshan Chicken is dual-purpose for both eggs and meat, and boasts advantages such as easy fattening, thin skin, tender meat, delicious flavor, and good hybrid performance. It is a valuable resource for high-quality poultry production and is distributed across eight towns in Suizhou City, Suixian County, Hubei Province: Hongshan, Changgang, Sanligang, Xinjie, Huantan, Jun Chuan, Liulin, and Anju. Due to its yellow feathers, beak, and shanks, it is also known as the "Hongshan Three-Yellow Chicken." Based on its physical characteristics, it can be divided into two types: "Three-Yellow-One-Upright" and "Three-Yellow-One-Drooping." The fatty acid composition of Hongshan Chicken muscle mainly consists of oleic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid, with unsaturated fatty acids (USFA) being predominant. It is suitable for cooking or further processing, offering tender, juicy, refreshing, and uniquely flavorful meat.

　　The Hongshan Chicken is one of our province’s dual-purpose local superior chicken breeds. Known as the "Three-Yellow Chicken" due to its yellow feathers, beak, and shanks, its main production area is located in the northern foothills of the Dahongshan Mountain Range, within the former Hongshan County area—now the southwestern part of Zengdu District and the southern part of Zaoyang City—hence the name "Hongshan Chicken." It was included in the *Hubei Province Livestock and Poultry Breed Register* in 1985, and the name "Hongshan Chicken" was still used during the 2001 breed resource survey.

　　Quantity and Distribution

　　The Hongshan Chicken production area is located in Hongshan, Shuanghe, Changgang, Huantan, and Sanligang towns in Zengdu District, Suizhou City, as well as Qingtan, Pinglin, and Zishan townships in Zaoyang City. Among these, Hongshan, Shuanghe in Zengdu District, and Qingtan in Zaoyang City have larger populations with relatively consistent appearances.

　　In the past, the distribution of Hongshan Chicken was limited and its numbers were small. In 1968, with the support of the provincial foreign trade department, a Hongshan Chicken farm was established in Hongshan, Suixian, for breeding purposes. At the same time, collective chicken farms were developed at the production team level to raise Hongshan Chickens. Quality-based pricing and incentive measures were implemented, encouraging locals to exchange eggs for hatching or purchase chicks from the farms. This significantly promoted the development and quality improvement of the Hongshan Chicken. From 1968 to 1981, a total of 136,000 Hongshan Chickens were fattened and exported locally, increasing residents' income by over 400,000 yuan and earning 200,000 US dollars in foreign exchange. In 1973, the Hongshan District alone raised approximately 150,000 Hongshan Chickens. However, due to issues with purchase prices, technology, and funding, the number of chickens raised subsequently declined. According to a 1981 survey, Suixian County’s Hongshan raised 45,000 Hongshan Chickens, accounting for about 50% of the local chicken population; Zaoyang County’s Qingtan raised nearly 20,000, about 40% of the local chicken population. In 2001, the Hongshan Chicken population in the production area was 100,000, with 81,000 in Suizhou City, accounting for 26.8% of the local chicken population.

　　Ecological Conditions and Historical Development of the Production Area

　　The central production areas of Hongshan Chicken—Hongshan Town and Qingtan Town in Zaoyang City—are located at the northern foothills of the Dahongshan Mountain Range, with an average elevation of 135–200 meters. The region features crisscrossing mountain ranges, undulating hills, and abundant water resources. The annual average temperature is 14.8–16.4°C, with a maximum temperature of 35.9–39.2°C and a minimum of -2.3 to -8.3°C. The annual relative humidity averages 73–79%. Annual precipitation ranges from 890 to 1200 mm, with an average wind speed of 1.8–1.9 m/s, peaking at 2–3.5 m/s during the five months of April to August. The frost-free period lasts 212 days, with less rainfall in winter and more wind in spring and summer. The annual sunshine duration is 1846–1877 hours. The soil is primarily yellow sandy loam and white loamy soil, accounting for about 72.5%. The soil layer is relatively thick, vegetation is lush, and grassland resources are abundant.

　　The main agricultural crops are wheat and rice, along with cotton, sesame, beans, corn, sweet potatoes, and peanuts.

