Nanchuan Chicken Eggs

Nanchuan Chicken Eggs

Nanchuan Chicken Eggs are a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Nanchuan chickens are primarily produced in Nanchuan District, Chongqing, and are also found in neighboring districts and counties such as Wulong, Wansheng, Qijiang, and Banan in Chongqing, as well as Daozhen, Zheng’an, and Tongzi in Guizhou. The Nanchuan chicken has been developed through suitable natural conditions in the Nanchuan region and selective breeding by local farmers. With a long history of domestication, this breed boasts strong adaptability, the ability to thrive on rough feed, excellent production performance, and unique product flavors. It is a high-quality dual-purpose local chicken breed suitable for both meat and egg production.

　　 Adult male Nanchuan chickens are of medium size, robust, and sturdy. They have tight plumage in yellow or red, white skin, bright golden neck feathers with a lustrous, metallic sheen, and blackish-green primary and secondary wing feathers and tail feathers. Their beaks are black, faces red, combs medium-sized and mostly single-peaked with 6–7 points, and wattles large, broad, and red. Their shanks are bluish-gray, shank bones long, and a few have toe feathers. Adult female Nanchuan chickens are smaller and rounder with firm muscles. Their plumage is loose, in light yellow or speckled yellow, predominantly white skin, and black tips on the tail feathers. Their beaks are pink, faces red, combs small and shallow, mostly single-peaked, with delicate heads—about 20% having a “phoenix head.” Their shanks are mainly bluish-gray, shank bones short and slender, and a few have toe feathers. Hens lay 80–140 eggs per year, each weighing 42–53 grams. Compared to regular chicken eggs, Nanchuan eggs have thicker egg whites, 5–6% higher protein content, 3% lower fat, and 19.8% lower cholesterol. They offer a delicious, tender taste without any fishy flavor, making them highly popular among locals. Additionally, Nanchuan egg yolks contain various B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin E, and the yolk oil has anti-aging properties.

　　 “Nanchuan Chicken” and “Nanchuan Chicken Eggs” were registered as geographical indication certification trademarks in 2010. Prior to 1985, the number of Nanchuan chickens raised in the Nanchuan area was 600,000, with numbers increasing annually. By 1997, the total had reached 1 million. At the end of 2007, the number grew to 2 million. In 2010, the district had 589 major Nanchuan chicken breeders, who collectively produced 5.5 million Nanchuan chickens, 5,231 tons of eggs, generated a poultry farming output value of 267 million yuan, and achieved an average household income of 1,876 yuan.