Yanjin Black-Bone Chicken

Yanjin Black-Bone Chicken

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

Yanjin Black-Bone Chicken is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Yanjin Black-Bone Chicken gets its name from originating and being primarily produced in Yanjin County, Yunnan Province. It embodies an exquisite combination of flavor, health benefits, and medicinal value, and is mainly grown and distributed in the Wumeng Mountain region, hence it is known as the “Treasured Bird of the Wumeng.”

　　It originated in Yanjin and earned its name due to being a major local product. It is a rare local bird variety formed over time through natural selection and careful breeding under Yanjin’s unique natural environment—characterized by high heat and humidity. It is a renowned local breed in Yunnan Province. The chicken is sturdy and well-built, with moderate size, and features black eyes, comb, wattles, face, toes, skin, meat, bones, and internal organs.

　　Under the guidance of county and municipal experts and technical professionals, the project "Selective Breeding of Yanjin Black-Bone Chicken" was launched in 1992. After seven years of dedicated effort, two economically valuable new strains of Black-Bone Chicken (Black Feather Strain and White Feather Strain) were successfully bred. They were approved by the Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Commission and relevant experts, meeting national advanced breeding standards. The project won the Third Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress in Yunnan Province in 1999 and the First Prize in Zhaotong City, providing reliable technical references and development directions for the propagation of the Yanjin Black-Bone Chicken population. This initiative also added scientific strength to the vigorous development of Yanjin Black-Bone Chicken.

　　Associate Professor Xu WenZhen from the Provincial Veterinary Research Institute commented: “Yanjin is like an original chicken farm.” Therefore, the purebred Yanjin Black-Bone Chicken will certainly not become a case of blooming inside the wall but fragrant outside. Instead, it is steadily progressing by focusing on conservation, breeding, and expansion, while developing commercial Black-Bone Chickens. By the end of 2006, there were 69,500 chicken-raising households in the county, with a total inventory of 900,000 Black-Bone Chickens, 750,000 slaughtered, and poultry egg production reaching 1,120 tons.

　　Under the technical guidance of the Yanjin County Agriculture Bureau, one population base was established (the Hujiawan Black-Bone Chicken Population Base in Niuzhai Township, Yanjin County), with an annual output of over 10,000 breeder chickens. Also, guided by the county agriculture bureau, Hu Kun, a leader in Black-Bone Chicken breeding techniques, founded the “Yanjin Ruifu Black-Bone Chicken Development Co., Ltd.” in early 2006. The company is responsible for the purification, selective breeding of Yanjin Black-Bone Chicken populations, and organizing farmers to produce commercial Black-Bone Chickens. In recent years, through the relentless efforts and in-depth research of county agriculture bureau technicians on purification, breeding, and cultivation techniques of the Black-Bone Chicken, outbreaks among this relatively difficult-to-raise breed have been largely controlled. This has enabled a certain level of market supply of Yanjin Black-Bone Chickens, promoting their development.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Yanjin Black-Bone Chicken is produced in 10 townships (towns) within Yanjin County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province: Yanjing Town, Dousha Town, Zhonghe Town, Puer Town, Shizi Town, Miaoba Town, Luoyan Township, Xinglong Township, Tantou Township, and Niuzhai Township. The geographical coordinates are between 103°59′–104°27′ east longitude and 27°49′–28°24′ north latitude, spanning 43.5 kilometers from east to west and 61.8 kilometers from north to south. The breeding area covers 2,091.5 square kilometers, with an annual inventory of 1.5 million chickens.