Xiushan Native Chicken

Xiushan Native Chicken

Xiushan Native Chicken is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　　The hens of Xiushan Native Chicken have yellowish-brown feathers, primarily light yellow in color, which are dense, closely attached, and glossy. The roosters have red or brown feathers, with an upright single comb; their combs are bright red. During the laying period, the hens’ combs darken in color. Their bodies are shuttle-shaped, slender and long, with small, delicate heads, long necks, thin skin that is white with some gray areas, and slender legs with shanks that are white or gray, and toes that are long and sharp-clawed.

　　　　Adult roosters weigh 1480±420g, while adult hens weigh 1360±270g, laying 120–150 eggs per year. In 2010, measurements by the Chongqing Academy of Animal Husbandry Sciences showed: birth weight: roosters 35.77±2.58g, hens 34.69±2.43g; at 30 days old: roosters 121.05±28.56g, hens 105.34±26.82g; at 140 days old: roosters 1635.00±181.32g, hens 1179.33±124.35g; adult weights: roosters 1710g, hens 1460g. Measurements at 170–190 days old: slaughter rate—roosters 87.53±1.39%, hens 87.67±0.55%; eviscerated rate—roosters 67.98±2.56%, hens 62.74±3.53%; breast muscle rate—roosters 15.96±1.58%, hens 15.55±2.19%; leg muscle rate—roosters 24.00±2.29%, hens 22.03±2.40%. The inosinic acid content is 3.17mg/g.

　　　　Comparative analysis shows that the total amino acid content in Xiushan Native Chicken muscle is higher than that of Beijing You Chicken, Langshan Chicken, Chongren Ma Chicken, Taihe Black-bone Chicken, and Xiaoshan Chicken; the essential amino acid content is also higher than that of Beijing You Chicken, Langshan Chicken, and Xiaoshan Chicken, and equal to that of Taihe Black-bone Chicken; the umami amino acid content is higher than that of Beijing You Chicken, Langshan Chicken, Chongren Ma Chicken, Xiaoshan Chicken, Bairi Chicken, and Gushi Chicken; the inosinic acid content is higher than that of all local chicken breeds. This is the fundamental reason why Xiushan Native Chicken has unique nutritional and flavor qualities.

　　　　— Strengthen policy support. The county government issued the "Implementation Opinions on the Development of the 'Xiushan Native Chicken' Industry in 2011" (Xiushan Government Document [2011] No. 12) to support the establishment of Xiushan Native Chicken breeder farms and chick-rearing farms, providing loan interest subsidies for breeder farms, chick-rearing farms, large-scale breeders, and processing enterprises; guiding prices were set for the distribution of chicks and product recovery, with a minimum protected price for native chicken farming, and China’s first native chicken farming insurance program was launched. Additionally, special funds were allocated for Xiushan Native Chicken breed selection, disease prevention, training, and infrastructure development.

　　　　— Build high-quality brands. Actively support leading enterprises and bases in obtaining “three-product certifications” (organic, green, and pollution-free), vigorously developing branded agriculture. Southwest University was commissioned to develop the "Xiushan Native Chicken Industry Chain Strategic Plan," the "Feasibility Study Report on the Deep Processing and Demonstration of 5 Million Xiushan Native Chickens," and the "Xiushan Native Chicken Breed Cultivation Plan," promoting the scaled, standardized, and branded development of native chickens. Breed development advisors were hired, and cooperation with the Chongqing Academy of Animal Husbandry Sciences was established to carry out breed selection and healthy farming trials for Xiushan Native Chicken. The "Xiushan Native Chicken" geographical indication was successfully applied for, and trademarks such as "Wuling Mountain Xiushan Native Chicken" and "Southeast Chongqing Xiushan Native Chicken" were registered. An anti-counterfeiting label for Xiushan Native Chicken was developed, and the area was recognized as a "Chongqing Pollution-Free Native Chicken Production County."

　　　　— Actively expand sales channels. There are currently two marketing companies (Chongqing Luyu Liqiang Food Co., Ltd. and Xiushan Tujia Miao Village Agricultural Development Co., Ltd.). Chongqing Luyu Liqiang Food Co., Ltd. has one slaughtering line, one cooked food production line, and one seasoning production line. The slaughtering line can process 5 million chickens per year; the cooked food production line has an annual capacity of 2,000 tons; the chicken juice seasoning production line can produce 10.8 million bottles of chicken juice per year. Four product series and 17 items have been developed, successfully sold to 21 provinces and cities including Sichuan, Hunan, Chongqing, Shandong, Shanghai, Beijing, and Shaanxi. There are 28 specialized cooperatives, and live chickens have been sold to counties such as Yiwu, Xuanping, and Wuyi in Zhejiang.

　　　　— Innovate base development models. Innovate the native chicken farming business model of “leading enterprises driving bases, and bases driving farmers,” establishing a new mechanism of shared benefits and shared risks, and exploring various successful models of raising chickens under forests. Examples include: raising chickens under fruit orchards, in medicinal herb forests, in tea fields, late-season free-range in cornfields, under fast-growing timber forests, and in shrublands. The county has about 300,000 mu of available forest land, which can provide farming space for 30 million native chickens.

　　　　— Expand publicity coverage. A regional trademark for Xiushan Native Chicken has been registered, and the Xiushan Native Chicken website has been launched. The first "Chongqing•Xiushan Native Chicken Cultural Tourism Festival" was successfully held, with extensive publicity from central and local media, including advertisements for the “Gugu Zui” brand of Xiushan Native Chicken on CCTV Channels 3, 7, and 8. CCTV-7 programs such as "Daily Agriculture" and "Wealth Creation" have repeatedly featured Xiushan Native Chicken, and major local media frequently report on it, expanding its social influence and raising its profile. Xiushan Native Chicken is gradually becoming familiar and recognized by consumers.

　　　　In the coming years, our county will continue to pursue a development path combining green + ecological, technology + market, and native chicken + native chicken eggs. We will vigorously cultivate demonstration bases for ecological native chicken farming under forests, develop 10 demonstration farms with annual slaughters of over 200,000 chickens; support 30,000 breeders with annual output of over 500 chickens, 5,000 scale demonstration households with annual output of 1,000 chickens, and achieve an annual slaughter of over 30 million native chickens. We aim to cultivate 1 national-level, 5 municipal-level leading enterprises, 10 county-level leading enterprises or joint-stock cooperatives, forming an annual production and sales capacity of 5,000 tons of native chicken food and 5,000 tons of carcass chicken. We will establish 1,000 "Xiushan Native Chicken" chain stores nationwide, achieving the vision of “a chicken’s call heard around the world.”

　　Geographical Scope

　　　Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Chongqing: various townships including Aikou Town, Miaquan Township, Yongdong Township, etc.

　　Unique Qualities

　　　　(1) Sturdy feathers, flat chest, small comb, black shanks

　　(2) Uniform size, with individual chickens differing by only about 3 liang (150g), some even less than 1 liang

　　(3) They forage grains in natural environments, have high activity levels, resulting in finer and longer muscle fibers. With rich intermuscular fat, they offer a more chewy texture than ordinary meat chickens; the broth is richly flavored and tender.

　　Cultural Background

　　　　Xiushan is an autonomous county for ethnic minorities, home to the Tujia and Miao peoples. Chicken farming has been practiced for generations, with natural breeding leading to the formation of this particular breed, hence named Xiushan Native Chicken.