BREEDING AND PRODUCTION OF NAGOYA BREED
K. Kino. Poultry Institute, Aichi-kenAgriculturalResearchCenter, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan
Abstract
The Nagoya breed was produced in 1882 by mating Japanese native chickens with Buff Cochin, the most famous chicken in Japan. The meat is tough and tasty and it is suitable for Japanese traditional cooking. The number of produced Nagoya has gradually increased since 1980 with 580 thousand Nagoya produced in 1999. The growing performance and characteristics of the meat are described.
Keywords:Nagoya breed, Buff Cochin, native chicken
Introduction
The Nagoya breed (Nagoya) was developed in 1882 by crossbreeding Chinese Buff Cochin with Japanese native chickens. After 35 years of improvements, it was established as the first practical chicken for poultry farming in Japan. Nagoya is originally the name of big city in Aichi prefecture, and the name of the Nagoya breed was derived from its birthplace. Nagoya is the formal name, although people usually call it "NagoyaCochin". Its production was widespread, leading the Japanese poultry industry to the import of layer and broiler chickens in 1963. Nagoya is the most famous and familiar native bird in Japan, and since its revival as the meat bird, it has become the symbol of delicious chicken. Our institute has been breeding Nagoya since 1902 as one of the special products of our prefecture. A profile of Nagoya and feature of its meat are described.
Achievement as a laying hen (1882-1963)
Until the end of the 19th century, Japanese people did not eat beef or pork for religious reasons. As a result, poultry meat was a popular animal protein source for them together with fish. After modern government (Meiji) was established in 1868, many people started poultry farming in this area, and one of them, the Kaifu brothers, were producing Nagoya at the time.
Since Buff Cochin was a big bird, initial body size of Nagoya was also big and adult body weight of male and female birds was 4.2 and 3.2 kg, respectively(Table 1). Then in early breeding, Nagoya body size decreased and the laying performance improved. In 1950, body weight of female birds reached 2.5 kg and the egg production rate was raised from 50% to 70%(181-500 days old). Nesting gene was removed in 1955. Five million Nagoya chicks were produced and delivered every year. A crossbreed of Nagoya with White Leghorn, which showed high laying performance, was also produced.
Table 1 Changes in body weight and egg production rate of Nagoya
ÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿ1908 1922 1935 1952 1983 1991ÿÿÿBody weight(g)
Adult male 4,100 3,400 3,300 3,000 3,900 4,000
female 3,200 2,600 2,600 2,500 2,700 3,200
------
Young male 3,200 2,300 2,500 2,400 3,200 3,300
female 2,600 1,900 1,900 1,900 2,200 2,600
Egg production rate(%)
n.a 55 52 73 69 64
Adult:250-300 days-old, Young:150 days-old. n.a=data not available.
Egg production was recorded from 181 to 300-350 days-old.
Unfavorable days(1964-1974)
With the import of layer (White Leghorn) and broiler chickens in 1963, Nagoya suddenly lost its position. The Nagoya could not compete economically with the new imports either as a laying-type or meat-type bird. In 1970, Nagoya had completely disappeared from poultry farming, and only our institute and a few poultry breeders kept it as a genetic resource. The total number at that time seems to be less than 400.
Revival as a meat bird(1975- )
When Nagoya was scarce, consumers, especially older people who had eaten Nagoya in the past, stimulated the revival of Nagoya, as they preferred its texture and taste. Such demand gradually increased and our institute started to increase the body size of Nagoya in 1974 for the use of Nagoya as a meat bird. Several numbers of bigger and distant relative Nagoya were collected from poultry breeders and introduced for making a new meat type strain. After 10 years’ breeding, body weight increased 50%(Kato et al., 1984). Since 1980, meat-type commercial chicks have been produced by mating this meat-type strain with the original laying-type strain. Another meat-type strain was bred in 1991, reaching the original of the Nagoya from 1902.
(Kino et al., 1991). Bigger commercial chicks (20% up) have been produced by mating these 2 meat type strains, since 1992. Total number of Nagoya produced in 1980 was 45 thousand, gradually increasing to 580 thousand in 1999 as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Annual produced number of Nagoya
Feature and nature of Nagoya
Nagoya body size is medium and adult body weight is 4.0 and 3.2 kg for males and females, respectively. They have buff colored feathers (some brown feathers and black tails in male), and have single comb and dark slate-gray legs. They are gentle and healthy, and show good heat resistance.
Proliferation and diffusion
Nagoya is a pure breed, and only pure Nagoya have been commercialized. Figure 2 shows proliferation and diffusion of Nagoya. Poultry institute builds basic strains, and the completed strain is transferred to another official center (Aichi Livestock and PoultryBreedingCenter) which maintains and proliferates these strains, delivering the parent stock to hatcheries. There are 7 breeding farms in Aichi prefecture that produce commercial Nagoya chicks. In 1999, they provided 580 thousand commercial chicks mainly to 26 poultry farms in this area. The grown birds are dispatched to 12 slaughterhouses. The meat is sold at many department stores and supermarkets locally and in many cities in Japan, and the price is about $40/kg, which is about 5 times higher than that of broiler meat. More than 30 specialty restaurants in this area cook and serve
PoultryInstitute Aichi-kenAgriculturalResearchCenter
(Building of basic strain)
ÿ(basic strain)
AichiLivestock & PoultryBreedingCenter ÿÿÿÿ
(Maintenance of basic strains and supply of parent stock)
ÿ(parent stock)
Hatcheries (7)
ÿ(commercial chick)
Poultry farms (26)
ÿ(grown bird)
Slaughterhouses (12)
ÿ(meat) ÿ(meat) ÿ(meat)
Meat shop Processing factory Restaurant
ÿ ÿ Figure 2 Proliferation and diffusion way of Nagoya
Nagoya's delicious dishes.
