Feathers set to fly as French birds muscle in on Tuen Ng Festival fare

Blood will splash and feathers will fly during the coming Tuen Ng Festival amid a strenuous cockfight in the chicken markets. But the blood won't flow until the battle is over, when the numbers of chickens being killed to provide festive fare will tell who has won.

The tussle will be a market-share contest between local chickens and a flock of upstart invaders from France. Farmer Lee Leung-kei, who imported the French species last August, will put them on the market today ahead of the weekend festival.

'France is the country with the best cuisine so their chickens must be the best,' he said. 'I didn't know a lot about it before I decided to import them, only that I was confident the breed would be good.'

After spending more than $700,000 on breeding, he cooked samples of his Wing Ming chicken - named after his farm - for the media. He said they were juicy and tender with a strong flavour, thin skin and no fat.

'It's particularly good for health-conscious people because of its low-fat meat,' he said.

The best way to cook his chicken was just to rub a few pinches of salt outside and inside and steam for 20 minutes for 'the best steamed chicken with a strong flavour'.

The first 2,000 of his chickens will be on the market after quarantine checks today. Despite an expected market price of $25 to $30 a catty - 10 per cent higher than local breeds - Mr Lee said he was confident of selling them all.