Hongjiang Snow Peak Black-Bone Chicken

Hongjiang Snow Peak Black-Bone Chicken

Hongjiang Snow Peak Black-Bone Chicken is a product with geographical indication status.

　　The Snow Peak Black-Bone Chicken is a breed of black-feathered chicken that has been naturally selected over a long period in the Snow Peak mountainous region of southwestern Hunan. This breed features entirely black skin, meat, bones, beak, feet, as well as internal organs such as the stomach, liver, spleen, and heart. It contains a similar variety and quantity of amino acids as the famous medicinal chicken from China—the Taihe Chicken. This chicken also contains melanin and laccaic acid, which promote the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin, along with abundant Vitamin E, giving it high nutritional, health, and medicinal value. Moreover, it outperforms the Taihe Chicken in terms of resilience, egg production, hatching rate, and chick survival rate. Its meat is tender, delicious, and highly nutritious. It is not only an excellent dish for banquets but also offers benefits such as nourishing kidneys, replenishing vitality, and regulating menstruation. When prepared with various medicinal herbs through steaming or stewing, it serves as an effective remedy. Therefore, it is considered the best dual-purpose local chicken breed for both meat and medicinal use, and is widely loved by the public. Hongjiang is home to the only original breeding farm for Snow Peak Black-Bone Chickens in Hunan Province, producing over 6 million high-quality chicks annually. Residents in more than 20 towns and townships in Hongjiang, including Hongjiang Snow Peak Town, Shuping Township, Tieshan Township, and Xiazhou Township, have a long-standing tradition of raising Black-Bone Chickens. The products are mainly sold within the city and neighboring counties, with additional distribution to places like Guizhou and Guangxi.

　　Geographic Scope

　　The Hongjiang Snow Peak Black-Bone Chicken originates from 22 natural villages across three townships within the Hongjiang District of Huaihua City, Hunan Province—namely Guihuayuan Township, Hengyan Township, and Changqing Township. Hongjiang District is located in the southwestern part of Hunan Province, between 109°39′ to 110°55′ east longitude and 26°58′ to 28°19′ north latitude.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics: This chicken is of medium size, sturdy build, weighing approximately 1400–2100g. It has a full set of feathers with a glossy appearance, closely adhering to the body. Its body is slightly elongated, shaped like a crescent moon, with a head of moderate size and bright, alert eyes. Its defining traits are the “Five Blacks”—black skin, black meat, black bones, black beak, black feet, and purplish-green earlobes. It has a single comb with 6–8 points, and the comb and wattles are purplish-red, with brown irises. It has four toes, with a slender and medium-length shank, often lacking feathers on the shank. There are three feather color types: all-white, all-black, and yellow-mottled, accounting for about 31%, 20%, and 49% respectively. Roosters have large, upright combs, a robust posture, a long and flat back, well-developed tail feathers, and an adult tail that curls upwards in a fan shape, with fine and long neck feathers. Hens are slightly smaller and more delicate, with drooping, soft, and elastic abdomens. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: The Snow Peak Black-Bone Chicken is highly nutritious, with tender meat and a delicious taste. It has a high content of crude protein, as well as elevated levels of aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and lysine. It is rich in a variety of essential amino acids, vitamins, and trace elements required by the human body. Among these, the crude protein content ranges from 78.36% to 79.62%. Safety Requirements: The Hongjiang Snow Peak Black-Bone Chicken complies with the "Pollution-Free Poultry Meat and Poultry By-products" (NY5034-2005) standard. The Hongjiang Snow Peak Black-Bone Chickens bred by Hunan Hongjiang Songyun Poultry Industry Co., Ltd. have obtained national pollution-free agricultural product certification, ensuring that the produced items meet relevant national standards.