22 Little Known Fun Facts About Chickens

The chicken is the most populous bird in the world. These birds are the commonest domestic animal. There is over 27.8 billion chicken all over the world. The chicken was domesticated 8,000 years ago. Now they are the primary source of meat protein. There are over hundreds of thousands of operating poultry firms around the world. The chicken is raised in huge numbers for meat and eggs. There are over 500 chicken breeds firmed all over the world.

The evolution of chicken is pretty ancient. They are one of the oldest birds to appear. Chickens are thought to appear around 65 Million Years Ago. They co lived with dinosaurs at the time. Chickens are thought to be genetically related to T-Rex. Modern chicken evaluated from their jungle fowl relatives. The domestication of chickens started in China. The earliest domestications happened there in around 7,500 bc. The domestic chicken appeared from a red junglefowl species Gallus gallus, after a thousand-year-long domestication process. Archaeologists suggested that chicken domestication may have occurred only for cockfighting. In ancient times up to ten chickens were raised per household for eggs and meat. Commercial poultry farming started much later. First, large scale chicken keeping started in around 1800. Chicken farms became popular and profitable in the United States by the ending of the Second world war. The US is the largest chicken producing country in the world now. A male chicken is known as roster, females are known as a hen, and babies are known as chicks.

Chickens are one of the most important birds for humans. They are the most affordable protein source. Fried chicken has been one of the highest consumed food in the world continuously for years. Chicken egg is the highest consumed egg in the world. Chickens are intelligent and beautiful birds. In rural areas, the morning call of a rooster is still heard. In urban areas, they are the easiest option for everyday cooking. There are many interesting facts about these birds. These are some fantastic chicken facts :

Jersey Giant chickens are the largest among all common varieties of domestic chickens. These American hybrid chickens were developed between 1870-1890. Males of the breed can grow up to a height of 20 to 26 inches tall.

Malaysian Serama bantam chickens are known to be the smallest breed of chickens. These tiny chickens originated in Malaysia in the last five decades. Males of Malaysian Serama bantam chickens grow only 15-25 centimeters in height.

The Rhode Island Red is considered the most widespread chicken breed. Selective breeding made the breed a perfect dual-purpose breed. Rhode Island Red is known both for its egg and meat.

White Leghorns are known to lay the highest number of eggs during active years. Hens from the breed lay up to 300 eggs a year.

Ayam Cemani is the most expensive chicken. A pair of the breed can cost up to $5000. Ayam Cemani chicks are sold for $45-$75 each. Ayam Cemani chickens are all black.

People are eating chicken soup for thousands of years. The taste of the chicken soup has been amazing for people from around the time of the domestication of chicken.

Chicken fighting is an old tradition in many parts of the world. Especially in China, Thailand, and India, it is a common sport even today.

The breeds used in fighting are called game birds. Asil, Brown red Game Fowl, Roundhead, Radio these are some game birds.

Matilda the chicken is known to live the longest life among all chickens in the world. It was a female but never laid eggs. She was kept as a pet by Keith and Donna Barton. The chicken pursued a decade long magic career with its owners. On April 27, 2004, Guinness World Records named Matilda as the longest living chicken.

Chickens have different vocalizations. They make 30 different sounds for different situations. They have mono-vision. The left eye is far-sighted, and the right is nearsighted.

Chickens can hear almost like humans. Chickens can regrow damaged hearing cells, so their hearing remains top-notch throughout their life. Chickens can identify the distance of the source of the sound.

Chickens have a good memory. They can remember over 100 different faces of people or animals.

Chickens can taste sour and bitter. They can not taste sweet. Chickens don't have a receptor for spicy foods. So they can easily eat spicy foods.

The largest egg of a chicken weighed 12 ounces. The particular egg had two yolks.

Chickens usually walk on the ground. Sometimes they take short flights. The longest flight ever recorded of a chicken was 301 meters long.

Chickens can have dreams. Their dreams are colorful. Chickens can sleep with one eye opened.

Chickens can feel stress. Chickens tend to lose feathers if feeling stressed.

Hens can talk with their unborn chicks. Chicks instantly recognize the voice of the mother after hatching from eggs.

Chicks learn everything important from their mother. The mother shows them where to search for food by tapping feet on the spot.

Many famous artists like Jean-Léon Gérôme, John Frederick Herring, Sr., Gustav Klimt draw chickens in their paintings.

Chickens are an amazing bird. They are roaming on the surface of Earth for many thousand years. They are a commercially important bird. Chickens have managed to survive through a long period of time with many geological changes. They are fuelling the multi-billion dollar fast food industry. Food chains like KFC, McDonald’s grew up to be giant businesses with fried chickens. In many ways, chickens shaped our food habits and the world we now live in. These are all we have on chickens for today. Thanks for reading.