Rugao Yellow Chicken

Rugao Yellow Chicken

Rugao Yellow Chicken is a product with a geographical indication.

　　In the history of Rugao, the main crops were drought-resistant cereals, and farmers were relatively poor, living in thatched cottages. Behind every house, bamboo and trees were planted to block wind and sand. The chickens raised by households were allowed to roam freely among them, foraging as they pleased, returning at dusk, and fed mainly on cereals. People in the region traditionally enjoyed stir-fried young chicken in spring and summer, and chicken soup in winter for nourishment. During the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era, household poultry farming developed rapidly, and raising chickens became common among rural households. By the Jiaqing era (1804), the *Rugao County Annals* recorded: “Chickens are a common household livestock, with breeds including ‘flower chicken’ and ‘roe deer chicken.’” The so-called roe deer chicken refers to a local breed with feathers resembling roe deer fur, commonly known as “Three-Yellow Chicken.” The people in the region regarded yellow as a symbol of luck and prosperity. Over time, they purposefully selected breeds exhibiting the three-yellow traits—golden coloration, elegant appearance, medium body size, delicious taste, rich broth, and tender meat. The specific natural and cultural environment, combined with southern consumers’ preference for medium-sized yellow chickens, promoted the breeding and genetic stabilization of the Rugao Yellow Chicken.

　　The Rugao Yellow Chicken is a dual-purpose breed, developed through long-term selective breeding as a superior local variety. It is commonly referred to as the “Three-Yellow Chicken” by locals because of its “yellow beak, yellow feet, and yellow feathers.” As early as the Jiaqing era’s Jiayin year (1840), the revised *Rugao County Annals* documented: “Chickens are a common household livestock,” with breeds including “flower chicken, roe deer chicken,” etc. The “roe deer chicken” refers to the yellow chicken with feathers resembling roe deer fur. This shows that the people of Rugao had long considered the yellow chicken a staple household livestock. In fact, the Rugao Yellow Chicken is not entirely yellow; it still features distinct black feathers on the neck, wings, and tail, forming its unique characteristic.

　　The Rugao Yellow Chicken has predominantly golden plumage, with a yellow beak, yellow feet, and yellow feathers. Its neck, wing, and tail feathers are interspersed with black ones, giving it a glossy appearance. The feathers lie close to the body, giving it a sleek and elegant look. Its head resembles that of a snake. It has a single, upright comb and large, round, expressive eyes. Its legs are of medium length, without feathers on the shanks, and both the beak and feet are yellow.

　　[Breed Type and Place of Origin]

　　A dual-purpose breed. Mainly produced in Rugao, Rudong, Tongzhou, and Dongtai cities and counties in Jiangsu Province, primarily distributed in the Yangtze River Basin area of Jiangsu. Currently, a Rugao Yellow Chicken conservation farm has been established within Rugao City.

　　1. Main Characteristics: Also known as Rugao Chicken, the Rugao Yellow Chicken is called “Three-Yellow Chicken” locally due to its yellow feathers, yellow skin, and yellow feet. It is a dual-purpose breed. Its plumage is predominantly golden, with a yellow beak, yellow feet, and yellow feathers. Its neck, wing, and tail feathers are interspersed with black ones, giving it a glossy appearance. The feathers lie close to the body, giving it a sleek and elegant look. Its head resembles that of a snake. It has a single, upright comb and large, round, expressive eyes. Its legs are of medium length, without feathers on the shanks, and both the beak and feet are yellow.

　　2. Conservation Method: Protected by the Rugao Yellow Chicken Conservation Farm. Gene bank preservation was initiated in 1998 by the National Local Chicken Breed Gene Bank (Jiangsu) through off-site conservation.

　　[Production Performance]

　　1. Adult Weight and Meat Production Performance: Average weights: newborn 33g; 56 days old—male 507g, female 396g; 90 days old—male 815g, female 669g; adult—male 1355g, female 1319g. Average half-eviscerated slaughter rate for adults: male 84.40%, female 82.88%; average full-eviscerated slaughter rate: male 77.25%, female 65.65%.

