Nandan Yao Chicken

Nandan Yao Chicken

The Nandan Yao Chicken is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Geographical Range

　　　Eleven townships in Nandan County — Chengguan, Dachang, Chehe, Mangchang, Liuzhai, Yueli, Zhongbao, Luofu, W'ai, Baxu, and Lihu

　　Distinctive Qualities

　　　　The Nandan Yao Chicken has a single, upright comb with 6–8 comb teeth. Its beak is black or slate-blue, and its face, comb, and wattles are all red, with earlobes that are either red or blue-green. Roosters mainly have golden-yellow or brownish-red plumage, followed by yellow-black. Hens come in two feather colors: speckled black and speckled yellow. Their shanks are slender, slate-blue in color, with early-developed spurs—about 40% have shank feathers, and a few have toe feathers. Their bodies are spindle-shaped with a prominent breastbone.

　　Cultural Background

　　　　The Nandan Yao Chicken originated in the Yao ethnic villages located at altitudes of 800–1000 meters in the two ethnic townships of Lihu and Baxu in Nandan County, Guangxi. Originally a wild flock found deep in the mountain forests, it was domesticated and bred by the local Baiku Yao people, eventually becoming an outstanding local chicken breed. It is recognized as one of Guangxi’s Four Famous Chickens.

　　 The Nandan Yao Chicken originates from the Yao ethnic villages at altitudes of 800–1000 meters in the two ethnic townships of Lihu and Baxu in Nandan County, Guangxi. It is an outstanding local breed developed through long-term isolated breeding by the local Baiku Yao people under unique natural conditions. It features a compact body, firm and tender meat with delicious flavor, strong foraging ability, tolerance to coarse feed, and high disease resistance. Its skin is mostly white, with a minority being black-skinned. They are categorized into large and small types based on weight, with the small white-skinned type being the most representative.

　　 The Nandan Yao Chicken has a single, upright comb with 6–8 comb teeth. Its beak is black or slate-blue, and its face, comb, and wattles are all red, with earlobes that are either red or blue-green. Roosters mainly have golden-yellow or brownish-red plumage, followed by yellow-black. Hens come in two feather colors: speckled black and speckled yellow. Their shanks are slender, slate-blue in color, with early-developed spurs—about 40% have shank feathers, and a few have toe feathers. Their bodies are spindle-shaped with a prominent breastbone.

　　 Nandan Yao roosters reach sexual maturity at 90–100 days old, while hens begin laying eggs at 120–140 days. Adult hens lay about 100 eggs per year on average, with each egg weighing 41–54 grams. The fertility rate of breeding eggs is 97%, fertilization rate is 93%, and hatching rate is 91%. Roosters weigh around 1.5 kilograms at 90 days old, while hens reach 1.3 kilograms at 115 days. Yao chickens have more lean meat and less subcutaneous fat, with crispy skin and fragrant meat. Recommended cooking method: Boiled Chicken, also called Yuepo Chicken (boil 2–3 pounds of water, add 75 grams of ginger slices and appropriate salt, then cook sliced raw chicken)—this is the preferred way to prepare Yao Chicken, yielding a clear and refreshing broth. Braised Chicken comes next, and Plain-Boiled Chicken is also a popular preparation.

　　 Main Characteristics: The Nandan Yao Chicken is a meat-type breed. Most chickens have black primary wing feathers, primary tail feathers, shanks, and beaks, with secondary wing feathers in black-yellow. They have a single comb, brownish-yellow irises, and red wattles and earlobes. Male Nandan Yao Chickens often have golden-yellow, brownish-red, or yellow-black plumage, while females commonly exhibit speckled black, black-white mottled, or earth-yellow plumage. Adult Nandan Yao Chickens weigh: males 3537 grams, females 2262 grams. Slaughter yields for adult Nandan Yao Chickens are: semi-eviscerated, males 82.5%, females 90.0%; fully eviscerated, males 77.0%, females 86.1%. They begin laying eggs at 180–210 days old, producing 60–80 eggs per year, each weighing 48 grams with a brown shell.