Zhuanghe Dagubone Chicken

Zhuanghe Dagubone Chicken

The Zhuanghe Dagubone Chicken is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　By grazing on green grassy slopes, drinking clean water, eating wild plants and insects, and feeding on grains and fish and shellfish powder, the Zhuanghe Dagubone Chicken has developed into a breed known for its large body size, big eggs, delicious and tender meat, and high nutritional value. In 2003 and 2004, the Zhuanghe Dagubone Chicken and its eggs were successively certified as Green Food. In 2006, the Zhuanghe Dagubone Chicken was registered as a geographical indication certification trademark. In 2008, the state awarded the Dagubone Chicken the title of National Standardization Demonstration Zone.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Located in Zhuanghe City, Liaoning Province. To the east up to Huoshiling Village, Lizi Fang Town; to the west up to Shabao Village, Yongsheng Village, Mingyang Town; to the south up to Weizi Village, Qianmiao Village, Wangjia Town; to the north up to Weizi Village, Weizi Village, Talin Town. The included towns are: Xuling Town, Taipingling Township, Ronghuashan Town, Buyunshan Township, Daying Town, Xiandong Cave Town, Talin Town, Wulu Town, Qingdui Town, Anzishan Township, Lizi Fang Town, Dazheng Town, Mingyang Town, Guangmingshan Town, Chengshan Town, Changling Town, Guiyunhua Township, Hehuashan Town, Heidao Town, Landian Township, Shicheng Township, and Wangjia Town.

　　Special Qualities

　　The chicken has a delicious taste and high nutritional value. Its eggs are rich in trace elements such as zinc, iron, and calcium that are essential for the human body, and have a delicate texture, making them an excellent nutritional supplement for mothers and children. According to test results from the Dalian Product Technology Supervision and Inspection Institute in 1997: the nutritional composition of Zhuanghe Dagubone Chicken meat is significantly better than that of broiler chickens. Its fat content is 84.5% of that of broilers, protein content is 110.3% of that of broilers, iron content is 64% higher than that of broilers, and the content of trace elements such as magnesium, copper, and manganese is more than 30% higher than that of broilers. It can be called a green food and is the best tonic for strengthening the body.

　　[Breed Type and Place of Origin]

　　A dual-purpose local superior breed for both meat and eggs. Originally named Zhuanghe Chicken, it earned the name Dagubone Chicken due to its large body, thick and sturdy legs, and strong build. It originated in Zhuanghe County, Liaoning Province, and is also distributed in Jilin, Heilongjiang, Shandong, and other provinces.

　　1 Main Characteristics and Features Renowned worldwide for its large body size, big eggs, delicious meat, and high nutritional value. It has a relatively large body, deep and broad chest, wide and long back, tall and thick legs, solid and powerful build, and well-developed muscles, leaning towards meat production, and is one of the larger chicken breeds in China. Roosters are tall and majestic with a strong build, with head, neck, back, and abdomen in fiery red, tail feathers and sickle feathers curling upwards at a 45-degree angle to the ground, black with a dark green sheen; hens are mostly brownish-yellow, with short tail feathers that slightly curl upwards and are black. They have thick and sturdy heads and necks, large and bright eyes, yellow beaks, shanks, and claws, and a single comb. The comb, wattles, and earlobes are red.

　　2 Conservation Methods Utilize both conservation farms and gene banks. The Zhuanghe Dagubone Chicken Conservation Farm in Zhuanghe City carries out in-situ conservation, while the National Local Chicken Breed Gene Bank (Jiangsu) introduced the breed in 2002 for ex-situ conservation.

　　[Production Performance]

　　1 Adult Weight and Meat Production Performance Adult chicken weight: roosters 2900 grams, hens 2300 grams; adult chicken semi-eviscerated slaughter rate: roosters 81.30%, hens 84.1%; fully eviscerated slaughter rate: roosters 76.5%, hens 76.0%.

　　2 Reproductive Performance Hens start laying eggs at an average age of 213 days. Average annual egg production is 160 eggs, with an average egg weight of 63 grams. Average egg shape index is 1.35. Eggshells are dark brown. The mating ratio of roosters to hens is 1:(8–10). Average fertilization rate of breeding eggs is 90%, and average hatching rate of fertilized eggs is 80%.

　　[Development and Utilization]

　　The Dagubone Chicken is a renowned Chinese dual-purpose local chicken breed, famous worldwide for its large body size, big eggs, delicious meat, and high nutritional value. It can be crossbred with many superior local chicken breeds from around the world, significantly improving production performance. By introducing fast-growing broiler breeds with high feed efficiency, such as Ankang Red (as the sire) crossed with the Dagubone Chicken (as the dam), a two-line hybrid breeding system has been established. Hybrid chickens have an average body weight greater than that of the Dagubone Chicken, exceeding the average of the two parent breeds, demonstrating significant hybrid vigor. The survival rate of hybrid chickens is higher than that of Ankang Red chickens, showing the vitality advantage of hybrid individuals. Crossbreeding trials between the Dagubone Chicken and Sichuan Mountain Black-bone Chicken, including both reciprocal crosses, showed that the hybrid groups had significantly improved egg production, growth rate, and meat traits compared to the purebred groups.

　　Targeting both domestic and international markets, products adapted to Japanese cuisine such as Tonkatsu chicken skewers, pickled plum chicken rolls, Dagubone Chicken dumplings, as well as domestically styled grilled Dagubone Chicken products, have been developed. After deep processing, their added value has increased significantly. For example, the current purchase price for live chickens is 12,000 yuan per ton, which can reach 47,000 yuan per ton after deep processing.