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PGI — Pays de la Loire
The reputation of the Ancenis market, where people came from afar to buy farm-reared poultry, remains intact: free-range birds with firm, delicate meat.
Free-range poultry from Pays de la Loire, PGI (IGP) since 1996.
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The Ancenis market, held weekly on Thursdays right in the town centre beneath the covered market halls, built the regional reputation of local farm-reared poultry over the decades: consumers came there to purchase quality 'farm-reared' poultry. This long-standing reputation — poultry production in the Ancenis region dates back to the Middle Ages — first earned farm-reared Ancenis poultry official recognition with the Label Rouge in 1976. Twenty years later, on 12 June 1996, the 'Volailles d'Ancenis' PGI (IGP) in turn enshrined this savoir-faire.
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Volailles d'Ancenis come from slow-growing hardy strains, reared in the open air on grassy, tree-planted runs, with slaughter delayed until the threshold of sexual maturity (at least 81 days for chicken), ensuring superior organoleptic quality. The poultry houses, fitted with pop-holes open from 9:00 until nightfall, allow the birds to roam their runs freely.
The PGI covers eight variations across five categories: poulet d'Ancenis (white, yellow, or black), pintade d'Ancenis, dinde d'Ancenis, chapon d'Ancenis, and poularde d'Ancenis (white or yellow). All are bred from hardy strains that allow a long rearing period and slaughter at the threshold of sexual maturity.
The Volailles d'Ancenis PGI is rooted in the river basin of the lower reaches of the Loire, on the terminal section of the Massif armoricain: the department of Loire-Atlantique and the western part of Maine-et-Loire, a bocage region with a mild, damp climate influenced by the ocean. The pays du Segréen, around Segré, forms part of this area. This landscape shaped by hedgerows and small plots offers the poultry the outdoor space suited to their free-range rearing:
Appearance
Rounded carcass with plump breast fillets, and pronounced fat deposits on the outer thighs and on either side of the breastbone. Colour varies according to variety (white, yellow, black).
Aroma
Subtle, natural.
Taste
Pronounced flavour, characteristic of long, free-range rearing.
Texture
Firm meat, developed through active exploration of the runs.
slow-growing and hardy, suited to free-range rearing and an extended rearing period
buildings fitted with pop-holes open from 9:00 until nightfall
grassy and tree-planted, at least 2 m² per chicken or guinea fowl (6 m² for turkey)
maximum 11 birds/m² for chicken, 13 for guinea fowl, 6.25 for turkey
minimum age of 81 days for chicken, 94 for guinea fowl, 120 for poulard, 140 for turkey, 150 for capon
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Poultry to roast whole, excellent braised in dry cider, or simply pan-fried with fresh butter. The firm meat withstands thorough cooking without losing its tenderness. Accompaniment of seasonal vegetables (mushrooms, root vegetables).
Since: 1996
Area covered: Loire-Atlantique, western Maine-et-Loire
Key requirements: Hardy strains, free-range rearing, 81 days minimum (chicken), 100% plant-based feed with at least 70% cereals
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