Tilu Black-Bone Chicken

Tilu Black-Bone Chicken

The Tilu Black-Bone Chicken is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　The Tilu Black-Bone Chicken is a dual-purpose breed, raised both for meat and eggs. It originates from three villages—Yingshan, Shuanghe, and Yushui—in Liude Lisu and Yi Ethnic Township, Yongsheng County, Lijiang City, Yunnan Province. It gets its name from the Tilu people, a subgroup of the Yi ethnic group who traditionally raise it. On January 15, 2010, the Tilu Black-Bone Chicken was included in the National Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources List.

　　Yongsheng County is situated in the central part of northwestern Yunnan’s Lijiang City, along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. It features a low-latitude mountainous monsoon climate, with dry winters and springs, and rainy summers and autumns. Due to variations in altitude and diverse landforms, the region has a distinct vertical climate, ranging from high heat in the lowlands to cool temperatures at mid-altitudes, and cold in higher areas. The southern part is hot and arid, while the northern part is temperate and humid. Liude Township has a subtropical valley to cold temperate climate, with an average annual temperature of 16°C and nearly 800 mm of rainfall per year. Major rivers include the Tilu River and Maguo River, both tributaries of the Jinsha River. The area’s unique high-mountain, deep-valley terrain results in significant river drops, offering abundant hydropower resources. The Tilu Mountains, located more than 30 kilometers southeast of Yongsheng County, are the production area of the Tilu Black-Bone Chicken and have a cold temperate mountain climate. This unique and relatively isolated natural environment has endowed the breed with broad adaptability, tolerance to coarse feed, fast growth, as well as resistance to heat, cold, and disease. The chicken also boasts rich nutrition and medicinal value.

　　The Tilu Black-Bone Chicken is large in size, with thick legs and long shanks, a single comb, and greenish ears. Its beak, tongue, skin, bones, internal organs, and feet are all black, while its feathers come in colors such as white, red, yellowish-brown, and bluish-gray. Adult roosters reach maturity in six months, and hens in seven. Their growth rate is comparable to that of the Jinhu Black-Bone Chicken and faster than that of the Taihe Black-Bone Chicken. Adult roosters can weigh between 4 to 6 jin (2 to 3 kg), and hens between 3 to 5 jin (1.5 to 2.5 kg). Tilu Black-Bone Chicken hens lay 80 to 120 eggs per year, with each egg weighing 45 to 60 grams.