Chicken Facts

About the chicken

People first domesticated chickens around 8,000 years ago from the red junglefowl, a wild bird native to Southeast Asia. Since then the chicken has become among the most common domestic animals anywhere, found worldwide. Most are raised for meat or eggs, though some are kept as pets. Specialized breeds handle each job: broilers are bred for meat, and laying hens for eggs.

The numbers are huge. As of 2023, more than 26.5 billion chickens were alive worldwide, and over 50 billion are raised for food every year. A laying hen can lay more than 300 eggs a year. Chickens are social birds with complex calls and behaviors, and they turn up in folklore, religion and literature in many cultures.

Did you know?

• The chicken's scientific name is Gallus gallus domesticus.
• Chickens are a central part of animal husbandry around the world because of their economic importance.
• The red junglefowl, the chicken's wild ancestor, is called Gallus gallus.