6 Chinese Chicken Breeds

People don’t know that there are many different types of chicken. You’ll find cluckers from every country.

China is a vast country that has given the world many different types of chickens. We’ll be looking at six top-rated chickens from China today.

1. Cochin Chicken

The Cochin chicken weighs in at 6 to 13 pounds. Their plumage is striking, with all of their legs and feet covered. They are primarily raised for display purposes. They are productive and the hens make responsible and loving mothers.

These birds were first introduced to the world in the 1840s. They quickly became so popular that “hen fever” spread to Western countries. Over time, poultry breeding was a hugely popular activity.

2. Nixi Chicken

Cochin chickens are large and powerful, but Nixi chickens tend to be small. They are native to southwest China’s Yunnan province, where they are often used in chicken soup.

Despite their small stature, Nixis can adapt to cold climates. This makes Yunnan a strange choice for them since it is one of the warmest parts of China.

3. Croad Langshan

Although Croad Langshan may sound more like a Steinbeck character’s name than a chicken, the birds actually predate the author and date back to the mid-19th century. Although the chickens are from China, Major F.T., a British military man, became a huge fan of them. Croad brought the breed back home in 1904.

They are large birds with long breasts, small heads, and large weights. These birds make great pets because they are easy to train and tame. A single hen can conceive up to 150 eggs a year if it is happy and healthy.

4. Silkie

Silkies are very different from chickens. You can forgive yourself if you think silky is a radioactive penguin. Silkies have thick, fluffy plumage, which is very silky to touch (hence their name), along with black skin and bones and blue earlobes, and an extra foot.

They are calm and gentle birds. These birds are an old breed. The first recorded references to them came from Marco Polo, a 13th-century traveler. They are often kept as pets and often incubate and rear the offspring of other birds.

5. Yellow-Hair Chicken

Yellow-Hair chickens are known for their flavorful meat. However, they are low in fat making them difficult to cook. Although they are hard to find outside of China, they are becoming less common as larger broiler chickens are replacing them.

6. Pekin Bantam

Although the Pekin Bantam is a Chinese bird, it has gained widespread popularity in Britain. They arrived in Britain sometime around the 19th century. The first birds to arrive in England are alleged to have been stolen from the Chinese emperor’s personal stash by British soldiers after the Second Opium War.

These birds are true bantams as you would expect from their name. Their head is round and they are close to the ground. They also have elaborate plumage that covers their legs and feet. They can be found in almost any color, and are great pets because of their calm and docile nature.

Wrapping up

You’re now up-to-date on the top chicken breeds in China. Now it’s time to choose your favorite. We believe you can’t go wrong choosing a Croad Langshan. However, we are open to suggestions if you prefer Silkies.