Abstract: 20 Lushi green-shell-egg chickens reared in two different ways were tested in this research, which half were reared in cage and other half reared in free-range separately. Ten of these chickens’ carcass performance was measured after slaughtered randomly (5 emale and 5 female) when the chickens were reared at 49 weeks of age. The results indicated that there were no significant differences in live weight, slaughter rate, half carcass weight rate, eviscerated carcass weight rate, breast muscle rate, leg muscle rate, abdominal fat rate, wing weight, heart weight, liver weight, spleen weight, intestines weight, stomach weight and the weight of reproductive organs(P>0.05) between two rearing ways. There were no significant difference on all of cocks’ carcass performances in two rearing conditions (P>0.05), whereas there were extremely affection on hens' the head weight, the neck weight and the foot weight (P<0.01). At the same raising condition, the cocks’ eviscerated carcass weight rate, abdominal fat rate, head weight, foot weight, neck weight, wing weight, heart weight and intestines weight were higher than hens’(P<0.01), but there were no significant difference on the liver weight, spleen weight and stomach weight (P>0.05). The cocks’ live weight, leg muscle rate and the weight of reproductive organs were higher than hens’ (P<0.05), but not significance on half carcass weight rate and breast muscle rate (P>0.05) when Lushi chickens were reared in cages. The hens’ reproductive organs were higher than cocks’ when the chickens were reared in freedom (P<0.01). The relationship between cocks’ slaughter rate and its head weight, neck weight, intestines weight, weight of reproductive organs were no significant correlations in different raising ways(P>0.05); the relationship between hens’ slaughter rate and foot weight, wing weight, intestines weight and spleen weight were significant correlations(P<0.05).

Key words: cage rearing; free-range rearing; Lushi chicken; carcass performance