Understory ecological chicken model

"Chickens also have a natural desire to live in nature," said the Nanjing Institute of Animal Husbandry and Poultry Research. Since August last year, they have introduced the "Linxia Ecological Chicken Breeding Model," allowing over 1 million free-range chickens to roam through forested areas surrounded by mountains and rivers. This initiative focuses on cultivating high-quality, "green" grass chicken breeds. So far, many of these premium chickens have been sold primarily to Nanjing and nearby cities. Reporters recently visited the demonstration base for ecological chicken farming in Shiqiao Town, Pukou District, to witness the unique lifestyle of the Linzhong Caoji chickens. **Living: A High-Quality Community Among Mountains and Rivers** Along the long Hummer River, passing through a vast forest, reporters arrived at the "home" of the grass chickens — a demonstration base enclosed by a two-meter-high wire fence. According to Yongzheng Lin, a senior researcher from the institute, the Luoyang Mountain breeding area is like a "luxury residential zone." Inside the forest, there are eight neatly arranged cement coops housing more than 20,000 chickens. These birds freely move in and out, eating, drinking, and playing as they please. Yongzheng Lin explained that the number of chickens and the level of ventilation are carefully controlled, as improper conditions could hinder their growth. Not all the chickens live in such high-end setups. Some are raised in simple white sheds, but their environment is still among the mountains and rivers, offering a much better living condition compared to traditional backyard farms. **Eating: A Nutritious Diet of Worms and Grains** The daily diet of the grass chickens in the Qiaoluo Mountain area is managed by four dedicated workers. One of them explained that large-scale broiler chickens are typically fed compound feed, while these free-range chickens receive a balanced "nutritional package" every day. Their meals include insects like spiders, tree heartworms, grasshoppers, and crickets found in the forest, along with fresh grass seeds and young shoots. They are also given supplementary feeds made from corn, rice, and other crops, carefully formulated to meet their nutritional needs. Yongzheng Lin mentioned that feeding the chickens worms helps make their meat tender and flavorful. The base is even experimenting with using old tea leaves from local tea gardens, crushed and mixed into the feed, to create grass chickens with a unique taste. **Playing: Climbing Hills and Trees** Flying through trees, running across hills, and enjoying the fresh air in the forest — the daily life of these chickens is full of energy and vitality. According to Yan Zhenglin, chickens naturally love to explore their surroundings, climb, hike, and eat freely. Allowing them to roam freely in the woods meets their instinctive needs, making them feel comfortable and healthy. This wild-like environment not only promotes digestion but also makes their meat firmer. Grass chickens are social animals, usually staying within 500 meters of their coop. They don’t tend to wander off. However, the number of chickens must be balanced with the size of the forest. Overstocking can damage the ecosystem, harm trees, degrade grasslands, and lead to soil salinization, which is bad for both the environment and the chickens' health. **Medical Care: Full-Time Vet for the Chickens** After heavy rains, many chickens caught colds. To address this, Xiaoluoshan District has a full-time veterinarian on call. Zhang Yonggang, a vet who graduated from Shandong Agricultural University, explained that free-range chickens are sensitive to temperature, thriving best between 20-26°C. If it gets too cold, they may suffer from diarrhea; if it's too hot, they risk respiratory issues or death. During heavy rain, wet feathers and cold winds often cause illness. In one instance, nearly 200 chickens in each coop fell ill. Zhang treated them by adding medication to their drinking water for several days. His daily tasks involve monitoring the chickens’ behavior, feeding habits, and droppings to prevent disease outbreaks. “If the chickens look up at you with a bright, alert gaze, that’s a good sign,” he said. “But if they pull their heads back or act strangely, we need to pay close attention.” With over 10,000 mu of forest land rented, 256 farmers from Shiqiao Town now work here. These forest-raised chickens grow faster than traditional ones, reaching market weight in 90 to 130 days. Starting this October, the base will equip chicks with special identification rings, providing traceability for their origin, environment, breeding methods, and product standards. Yongzheng Lin told reporters that the city's animal husbandry research institute plans to promote this "ecological farming model under the forest" across the region. In addition to chickens, geese and goats will also be raised in similar undergrowth environments.

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