Ankang Red Chicken

Ankang Red Chicken

　　【Breed Type and Origin】

　　The Ankang Red is a fast-growing yellow-feathered broiler chicken of four-way crossbreeding. It originates from Israel and is currently the fastest-growing red-feathered broiler in China.

　　1 Main Characteristics and Appearance The breed has a yellowish-red plumage, with some chickens exhibiting mottled feathers on the neck and back. Its shanks and toes are yellow, as are its skin and beak. It has a single comb, and both roosters and hens typically have about six comb teeth. The wattles and earlobes are large, thick, and red. The body is large and well-rounded. The Ankang Red is one of the fastest-growing colored-feather broilers, known for its strong adaptability, rapid growth, and high feed conversion efficiency.

　　2 Conservation Method In 1999, it was transferred to the National Gene Pool for Local Chicken Breeds (Jiangsu) by the Jiangsu Poultry Breeding Center for conservation.

　　【Production Performance】

　　1 Adult Weight and Meat Production At 6 weeks, the weight reaches 2001 grams with a cumulative feed-to-meat ratio of 1.75:1; at 7 weeks, 2405 grams with a ratio of 1.94:1; at 8 weeks, 2875 grams with a ratio of 2.15:1.

　　2 Reproductive Performance The culling age is 66 weeks. Each hen lays a total of 176 eggs, of which 164 are suitable for hatching, producing 140 chicks. The hatchability of breeding eggs reaches 87%. The survival rate is 94% from 0–21 weeks and 92–95% from 22–66 weeks.

　　【Development and Utilization】

　　It shows excellent hybrid vigor when crossed with local Chinese chicken breeds. Most of the fast-growing yellow-feathered broilers in China today contain Ankang Red bloodlines. In some regions, Ankang Red roosters are crossed with commercial layer chickens or local breeds to produce "San Huang" chickens. The Ankang Red broiler is suitable for raising across China, including in intensive farms, large-scale operations, specialized households, and small-scale farms. It is suitable for both live sales and processing.

　　Source: National Gene Pool for Local Chicken Breeds (Jiangsu)