Which Breeds Are Best for Free-Range Native Chickens? A Breed Selection Guide for Beginner Farmers

For free-range native chickens, you can choose breeds such as Qingjiao Ma chicken (A3 line), Mahua chicken, local yellow crossbred native chicken, Gushi native chicken, Yifeng native chicken, Subei native chicken, Shuzhong native chicken, and Xihe County native chicken. It is recommended that you choose according to your own situation and farming environment, and not simply follow the crowd.

Which Breeds Are Best for Free-Range Native Chickens

1. Gushi native chicken

A local chicken breed with special characteristics and excellent quality produced in Gushi County. It is named after its main production area, Gushi. It has a medium body size with a triangular body shape, yellow or yellow-brown feathers, and blue beaks and legs. It is a dual-purpose breed for both meat and eggs, with advantages such as tolerance to coarse feed, strong stress resistance, tender meat, delicious meat and fresh soup, and a unique flavor.

2. Yifeng native chicken

In Yifeng County, Jiangxi Province, located at the southern foot of the middle section of the Jiuling Mountains in northwestern Jiangxi, the county's normal landforms are roughly composed of “seven parts mountain, half part water, half part field, one part roads and estates”. Yifeng is a major agricultural county, and villagers mostly raise local chicken breeds, which the villagers call “native chickens”.

3. Subei native chicken

It has considerable fame in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Anhui, Shaanxi and other regions. Subei native chicken is deeply loved by people for its small body size, good meat quality, and strong disease resistance.