🐔 Dongxiang Chicken — Overview

⭐ Origin & Background

The Dongxiang chicken (often called the Dongxiang Blue‑Egg Chicken or Dongxiang Green‑Shelled Egg Chicken) is an ancient indigenous breed from Dongxiang, Jiangxi Province, China. It is known for its rare blue/green eggs and distinctive dark physical traits. [backyardchickens.com]

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🧬 Unique Physical Traits

Dongxiang chickens are famous for a set of features often described as “Five Blacks and One Green.”
This refers to:

• Black feathers
• Black skin
• Black feet
• Black bones
• Black meat
• Green/blue eggs (often referred to as “green eggs” in China)

These characteristics developed through more than 10 years of selective breeding. [backyardchickens.com]

They visually resemble the Indonesian Ayam Cemani, but are generally less intensely pigmented. [backyardchickens.com]

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🥚 Egg Production

Dongxiang chickens are one of China’s well‑known blue egg‑laying breeds.

Egg traits:

• Blue/green shells resulting from elevated biliverdin pigment
• The shell color is autosomal dominant, with homozygous birds laying darker blue eggs. [BLUE EGG G…ure Europe]

Egg‑laying performance:

• Begin laying at 170–180 days
• Produce 140–160 blue eggs per year in traditional strains
• Improved lines (partridge and black‑red comb varieties) can produce around 200 eggs per year
• Nearly 100% of eggs are blue in optimized lines [backyardchickens.com]

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🔬 Genetic Significance

Genetic studies highlight the breed’s uniqueness:

• The SLCO1B3 gene is strongly associated with the blue eggshell trait.
• Dongxiang chickens show distinct genetic pathways related to amino acid and lipid metabolism compared to commercial breeds like the White Leghorn.
• Genome analyses identified 94 potential selected regions unique to Dongxiang chickens.
  [academic.oup.com]

These findings make them valuable for genetic research into pigmentation, egg traits, and local breed conservation.

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🌱 Conservation & Modern Revitalization

The Dongxiang Black‑Feathered Green‑Shelled Egg Chicken faced near extinction in the 1980s due to low productivity and breeding challenges. Through government funding, breeding programs, and research partnerships, the breed was successfully revived. [From endan…of the …]

Today:

• Now part of China’s national key specialty species programs
• Awarded multiple recognitions including National Geographical Indication Agricultural Product status
• The industry has grown into a multi‑million‑yuan sector, producing 700,000+ eggs daily
• Advanced breeding focuses on improving nutrition (e.g., folic acid‑enriched eggs)
  [From endan…of the …]

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🐓 Uses & Popularity

Dongxiang chickens are valued for:

• Their unique green/blue eggs
• Their distinctive black‑meat culinary qualities
• Their cultural and agricultural heritage in China

They are also popular among poultry enthusiasts worldwide due to their rarity and striking appearance.