CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kruppert_Cubalaya.JPG : Kruppert · source
Quick Facts
- Type
- Bird
- Size
- 35–45 cm body length
- Weight
- 1.5–4 kg
- Habitat
- Farms, villages, and gardens worldwide
- Diet
- Omnivore — grain, seeds, insects, worms
- Active Time
- Diurnal, active during the day
- Lifespan
- 5–10 years
Field Notes
- There are more chickens alive at any moment than any other bird species — roughly 33 billion.
- Hens can lay unfertilised eggs without a rooster, which is why eggs are not always fertile.
- Chickens have three eyelids per eye — one of which moves horizontally to clean the eye.
About the Chicken
The chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is the most numerous bird on Earth, with over 33 billion individuals. Domesticated from the red junglefowl in Southeast Asia around 8,000 years ago, chickens were initially kept for cockfighting and religious purposes before becoming a primary source of eggs and meat. They live in social flocks with a clear 'pecking order' hierarchy. Chickens communicate using more than 30 distinct vocalisations and are capable of basic reasoning, empathy, and even self-control in food experiments.
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