Black-Bone Silky Fowl — Classic Formulas

Wu Gu Ji · Gallus domesticus

Primary Actions

  • Tonifies Qi and nourishes Blood - used as a gentle but substantive food-medicine for chronic weakness, postpartum depletion, pale complexion, and deficiency patterns needing recovery rather than aggressive stimulation.
  • Nourishes Yin and reduces deficiency heat - classically chosen for low-grade deficiency fever, dry weakness, and wasting states where the patient is too depleted for drying or strongly hot tonics.
  • Regulates menstruation and supports gynecologic weakness - widely used for irregular menses, excessive or lingering uterine bleeding, and leukorrhea when Liver-Kidney-Blood deficiency underlies the complaint.
  • Strengthens the sinews and supports recovery from chronic illness - used in broths and medicated food therapy when emaciation, dizziness, tinnitus, and low vitality suggest deep constitutional depletion.

Classic Formulas

  • Wu Ji Bai Feng Wan (乌鸡白凤丸) - iconic gynecologic tonic pill using black-bone silky fowl to nourish Qi and Blood, regulate menstruation, and treat weakness with leukorrhea or uterine bleeding.
  • Dang Gui Wu Ji Tang (当归乌鸡汤) - medicinal food-style chicken and blood-tonic soup tradition for postpartum or chronic deficiency recovery, illustrating the bird's role in restorative diet therapy.

Classical Text References

  • TCM Wiki and modern Chinese dietetic references classify Wu Gu Ji as sweet and neutral, entering the Liver, Kidney, and Lung channels and nourishing Yin, replenishing Qi, and tonifying Blood.
  • Its best-known classical application is in gynecologic and postpartum weakness, especially where menstrual irregularity, uterine bleeding, or leukorrhea coexist with constitutional deficiency.
  • Animal-medicine texts consistently treat black-bone silky fowl as milder and more nourishing than ordinary chicken, making it suitable for longer convalescent use.