Xishuangbanna Tea Flower Chicken

Xishuangbanna Tea Flower Chicken

The Xishuangbanna Tea Flower Chicken is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　The chicken is the ancestor of the domesticated chicken. It is also known as the Tea Flower Chicken because its crow sounds like “two tea flowers.” The rooster’s plumage is mostly red on the upper body and blackish-brown on the lower body. The hen’s plumage is largely blackish-brown on the upper body, with yellow on the upper back featuring black streaks and a brownish chest. Adult male chickens of this breed weigh 1–1.5 kilograms and begin crowing at 5 months old. Hens weigh 1–1.1 kilograms, begin laying eggs at 6 months old, and produce 130–150 eggs per year. The eggs weigh about 38 grams, have a dark brown shell, and hatch in 21 days. The red junglefowl, when raised domestically, offers advantages such as wide adaptability, fast growth, undemanding care, low food intake, and high survival rates.

　　　A slightly larger-than-usual wild ancestor of the domestic chicken (males 70 cm, females 42 cm). The male has an upper body with metallic golden, orange-yellow, or orange-red sheen  Red Junglefowl

　　and brown feather shaft streaks. Its bare facial skin, comb, and wattles are bright red and prominently large. The flight feathers are dark brownish-black with chestnut edges. The tail feathers are black with a metallic green gloss, and the two central tail feathers are the longest, drooping sickle-like. The underparts are dark brownish-black. The feet are blue-gray. The female has a mostly blackish-brown upper body, with yellow on the upper back featuring black streaks, a brownish chest, and gradually turns into brownish-gray toward the rear. Iris – red; beak – horn-colored; feet – blue-gray. Call: Only vocalizes during the spring breeding season. The male’s call is like “ge ge—ge ge” with a distinct pause in the middle; the final “ge” is very short, resembling a shortened domestic rooster’s crow.

　　Similar in size to the domestic chicken. The head bears a comb, and there is a pair of wattles on the throat side, which is a unique feature of this genus. Males and females differ in coloration. The male’s plumage closely resembles that of a domestic rooster, with the most notable difference being the long, narrow, and pointed feathers on the head and neck — the front ones are deep red, gradually turning golden yellow toward the back. These long, narrow, pointed feathers extend from the neck backward, covering the front part of the back, making it even more ornate than the domestic rooster. The tail feathers and upper tail coverts are black with a metallic green reflection, and the feather bases are white, becoming especially visible in flight. The female resembles the domestic hen but is smaller in build and has a shorter tail. The head and neck are blackish-brown with reddish highlights; the neck feathers are also long, with a blackish-brown shaft and golden-yellow feather edges.