hens

 chicken, ( Gallus gallus ), one of the more than sixty species of poultry that does not come from the red deer ( Gallus gallus, family Phasianidae, Order Galliformes ) of India. Chickens are probably the most common domesticated poultry, raised all over the world for their meat and eggs. Despite the chicken's close relationship with the red junglefowl, there is evidence that the gray junglefowl (G. sonneratii) of southern India and other species of forest, as well as those Gallus group, may be involved in the bird race. There is debate about what the scientific name for the chicken should be. Although most taxonomists and ornithologists consider it to be a domesticated species of red deer, some classify it as a species of red deer (ie G. gallus domesticus), while others, including the United States Department of Agriculture, classify the bird as G. domesticus. Britannica Quiz Animals: fact or fiction?

History 

chicken 

Chickens have a round shape. They are less than 70 cm (27.6 inches) long and weigh about 2.6 kg (5.7 pounds) on average. Males (called roosters or hens) and females (chickens) are known for their fleshy bones, lobed wattles hanging below the beak, and brightly colored tails. In a rooster, the tail can extend over 30 cm (12 inches) in length.

 Blue streaked Lory

Chickens breed in spring and summer. Egg laying is stimulated by the long periods of light that occur during the summer months; However, artificial light built into the poultry house can trigger egg-laying responses throughout the year. The time between ovulation and implantation is about 23-26 hours. The next ovulation can occur less than an hour after the previous egg is laid, allowing the hen to produce up to 300 eggs per year.


 

Fertilized embryos develop quickly, and chicks emerge about 21 days later. The chicks are born in the ground, but they grow quickly and are full after four to five weeks. At about six months, males produce sperm that work well, and females produce viable eggs. Members of the flock can live for six to eight years under the best conditions, but most chickens used in the poultry industry serve as layers for two to three years before being slaughtered. they for their meat, a large part of which is used for domestic animals. right. Chickens in captivity have been known to live up to 30 years. Public administration 

Each group of chickens develops a social structure that determines access to food, nesting sites, mates, and more. A flock usually consists of an adult male, a few dominant males, and two or more females that are carefully tended by the dominant male. Social status in chickens is divided by sex and appears as a dangerous system, in which those in a higher position can hit those in a lower position with their beak (pecking) to ensure access to food. and other things. The conflicts, however, can also involve beating of wings and hands. Get a Britannica Premium membership and get exclusive content.

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Chickens of the same age and sex are grouped together in the production environment. Signaling patterns were determined in groups of female chicks at the 10th week of life. However, in groups of male chicks, the fight for dominance may continue into adulthood. In situations where one adult bird challenges another - which often happens when new birds are introduced to the flock - fights involving males are more likely to cause injury and death than fights involving females.

 

Housing and economic development 

Free chicken 

Chicken domestication has probably occurred more than once in Southeast Asia and possibly India in the last 7,400 years, and the first family may have been for religious reasons or for animal husbandry. Descendants of these families have spread in waves throughout the world at least 2,000 years ago. For most of this time, chickens were an important part of livestock on farms and ranches across Eurasia and Africa. However, it was not until the early 20th century that poultry and eggs became widely produced.

 

egg production 

The modern high-rise poultry farm, with rows of packed cages to control temperature, light and humidity, began to proliferate in Britain around 1920 and in the United States after World War II. Females (adult chickens and chicks, called pullets) are raised for meat and for the eggs they eat. Farmers have developed many varieties and varieties to meet market needs. chicken feet 

chicken feet 

Originally, meat production was a product of egg production. Only chickens that are no longer able to produce enough eggs are slaughtered and sold for meat. By the middle of the 20th century, however, meat production

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