Chengkou Mountain Chicken

Chengkou Mountain Chicken

Chengkou Mountain Chicken is a geographical indication certification trademark.

Chengkou Mountain Chicken is a product certified under the Agricultural Geographical Indication program.

　　Chengkou is located at the southern foot of the Daba Mountains, a typical mountainous area. Due to its unique geographical isolation, it boasts abundant natural resources and has developed some distinctive local livestock breeds, such as the "Chengkou Mountain Chicken". The Chengkou Mountain Chicken has a long history, with chicken farming dating back to the earliest human settlements in the region. In the 44th year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1844 AD), the 18th volume of the newly compiled Chronicles of Chengkou County documented the functions, roles, habits, physical characteristics, traits, and meat quality of the chickens raised at that time; the 1985 Chengkou County Agricultural Zoning recorded: “Local indigenous chickens have excellent traits such as tolerance to coarse feed, disease resistance, strong adaptability, and tender, flavorful meat…”, and the 1995 Chronicles of Chengkou County recorded: “Chengkou was established as an administrative region during the Qin Dynasty… Poultry farming in the area has always been dominated by chickens, with the local indigenous breed forming the mainstay of chicken flocks”. The Chengkou Mountain Chicken was officially named in 2006 by the Chongqing Municipal Livestock and Poultry Breed Approval Committee. In 2009, it passed the assessment of the National Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources Committee and was officially recognized as a national genetic resource by Announcement No. 1278 issued by the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China. The Chengkou Mountain Chicken shares a common genetic background, has a continuous distribution area, and exhibits distinct germplasm traits. It is highly adaptable, tolerant to coarse feed, disease-resistant, genetically stable, with high egg production and excellent egg quality. It is suitable for free-range farming. Its meat is tender, flavorful, with rich and savory broth, high in nutrition, and known for its high protein, low fat content, and strong nourishing properties. The egg whites are thick, and the yolks are dark in color.

　　The Chengkou Mountain Chicken is a dual-purpose breed for both meat and eggs. The chickens are of medium size, with a single comb that stands upright (double combs are rare), and the comb, earlobes, and wattles are mostly red, with black being rare. A small number of individuals may have a crest. Their beaks are bluish-black and slightly curved. The feathers are relatively compact, with individual feathers predominantly black in color, though the abdominal area features blackish-gray plumage, and the tail feathers are well-developed and upward-curving. The shanks are mainly black, with a few white ones, and are relatively short and slender, with few scales. Skin color is either white or black, with white being more common. The body structure is well-proportioned, slightly elongated, with a broad chest.

　　Natural Ecological Environment and Humanistic Historical Factors

　　(1) Soil and Topography: Chengkou County is a national-level nature reserve within the Daba Mountains and an ecological gem in the deep hinterland of the Qinba region. The county has 2.8876 million mu of forest land, accounting for 45.7% of the total land area; 2.6912 million mu of grassland, with a coverage rate of 35.26%; and 375,000 mu of cultivated land. Chengkou falls within the north subtropical mountainous yellow soil zone, mainly comprising yellow soil, yellow-brown soil, and brown soil. Yellow soil is mainly distributed below 1,500 meters above sea level, yellow-brown soil between 1,500–2,000 meters, and brown soil above 2,000 meters. The soil across the county is neutral to slightly acidic, with a pH value ranging from 5 to 8. It is rich in organic matter and mineral content, naturally fertile, and suitable for a wide variety of crops. However, the terrain is rugged, with significant elevation changes. The rock formations are hard to weather, resulting in slow soil renewal, high gravel content, and thin soil layers. The topography of Chengkou belongs to the arc-shaped fold zone of the Daba Mountains, which extend from southeast to northwest. The highest point in the county is Guangtoushan in Houping Township, at 2,686 meters above sea level, and the lowest is at the exit of Yanhe Township, at 481.5 meters. The landscape features steep relief, complex landforms, layered peaks, continuous mountains, long ridges, towering and precipitous cliffs, deep valleys, dramatic elevation differences, exposed bedrock, well-developed karst landforms, steep slopes, dense gullies, narrow river valleys mostly in a “V” shape, few terraces, and very small flatlands—epitomizing a typical mountainous terrain where nine parts are mountain and water, and one part is arable land.

　　(2) Hydrology: The main rivers in Chengkou County are the Renhe River and the Qianhe River, both flowing from east to west. The Renhe River, part of the Han River system in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, runs 128 kilometers within the county, with a drainage area of 23,710.69 square kilometers and an average annual outflow of 64.3 m³/s. The Qianhe River, part of the Qujiang River system, flows 62 kilometers within the county, covering a drainage area of 932.16 square kilometers, with an average annual outflow of 22.4 m³/s. Chengkou also has abundant groundwater resources, with a total annual storage capacity of 622 million m³. The water quality in Chengkou is clear and pure, making it ideal for industrial, agricultural, and domestic use.

　　(3) Climate: Chengkou County falls within the northern subtropical mountainous climate zone of the Sichuan Basin. The annual average temperature is 13.8°C, with 234 frost-free days, 1,534.1 hours of sunshine, annual rainfall of 1,267 mm, water surface evaporation of 806.8 mm, land surface evaporation of 605.1 mm, and an average annual relative humidity of 78%. Key climatic features include a mild climate, abundant rainfall, ample sunshine, distinct seasons, long winters and short summers. Spring sees a rapid but unstable rise in temperatures, often accompanied by sudden cold spells (“late spring cold”). Summer precipitation is concentrated, with frequent droughts in July and August, and floods before and after the dog days. Autumn cools quickly, often bringing prolonged overcast and rainy weather. Winters are cold and lengthy. Due to large elevation variations, climatic differences are pronounced across the region. Even within the same area, there are notable temperature differences between high mountains and low hills, and between shady and sunny slopes, contributing to the production of high-quality agricultural products.

　　(4) Humanistic and Historical Factors: Farmers in Chengkou have a long tradition of raising chickens and have accumulated considerable experience in selective breeding. Through generations of self-breeding, self-selection, and self-rearing, they have developed a mountain chicken breed with consistent physical traits and biological characteristics. In 2006, the Chongqing Breed Approval Committee officially recognized it as an outstanding local breed, naming it the “Chengkou Mountain Chicken.” It is known for its stable genetic performance, tolerance to coarse feed, strong disease resistance, robust reproductive capacity, good hybrid vigor, and adaptability, making it a dual-purpose breed for both meat and eggs.

　　Geographical Scope

　　The Chengkou Mountain Chicken is produced in 24 townships across Chengkou County, Chongqing. Chengkou is situated in the northeast of Chongqing, at the southern foot of the Daba Mountains. Its geographical coordinates are 108°15′18″ to 109°16′43″ east longitude and 31°37′25″ to 32°12′13″ north latitude, with elevations ranging from 481.5 to 2,686 meters. It borders Zhenping County and Pingli County of Shaanxi Province to the east; Wanyuan County, Baisha Industrial-Agricultural Zone, and Xuanhan County of Sichuan Province to the west; Ziyang County and Langao County of Shaanxi Province to the north; and Kaixian District and Wushan County of Chongqing to the south. The county stretches 96 kilometers from east to west and 66 kilometers from north to south, covering a total area of 3,282.74 km². The annual output includes 1 million broiler chickens and 1 million kilograms of chicken eggs.