　　There are no written records on the origin of the Hongshan Chicken. According to local elderly farmers, their ancestors had been raising this "yellow hen." Under the local environmental conditions and based on the community's preference for yellow-feathered, yellow-beaked, and yellow-shanked chickens, the breed was gradually developed through long-term selective breeding and has a history of nearly two hundred years. After the liberation, due to high-level attention from various levels of government, improvements in feeding management, enhanced disease prevention, increased selection intensity, and expanded breeding scale further improved the breed’s purity and production performance. In the autumn of 1972, a Hongshan Chicken specimen was prepared and displayed at the China Export Commodities Fair, receiving praise from foreign merchants and establishing the Hongshan Chicken brand. The Hubei Provincial Animal Husbandry Research Institute began researching the Hongshan Chicken in 1958, focusing on selective breeding, purification, and performance enhancement. In 1973, the provincial foreign trade company and Suixian Food Company jointly selected "Three-Yellow-One-Drooping" local chickens with relatively consistent appearances in the production area to establish village and group-run farms, aiming to expand production and increase exports. This effort played a significant role in boosting both the quantity and quality of Hongshan Chickens.

　　Physical Characteristics

　　Hongshan Chickens have yellow feathers, beaks, and shanks. Younger chickens have darker plumage, which gradually lightens to a pale yellow as they age. They have wide, short heads, moderately sized necks, mostly single combs (with about 5% double combs), bright red combs and wattles, white skin around the earlobes, predominantly red irises (with a few deep red), bare shanks with four toes. Based on physical appearance, they can be divided into two types: "Three-Yellow-One-Upright" and "Three-Yellow-One-Drooping."

　　The "Three-Yellow-One-Upright" type has yellow feathers, beak, and shanks, with upright tail feathers. Roosters have golden-red neck feathers and black saddle feathers, while hens also have black primary tail feathers. They stand upright with a square-shaped body, compact feathers, and good egg-laying performance, accounting for about 40% of Hongshan Chickens.

　　The "Three-Yellow-One-Drooping" type also has yellow feathers, beak, and shanks, but with drooping tail feathers. Both roosters and hens have entirely yellow feathers, with underdeveloped saddle feathers in roosters and fine, drooping primary tail feathers in hens. Only one to two feathers on each side extend outward, resembling a Buddha’s hand—commonly called a "lion tail." They have an oval body shape, looser feathers, and tender meat, accounting for about 60% of Hongshan Chickens.

　　Hongshan Chickens have a well-proportioned, compact build with a relatively full chest and healthy physique. The "Three-Yellow-One-Upright" type weighs 23–33% more than the "Three-Yellow-One-Drooping" type and has a broader body and longer shanks.

　　Production Performance, Fertility, and Vitality

　　1. Growth Rate

　　The growth rate of Hongshan Chicken is relatively slow. Comparing the two types, the 60-day weight of the "Three-Yellow-One-Upright" type is about 66–69% higher than that of the "Three-Yellow-One-Drooping" type. The 60-day weight of the "Three-Yellow-One-Upright" type is 14.90–16.35 times its birth weight, while the "Three-Yellow-One-Drooping" type is only 63%.

　　2. Egg-Laying Performance

　　According to observations by the Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences’ Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Research Institute in 1963, the "Three-Yellow-One-Upright" type of Hongshan Chicken lays an average of 115.26 eggs per hen over 304 days, with an annual egg-laying rate of 37.91%, equivalent to 138.39 eggs per year. Another study by Huazhong Agricultural College in 1974 found that the "Three-Yellow-One-Drooping" type lays an average of 89.28 eggs per hen over 334 days, with an annual egg-laying rate of 26.73%, equivalent to 97.56 eggs per year. Additionally, a 1984 survey of 30 households in the Hongshan production area of Suixian found an average of 137.30 eggs per hen per year, with the highest individual laying 184.81 eggs and the lowest just 75.73—a difference of over 100%. The "Three-Yellow-One-Upright" type lays about 40% more eggs than the "Three-Yellow-One-Drooping" type. The average egg weight is around 48 grams, with the "Three-Yellow-One-Upright" type slightly larger. Eggs have a hard, smooth, oval shell that is relatively thick, with an egg shape index of 1.27. Shell colors are mostly white, with some light brown. Egg composition is 56.80% albumen, 31.78% yolk, and 10.92% shell.

　　3. Reproductive Performance

　　Observations in the Hongshan Chicken production area show that roosters typically begin crowing at 95–105 days old, while hens start laying eggs at 210–225 days. Another study by the Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences’ Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Research Institute found that with improved feeding management and selection, the average laying onset age could be reduced from 263 days to 177 days, highlighting the importance of proper management and selection for local breeds. Hongshan Hens generally exhibit moderate broodiness. A survey of 304 hens found that 10% exhibited broodiness. The institute observed that 21% of hens brooded between March and June, with an average duration of 24.4 days. Artificial induction can break broodiness in 7–10 days.

