Muxi Black-Bone Chicken

Muxi Black-Bone Chicken

Muxi Black-Bone Chicken is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Muxi Black-Bone Chicken is a locally premium-bred variety in Sichuan Province, belonging to an important strain of southern Sichuan mountain black-bone chickens. It has a long breeding history in Muxi County and is named for its completely black skin, beak, comb, wattles, oral cavity, meat, bones, and internal organs. Especially distinctive is its entirely dark feathering with a bluish-green sheen — a globally rare trait that makes it stand out as the finest among black-bone chickens.

　　The meat of the Muxi Black-Bone Chicken is tender, nutrient-rich, and pollution-free, with notably high medicinal value. It is specifically recorded in Li Shizhen’s Compendium of Materia Medica, and during the Qing Dynasty, it was even presented as a tribute to the imperial court. In today’s trend of “black foods being nourishing,” its entirely black appearance has made it a top choice for tonics, physical fitness, health care, and beauty, offering vast potential for comprehensive development.

　　　It is mainly produced in Muxi County, Sichuan Province. A parent stock farm has been established in Muxi County, Sichuan.

　　 Appearance Characteristics

　　　　The body is long and large, with a flat back and full, deep chest. The head is medium-small and lean. The beak is short and slightly curved at the tip. [Figure 2: Muxi Black-Bone Chicken (female)] The beak is black. The comb types include single, rose, and pea combs, all appearing blackish-gray and standing upright with 5–7 comb points. The wattles are blackish. The earlobes are oval-shaped. The skin around the eye area is loose and rough, colored black or purple. The eyes are oval with dark black irises, and both pupils and irises are black. The neck is moderately curved. The main tail feathers are well-developed and stand upright. The entire feathering is black with a greenish luster, especially prominent on the saddle feathers and tail feathers. The skin all over the body is black. The shanks are relatively long, and most have shank feathers. The toes are blackish.

　　., appearing black. The comb is single, rose-shaped, or double, in blackish-gray, upright, with 5–7 comb points. The wattles are dark black. The earlobes are oval. The skin around the eyes is loose and rough, black or purple. The eyes are oval, dark black, with the pupils and irises being dark black. The neck is moderately curved. The main tail feathers are well-developed and stand upright. The entire body is covered in jet-black feathers with a greenish sheen, particularly prominent on the saddle feathers and tail feathers. The skin all over the body is dark black. The shanks are relatively long, most having shank feathers, and the toes are dark black.

　　 Breed Performance

　　　　① Growth Rate and Meat Production Performance Average weight: Adult roosters weigh 2,680 g, hens weigh 2,290 g. Average semi-eviscerated slaughter rate: Roosters 84.00%, hens 75.00%. Average fully eviscerated slaughter rate: Roosters 79.00%, hens 69.00%.

　　② Egg Production and Reproductive Performance Hens start laying eggs at an average age of 225 days. Clutch size: 10–15 eggs per clutch. Average annual egg production: 110 eggs. Average egg weight: 54 g. Average egg shape index: 1.35. Eggshell color: Light brown. Roosters reach sexual maturity at an average age of 200 days. Average fertilization rate of breeding eggs: 96%. Average hatching rate of fertilized eggs: 92%. Hens have weak broodiness. Useful life span of both roosters and hens: 1–2 years.