　　2. Reproductive Performance: Hens begin laying eggs at an average age of 150 days. Average annual egg production is 180 eggs, with an average egg weight of 50g. Cocks reach sexual maturity at 120–150 days. The recommended mating ratio is 1 male to 15–20 females. Both average fertilization rate of breeding eggs and hatching rate of fertilized eggs exceed 90%. Hen broodiness rate is about 10%. Useful lifespan of both males and females is 1–2 years.

　　[Development and Utilization]

　　As a medium-sized yellow chicken, the Rugao Chicken has seen favorable utilization. After more than 10 years of exploration and experimentation, the Xueyao Breeding Chicken Farm and Dongmen Livestock and Poultry Farm in Rugao now raise 6,350 and 8,000 Rugao Chickens respectively, crossing them with cocks such as Hongbao and Suqin 96 to produce high-quality yellow-feathered broilers, yielding considerable annual profits. Neighboring counties and regions such as Tongzhou have also introduced Rugao Chickens, keeping their own breeding stock for commercial production, thereby increasing the number of Rugao Chickens and aiding in their preservation. With scientific and effective conservation and breeding efforts, along with active crossbreeding utilization, the market potential for Rugao Chickens is significant.

　　Rugao Yellow Chicken

　　Geographic Scope

　　The place of origin of the Rugao Yellow Chicken is Rugao City, Jiangsu Province. The geographical indication production area of Rugao Yellow Chicken is designated as the entire administrative region of Rugao City, including Rucheng Town, Rugao Economic Development Zone (Chaiwan Town), Xue’an Town, Dongchen Town, Dingyan Town, Baipu Town, Linzi Town, Xiayuan Town, Jiuhua Town, Guoyuan Town, Shizhuang Town, Changjiang Town (with sub-county administrative authority), Wuyao Town, Jiang’an Town, Gaoming Town, Changqing Town, Banjing Town, Motou Town, Taoyuan Town, and Yuanqiao Town. Geographic coordinates: 32°00'–32°30' N, 120°20'–120°50' E, covering a total area of 1,477 square kilometers. Annual inventory is around 3 million, with 10 million slaughtered annually, generating an output value of 400 million yuan.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. Sensory Characteristics: The Rugao Yellow Chicken is a local dual-purpose chicken resource, mainly produced within Rugao City. It has a medium to small build and exhibits the “three-yellows” (beak color, feather color, and shank color). Male chickens have a small amount of black feathers at the tips of the neck, wing, and tail feathers, while female chickens have light yellow feathers and thin yellow skin. The muscle fibers are tight and elastic, with evenly distributed intramuscular fat. Suitable for serving methods such as sliced raw, stir-fried, or in soups, the meat is tender, smooth, and delicate, with fragrant flesh and delicious, clear broth. 2. Internal Quality Requirements: The chicken meat has high-quality protein, a wide variety of amino acids, and rich content, with 17 amino acids ranging from 21.1% to 21.5%. Umami amino acids such as glutamic acid, aspartic acid, arginine, alanine, glycine, methionine, valine, leucine, proline, serine, and isoleucine account for over 15%, with glutamic acid exceeding 3.6%. Sulfonamide, lead, and inorganic arsenic levels are below regulated standards. 3. Safety Requirements: The breeding environment for Rugao Yellow Chicken must comply with the *GB/T 18047 Agricultural Product Safety Quality – Environmental Requirements for Pollution-Free Livestock and Poultry Meat Production*. No other animals may be raised on the chicken farm, which must be equipped with manure treatment facilities. Pollutant emissions must meet the *GB18596 Pollutant Discharge Standards for Livestock and Poultry Farming*, and the harmless treatment of dead chickens must comply with the *GB16548 Biosafety Treatment Procedures for Diseased Animals and Animal Products*. Product safety and hygiene indicators must meet national regulations for similar products. The quality of Rugao Yellow Chicken meat follows the *NY5034 Pollution-Free Food – Poultry Meat and By-products* standard.