What medicinal value does the Silkie chicken have? A detailed explanation of its effects and functions
Since the early 1990s, when the "black food" trend arose around the world, natural black foods and their products have sprung up on the market like bamboo shoots after rain, and the Silkie chicken, with its peculiar medicinal, tonic and health-care value and its rich and comprehensive nutritional value, has been much favored by consumers. Only good breeds can show higher production performance and only then can good economic benefits be obtained. According to research, the formation of Silkie chicken breeds dates back at least 700 years. Because China is vast in land, has diverse environmental conditions, different breeding objectives and inconsistent rearing conditions. Therefore, Silkie chickens have formed different types of local breeds. The main breeds include Taihe chicken, Yugan black chicken, Jiangshan white-feathered black-boned chicken, Xuefeng black-boned chicken, Jinyang silkie chicken, Black Phoenix chicken, and others.
1. Taihe chicken: This breed has the largest nationwide rearing population and has been listed as an international standard breed. Its appearance has the "ten perfections" characteristics, namely: crest (also called mulberry crest), tassel head (also called phoenix head), green ears, beard, silkie feathers, black feet, black claws, black skin, black flesh and black bone. Adult roosters weigh 1.3-1.5 kg, and adult hens 1.0-1.2 kg. Roosters reach sexual maturity at 150-160 days of age, hens at 170-180 days, with annual egg production of about 100 eggs, egg weight of about 40 grams, and eggshells light white in color.
2. Yugan black chicken: The Yugan black chicken is black all over, with black flat-feather plumage; the beak, crest, skin, flesh, bone, internal organs and toes are all black. Hens have a single comb, a delicate head, bright eyes and compact feathers; roosters are brightly colored, sturdy and handsome, with high, upturned tail feathers that are glossy black, well-developed leg muscles, a held-high head and a single comb. Adult roosters weigh about 1.5 kg, hens about 1.1 kg; they are agile, good at flying, strong in foraging ability and disease resistance, widely adaptable and consume little feed. Sexual maturity occurs at 60-80 days for roosters and about 180 days for hens, with annual egg production of about 150 eggs, egg weight of about 50 [days], and eggshells pink in color.
3. Jiangshan white-feathered black-boned chicken: This black-boned chicken breed has pure white flat feathers, black skin, black flesh, black bone, and the beak and feet also have black coloring; the earlobes are sparrow-green, the single comb is dark red, the body is delicate and shaped like a gold ingot, and the eyes are round, large and protruding. Adult roosters have an average weight of about 1.6 kg, hens about 1.5 kg, the average age at first laying is 184 days, the average egg production at 500 days of age is 138 eggs, and the average egg weight is 56.47 grams.
4. Xuefeng black-boned chicken: Its body size is medium, the body is slightly long, the constitution is sturdy, and it has black skin, black flesh, black bone and a black beak. The feathers are glossy and cling tightly to the body. There are three feather colors: all white, all black and mixed. The single comb is purple, the ear lobes are green, and the iris is brown. Adult roosters have upturned rear tail feathers forming a fan shape. At 6 months of age, adult roosters have an average weight of 1.5 kg and hens 1.3 kg. Hens reach the age at first laying at 156-250 days, and roosters begin crowing at an average age of 153 days. The average egg production at 500 days of age is 95 eggs, the average egg weight is 46 grams, and the eggshells are mostly light brown, with some white.
5. Jinyang silkie chicken: Its feathers are silky. Hens are medium in size, with a moderately sized head, a red single comb, a flesh-colored beak, ear lobes mostly white, a red or purple face, white skin, occasionally black, a slightly short body, flesh-colored or black shanks, mostly without shank feathers, and 4 toes. Feather color is divided into three types: white, black and mixed. At 6 months of age, adult roosters have an average weight of 2.09 kg and hens about 1.3 kg. Hens reach the age at first laying at about 160 days, roosters begin crowing at about 120 days, and annual egg production is about 80 eggs. However, it has not yet undergone systematic breeding and still belongs to the local fine breeds.
6. Black Phoenix chicken: The Black Phoenix chicken is hailed as the "Chinese Black Treasure." It has a delicate build and the ten perfections characteristics of black silkie feathers, black skin, black flesh, black bone, a crested comb, phoenix head, green ears, beard, feathered legs and five claws. Adult roosters weigh 1.25-2.0 kg, adult hens weigh 1.0-1.5 kg, hens produce about 140-160 eggs per year, the eggshells are mostly brown, the average egg weight is 40-48 grams, and breeding chickens begin laying at 6 months of age. The toes of the Black Phoenix chicken are black, and the tongue is mostly light black or black.