Chicken: Facts, and Resources About Chicken Breeds

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What is a Chicken?

A chicken is a bird (or fowl) that has been domesticated and is now very often raised on farms to feed humans all over the world. They are the most popular bird species in the world

What is the scientific Classification of a Chicken?

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasiandae
Genus: Gallus
Species: G. gallus

Quick fun facts about Chickens

Latin name: G. gallus

Location of Chickens:
Chicken populations are located worldwide.

Chickens breeding:
Male chickens typically court a female by performing dances are its target hen. Hens often express disinterest, but eventually succumb to the male and allow fertilization of her egg. Only one egg is fertilized at a time. A female hen that has reached her mature reproductive age will lay an egg each day, regardless of whether or not it is fertilized. After laying a fertilized egg, the hen incubates the egg for 21 to 24 days.

Chickens color:
Chickens vary in color from white, to light brown, dark brown and even black. Their feathers can be solid in color, or multicolored, depending on the genes of each bird.

Life expectancy of Chickens:
Chickens that are raised for human food consumption typically only live to be weeks or months old. However, the species of bird can live until they are 12-15 years of age when in the wild. Most chickens, however, only live until the age of 5 or 6 years, mainly because of predators in the wild.

Predators of the Chicken:
The primary predators of chickens include domestic dog breeds, wild fox, coyote, raccoons, opossums, hawks, owls, bears, skunks and fisher cats, to name a few. Chicks are often kept in coops, as they are raised for human food. This allows them almost no opportunity to escape when attacked by a predator. Because the bird is also unable to fly and does not have arms with which to defend itself, it is an easy target for other mammals, even those that are equal in size to chickens.

What is a baby Chicken known as:
Baby chickens are referred to as chicks, regardless of their sex.

Female Chickens are called:
Adult female chickens are known as hens. Young female chickens are called pullets

Male Chickens are called:
Adult male chickens are known as cocks in some parts of the world such as the UK and Ireland. Adult male chickens are referred to as roosters in the US, Australia and Canada. Young male chickens are called cockerel until they are one year old, at which time they are referred to as roosters or cocks.

A group of Chickens is called:
A group of chickens is called a “flock”. A group of hens, or female chickens, is called a “brood”. A group of chicks is either called a “clutch” or a “peep”.

What does a Chicken look like?
Chickens are birds that are larger than common birds in the United States such as Bluebirds, Pigeons and Cardinals. They are smaller than hawks and eagles. The birds stand around 12 to 15 inches high, on two skinny legs with clawed feet. The birds have two wings, and their bodies are covered in feathers (not including legs and feet). Hens are a bit shorter and stouter than roosters. They typically have larger breast meat. Males, or roosters, have a crown of bright red fleshy skin that gives the bird the appearance of a mohawk on the top of its head.

How tall is a Chicken?
Chickens typically average around 12 inches tall. Small breeds are as short at 8 inches, while large breeds can be as tall as 18-20 inches.

How much does a Chicken weigh?
Cornish game hens are the smallest chickens, and usually weigh under three pounds. They are typically raised for slaughter, and sold to retail stores and the foodservice industry as whole chickens. The retail industry sells the Cornish game hens whole, while the foodservice industry uses them in the preparation of meals.

Broiler chickens usually weigh between three to seven pounds. These are the most commonly raised chickens for human consumption. The weight of broilers, or young chickens, is growing, largely due to the use of growth hormones used on commercial chicken farms.

Roaster chickens are older than broiler chickens, which gives them enough time to grow. These chickens usually weigh over seven pounds.

Where are Chickens found?
Chickens have been domesticated, and as such, they are raised all over the world, except on the pole continents. Wild chickens also exist all over the world, but in the largest populations in India, Indonesia and Asia.

What do Chickens Eat?
Chickens are omnivores, which means that they eat seeds, insects, rodents, or small amphibians. Chickens in the wild participate in food sharing. When a male chicken discovers a food source, he sometimes makes a call to other chickens that are within hearing range. Occasionally, the birds pick up and drop the food too. The sound of the dropping food attracts nearby roosters and hens.
Mother hens often teach their chicks to eat this way as well, so that in the future, the chicks are able to mimic and respond to such calls for food.

Conservation status of Chickens:

The conservation status of chickens is classified as domesticated. Population numbers are controlled by human breeding. Currently, chickens as a species are the most populous bird in the world. In 2003, their total worldwide population was estimated at around 24 billion.

Resources about Chickens

National Geographic – Prairie Chicken Lesson Plan
website

Seattle Tilth – Frequently Asked Questions or FAQs about City Chickens
website

United Poultry Concerns – Promoting the Compassionate and Respectful Treatment of Domestic Fowl
website

Resource by k.Pearson

My name is Kim, I am a volunteer at a local Zoo in Chicago, IL. I have been a volunteer for about 5 years now and love it. My full time job is at a vet just outside of the city. I am intrigued by the nature of animals and how they interact with one another.

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