Growing Performance
Nagoya's commercial chicks are usually raised to 120 (male)ÿ150 (female) days-old when they approximately reach sexual maturity, on a floor pen(6 birds/m2). Their body weight at consignment day is 2.8 and 2.2 kg for male and female birds, respectively. Total food efficiencies are 3.9 for male and 4.6 for female(Table 2). They are supplied a relatively lower CP, ME(17%, 2.85 kcal/g) diet compared with broilers’, and the diet usually includes plant protein as a protein source instead of fish meal to avoid fish smell in the meat.
Table 2 Comparison in growing performance of Nagoya and broiler
Raising Body weight Feed consumption Food efficiencyperiod(wk.) (g) (g)
Male Nagoya 20 2,808 10,811 3.85
Broiler 8 3,566 6,490 1.82
------
Female Nagoya 20 1,937 8,813 4.55
Broiler 8 2,801 5,630 2.01
(Kato et al. 1992)
Characteristics of the Meat
In comparison with broilers, breast muscle is less developed with a greater proportion of leg meat to breast meat(Table 3). There is less abdominal fat in Nagoya., There is no significant difference between Nagoya and broiler for water, protein and fat content in leg meat(Table 4). The color of meat was measured by reflection photo difference meter ( Tokyo Denshoku Co., TC8600A) and it shows that Nagoya's leg meat is darker and redder.
Generally Nagoya's meat is tough and tasty, and we tried to investigate what factors affect the hard texture and the taste. Breaking strength of the raw meat is higher in Nagoya's meat, and it is remarkable in the heated one(Table 5). Ozeki et al(1992) observed histological characteristics of Nagoya meat and reported that the hardness is
Table 3 Comparison in meat composition of Nagoya and broiler
Leg meat Breast meat Edible viscera Abdominal fatMale Nagoya 497(17.7) 365(13.0) 104(3.7) 51(1.8)
Broiler 581(16.3) 656(18.4) 135(3.8) 82 (2.3)
Female Nagoya 304(15.7) 283(14.6) 81 (4.2) 39(2.0)
Broiler 412(14.7) 501 (17.9) 120(4.3) 92(3.3)
The meats were collected from 8 weeks-old broiler and 20 weeks-old Nagoya
Male birds. Numbers in parenthesis show the percentage to the live weight. (Kato et al., 1992)
Table 4 Comparison in water, protein and fat contents and color of the leg
meats of Nagoya and broiler
Water Protein Fat Color(%) (%) (%) L a
Male Nagoya 74.6 20.2 4.6 32.6 14.4 6.4
Broiler 72.9 19.0 7.6 44.1 11.3 8.2
The meats were collected from 8 weeks-old broiler and 20 weeks-old Nagoya
Male birds. Color was measured by a reflection photo difference mete(L:
lightness, a: red component, b: yellow component). (Ito et al., 1996 )
dependent on the size, number and structure of reticular fiber in connective tissue. Moreover, Ozeki et al.(1994) showed the content of hydroxyproline is 2.6 times higher than that of broiler's meat(Table 6). However, since there is no difference in the contents of 5'-inosinic acid and glutamic acid between the Nagoya and broiler, the clear factor which affects the taste was not determined.
Japanese people enjoy chicken raw meat for "Sashimi", boiled meat for "Sukiyaki", "Mizutaki" or "Shyabu-shyabu" and baked meat for "Yakitori". The hard texture and tasty meat of Nagoya is more preferable for such Japanese cooking.
Table 5 Comparison in breaking strength in raw and boiled
leg meats of Nagoya and broiler
Breaking strength(×10ÿdyn/cmÿ)Raw meat Boiled meat
Male Nagoya 870* 518*
Broiler 710 316
*P<0.05. The meats were collected from 8 weeks-old broiler
and 20 weeks-old Nagoya male birds. (Ozeki et al., 1994, Ito
et al., 1996)
Table 6. Comparison in contents of hydroxyprolin, 5'-inosinic acid and
glutamic acid in leg meats of Nagoya and broiler
Hydroxyprolin 5'-inosinic acid Glutamic acid(ÿmol/100g wet wt.)(ÿmol/100g wet wt.)(ÿmol/100g wet wt.)
Male Nagoya 3660* 693NS 129NS
Broiler 1408 684 124
*: P<0.05, NS: not significant. The meats were collected from 8 weeks-old
broiler and 20 weeks-old Nagoya male birds.(Ozeki et al., 1994, Ito et al.,
1996)
Task for the future
Although increased body size improves production cost, Nagoya is still expensive and not as popular as broiler. We should continue the breeding to increase body size, and also develop economical feeding management.
Although the number of Nagoya produced has increased over the last 20 years, the demand for such expensive meat will not rise as suddenly in the future.
Furthermore, in order to develop a new market, we are building another laying-type strain and laying-type commercial chicks are produced starting this year. The egg has characteristics in yolk quality and a beautiful eggshell color (light pink). Our goal is to increase the number from 8 to 50 000 in a few years.
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