　　Local farmers do not strictly adhere to specific male-to-female ratios when raising Hongshan Chickens. Most households keep one rooster regardless of the number of hens. A survey of a Hongshan Chicken farm found 304 adult hens and 27 roosters, a ratio of 1:11.26. Fertilization rates were 81.88%, hatchability 80.38%, and 30-day chick survival rate 78.80%.

　　4. Fattening Ability

　　Hongshan Chickens are easy to fatten and produce high-quality meat. Local farmers typically confine chickens in simple cages 20–30 days before slaughter, limiting their movement and feeding them diluted porridge made with bran. Fattened chickens have thin skin, tender meat, and delicious flavor. A 1963 experiment by the Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences’ Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Research Institute involved five Hongshan chicks castrated at 60 days old, allowed a 10-day recovery period, and then cage-fattened from 70 days old for 70 days. The average weight gain was 892 grams, with a feed-to-meat ratio of 5.24:1.

　　Evaluation and Outlook

　　The Hongshan Chicken is one of China’s renowned "Three-Yellow" chicken breeds, dual-purpose for eggs and meat, and valued for its easy fattening, thin skin, tender meat, delicious flavor, and strong hybrid vigor. It is a precious resource for high-quality poultry production in our province. It enjoys a high reputation in the Hong Kong and Macau markets, and with China’s accession to the WTO, the development and utilization of this unique poultry breed hold broad market prospects. However, addressing its limitations—such as smaller size, slower growth, lower egg production, and relatively poor feed conversion—requires: (1) establishing Hongshan Chicken breeding farms in production areas to enhance selective breeding and improve breed quality, focusing on high-quality poultry development; (2) legalizing Hongshan Chicken protection by designating protected zones under the *Livestock and Poultry Breed Management Regulations*, prohibiting the introduction of foreign poultry breeds within these zones, strictly licensing breeder and hatchery operations, and phasing out non-standard roosters raised by farmers, with chicks supplied exclusively by certified Hongshan Chicken hatcheries; and (3) cultivating leading enterprises in Hongshan Chicken production to promote industrialized operations.

　　Geographical Scope

　　The geographical indication protection area for the Hongshan Chicken agricultural product covers eight towns in Suixian County, Hubei Province: Hongshan Town, Changgang Town, Sanligang Town, Xinjie Town, Huantan Town, Junchuan Town, Liulin Town, and Anju Town. It borders Zengdu to the east, is surrounded by Jingshan and Zhongxiang to the south, connects to Zaoyang to the west, and lies adjacent to the Han-Dan Railway to the north. The geographical coordinates are: 112°43′–113°46′ east longitude and 31°19′–32°26′ north latitude, covering an area of 2,800 square kilometers.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics: Hongshan Chickens have yellow feathers, beaks, and shanks. Based on their physical appearance, they can be divided into two types: “Three Yellows and One Upturned” and “Three Yellows and One Drooping.” The “Three Yellows and One Upturned” type features yellow feathers, a yellow beak, yellow shanks, and upturned tail feathers. Roosters have golden-yellow neck feathers tinged with red, black saddle feathers, and hens also have black main tail feathers. They stand upright with a square-shaped body, have tightly packed feathers all over, and exhibit good egg-laying performance, accounting for about 40% of Hongshan Chickens. The “Three Yellows and One Drooping” type also has yellow feathers, a yellow beak, and yellow shanks, but the tail feathers droop. Both roosters and hens have entirely yellow feathers; roosters have underdeveloped saddle feathers, while hens have fine and drooping main tail feather shafts, with only one to two feathers extending out to either side at the tail tip, giving the entire tail a hand-like shape commonly referred to as a “lion’s tail.” They have an oval body shape, looser feathers, tender meat texture, and make up about 60% of Hongshan Chickens. 2. Internal Quality: Hongshan Chicken has thin skin, fine-textured meat, abundant fat, and a delicious flavor. Suitable for both cooking and further processing, it is tender and juicy, refreshing and palatable, with bright yellow soup, a unique flavor, and a long-lasting aftertaste. 3. It meets the safety requirements of the “Pollution-Free Food Poultry Meat and Poultry By-products” (NY5034-2005) standard.