The animals in China from which the main supply of meat comes are
swine, cattle, water buffalo, and poultry (including chickens, ducks,
and geese).
§ 1. Hogs
Hogs in China are of both the bacon and lard types. The lard type is
the most common, except in the provinces of Yunnan, Szechwan, and some
regions in central China, where the bacon type is found.
The Chinese lard hogs are characterized by their large, pendulous
bellies, sway-backs, light hams, and by their slowness in maturing.
They are inferior hogs when compared with the improved breeds of
Europe and America, but as a rule are better than the native hogs
found in other parts of the Orient. Their large bellies and low backs
are largely due to the fact that from the time the pigs begin to eat
until they are butchered, all concentrate feeds are given in the form
of a very wet swill, and they are allowed to drink all they can hold
of such feed twice a day. Such feeding stretches the digestive tract
to an abnormal degree, and permanently enlarges the belly and pulls
down the back. By giving less water with the feed, and not allowing
the pigs to fill up with all they can possibly hold, this abnormal
development can largely be prevented. Intelligent breeding for several
generations, by mating animals with the most desirable conformation,
such as straight backs, wide, deep hams, long, deep bodies, short
heads, and short legs, should bring about further improvement.
Breeding for fast growing and early maturing animals should also be
practiced, as the most profitable feeding is with young animals.
[Illustration: Fig. 1. Heifer two years old of the native humped
variety]
[Illustration: Fig. 2. Beef-draft water buffalos with calves a few
weeks old]
[Illustration: Fig. 3. Chinese “fat-tailed” variety of sheep]
[Illustration: Fig. 4. Chinese lard hogs ready for butchering raised
at Canton Christian College]
It is interesting to note that years ago the native lard hog of
southern China was used to secure desirable characters in two of our
most important modern breeds, the Berkshire and the Poland China
breeds. However, since that time these western breeds have been
further greatly improved by intelligent selection and breeding, while
the Chinese hogs have been very little improved, if at all. To-day, in
comparing the native Chinese lard hog with the modern western breeds,
there is no resemblance in the Chinese hog to the wide, slightly
arched back, deep, long sides, deep, full hams, small heads, short
legs, and rapid growth of these modern breeds which have, in their
origin, blood of the native Chinese lard hog.
Due to slow maturity and undesirable conformation, the Chinese hog is
not as economical in converting feeds into meat as is the improved
western hog. However, the meat is of good flavor and can be
successfully cured. An exception to this is the case of animals that
have been largely fed on rice bran, which produces a soft, oily pork,
although no difficulty is experienced in curing such pork. Wheat bran
produces a firm flesh. If a firm flesh is desired, it is important
that rice bran or polish not be fed to hogs during the last six to
eight weeks of the fattening period.
§ 2. Cattle
The main source of beef in China is the native “humped” cow, called by
the people of southern China _Wong Ngau_ which means “yellow cow”.
This native variety of humped cattle is a good beef animal, although
there is room for a great deal of improvement by breeding for early
maturity, greater size, and development of a more distinctly beef type.
§ 3. Water Buffalo Beef
The water buffalo, while chiefly used for draft purposes, is an
important source of beef in China. There is very little difference in
quality between the Chinese buffalo beef and ordinary beef. However,
the lean meat of the buffalo is considerably darker in color than the
lean meat in ordinary beef.
Young stock, up to three years old, that have not been used for draft
purposes, are best for beef. Beef from buffalos or cattle that have
been used for work for some time before butchering is generally tough,
and less palatable than beef from animals that have not been worked.
§ 4. Sheep and Goats
In northern China, especially in the provinces of Shantung and Chihli,
the fat-tailed variety of sheep is raised to a considerable extent,
both for mutton and for wool. The covering of wool is light, however,
when compared with that of the wool breeds, and this sheep is properly
classed as a mutton sheep. They are so called because of their large
fat tails, which are about three to four inches thick, six to eight
inches wide, and eight to ten inches long. Fat-tailed sheep are
shipped by rail and by boat to many parts of China from the regions in
which they are raised.
The goat, while of less importance than the sheep as a source of meat,
is raised in limited numbers in many parts of China for meat purposes.
Meat from the goat is considered inferior to that from sheep.
§ 5. Poultry
The most common of all animal food in China is probably poultry. Many
varieties of chickens, ducks, and geese are raised. Some of the best
breeds of chickens for meat are the Langshang, from the Shanghai
region, of which there are two varieties, the black and the white; and
the Swatow, of which there are also two varieties, the white and buff.
These breeds are large and meaty, individuals weighing from five to
eight pounds. There is a number of other distinct breeds and varieties
of chickens, which, while they are not as good for meat as the above,
due to their smaller size, are used extensively for food.
In the region of Canton, the common variety of chickens used for
meat, and also for egg production, is a small buff-colored variety,
generally more or less mixed with other varieties. This variety,
which is called _wong kai_ (黃雞) by the Cantonese, is becoming very
popular in the Philippine Islands, where it is called the
“Cantonese” chicken because of its introduction from Canton.
The most common ducks of southern China are of a dark colored variety.
In north China the white Peking duck is the common variety. Both are
excellent for meat.
There are three varieties of Chinese geese; the grey, white,
and brown. The grey variety is probably more generally used for
meat than are the other two varieties. It is the only variety raised
on a large scale in southern China, and its meat is of excellent
quality. Chinese geese are distinguished from other breeds of geese
by the fleshy protuberance at the base of the bill and front of the
skull.