Beijing Youji Chicken

Beijing Youji Chicken

　　The Beijing Youji Chicken is an outstanding local chicken breed unique to the Beijing area, with a history of over 300 years. Its original breeding grounds were in the suburbs north of Beijing, outside Andingmen and Deshengmen, with the highest concentration in Datun and Walizhen townships under Chaoyang District. The Beijing Youji Chicken is an excellent dual-purpose breed—suitable for both meat and eggs. It features a distinctive appearance (namely, a crest, feathered legs, and beard-like mouth feathers), tender and fine-textured meat with a delicious flavor, high-quality eggs, strong vitality, and stable hereditary traits.

　　The Beijing Youji Chicken has a medium-sized body and attractive plumage, mainly in chestnut-brown and yellow colors. Chestnut-brown birds are smaller in size, while those with yellow feathers are larger. Chicks have light yellow or earthy-yellow down. Their crown feathers, shank feathers, and beard feathers are also quite prominent, making them very endearing. Adult chickens have thick and fluffy feathers. Roosters have brightly colored and shiny plumage, hold their heads high, and often sport black tail feathers. Hens have slightly upturned heads and tails, shorter shanks, and a stocky build. The Beijing Youji Chicken's feathers are quite distinct from those of other chicken breeds—it has crown feathers and shank feathers, and some individuals even have toe feathers. Many have beard-like feathers on the lower jaw or cheeks, hence the name “Three Feathers” (referring to the crest, feathered legs, and beard-like mouth feathers)—these are the main physical characteristics of the Beijing Youji Chicken.

　　The growth rate of the Beijing Youji Chicken is slow. The carcass skin is slightly yellow, compact and plump, with well-distributed intramuscular fat and fine, delicious meat. Its birth weight is 38.4g, at 4 weeks it weighs 220g, at 8 weeks 549.1g, at 12 weeks 959.7g, at 16 weeks 1228.7g, and at 20 weeks, roosters weigh 1500g and hens 1200g.

　　The Beijing Youji Chicken begins laying eggs at 170 days old. The fertilization rate of breeding eggs is 95%, the hatching rate of fertilized eggs is 90%, the survival rate of chicks is 97%, and the mortality rate of chicks is 2%. The annual egg production is 120 eggs, each weighing 54g. The eggshell color is light brown, and some individuals show broodiness.

　　The Beijing Youji Chicken has a unique appearance, strong vitality, stable genetic performance, excellent meat and egg quality. It is a highly valuable local chicken breed in China and holds great potential for development and application.