Sophie Bennett
Chicken is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl, which is native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and has become one of the most common and widespread domesticated animals in the world. Chickens are kept for their meat and eggs, and they are also kept as pets. They are the most numerous domestic birds on the planet, with the global chicken population exceeding 26.5 billion as of 2023. They are also one of the most consumed meats in the world. In the United States alone, more than 8 billion chickens are slaughtered each year for meat, and more than 300 million are reared for egg production. While chickens are believed to have originated in the Old World, they were introduced to the New World by Polynesians who reached the Pacific coast of South America before the voyages of Columbus.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Origin | Southeast Asia |
| First domesticated | 8,000 years ago |
| Arrival in the Americas | 500-1600s |
| Route to the Americas | Polynesia, Europe |
| Global population | 26.5 billion |
| Annual production | 50 billion |
| Annual consumption (US) | 100 lbs per person |
| Annual consumption (world) | 136.76 metric kilotons |
| Eggs per hen per year | 300 |
| Average eggs per person per year | 161 |
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What You'll Learn
Chicken is an Old World food
Chickens are primarily kept for their meat and eggs, though they are also kept as pets. As of 2023, the global chicken population exceeds 26.5 billion, with more than 50 billion birds produced annually for consumption. Specialized breeds such as broilers and laying hens have been developed for meat and egg production, respectively. A hen bred for laying can produce over 300 eggs per year.
The evolution of the chicken – and its egg – from a highly prized ingredient in ancient times to what we now find as something commonly found in our supermarkets is remarkable. In the United States alone, more than 8 billion chickens are slaughtered each year for meat, and more than 300 million chickens are reared for egg production. The vast majority of poultry is raised in factory farms. According to the Worldwatch Institute, 74% of the world's poultry meat and 68% of eggs are produced this way.
The distribution of chickens throughout the world is directly related to humans' interest in the creatures. Unlike animals such as monkeys, which are known to have migrated from the Old to the New Worlds, chickens are not naturally migratory. They have a small home range and can't fly or swim well. Once domesticated, chickens were brought westward to Europe and east-southeast into Oceania.
Chickens were likely introduced to the New World by Polynesians who reached the Pacific coast of South America a century or so before the voyages of Columbus.
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Chicken was first domesticated in Southeast Asia
Chickens are the most common domestic birds on the planet, with around 24 billion chickens alive today. They are also the largest single source of animal protein for humans. The first extensive study of the bird's full genome found that chickens were first domesticated in Southeast Asia or southern China. This discovery contradicted previous claims that chickens were first domesticated in northern China or the Indus Valley.
The red jungle fowl is a subspecies of the chicken and is native to Southeast Asia. The exotic plumage and cockfights may have attracted early farmers to domesticate the bird. Charles Darwin argued that the chicken descended from the red jungle fowl because the birds can produce fertile offspring together. Archaeologists have also claimed that the chicken was domesticated 9000 years ago in northern China and 4000 years ago in Pakistan. However, genomic studies estimate that the chicken was first domesticated in Southeast Asia around 8,000 years ago.
The spread of chickens around the world is also an interesting part of their history. They spread to China and India 2,000 to 3,000 years after their domestication. They were also carried throughout Island Southeast Asia, Micronesia, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar by Austronesian peoples. Chickens may have been introduced to the New World by Polynesians who reached the Pacific coast of South America before the voyages of Columbus. However, this is still disputed by researchers.
Chickens were also spread throughout the Mediterranean coasts by the Phoenicians and were present in Iberia, Syria, and the southern Levant by the 4th century BC. During the Hellenistic period, chickens began to be widely domesticated for food in the southern Levant. Breeding increased under the Roman Empire, and chickens were depicted in Europe on Corinthian pottery from the 7th century BC.
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The chicken's journey to the New World
Chickens are believed to have been domesticated around 8,000 years ago in Southeast Asia, with some sources placing this as far back as 10,000 years ago. They then spread to China and India 2,000 to 3,000 years later. Genomic studies and archaeological evidence support the presence of domestic chickens in Southeast Asia well before 6000 BCE, in China by 6000 BCE, and in India by 2000 BCE.
Chickens were initially kept for cockfighting, a sport that helped spread them around the world. They also provided meat and eggs without competing with humans for food sources. The earliest evidence of chickens being eaten has been found in Maresha, present-day Israel, which was at its peak from around 400 BCE to 200 BCE.
Chickens were introduced to the New World by Polynesians who reached the Pacific coast of South America before the voyages of Columbus. However, they played a relatively minor role in the American diet and economy well into the 20th century. The breakthrough that made today's large-scale chicken farms possible was the fortification of feed with antibiotics and vitamins, allowing chickens to be raised indoors.
Today, chickens are the most common domesticated birds globally, with a population exceeding 26.5 billion as of 2023. They are a central component of global agriculture, with over 50 billion birds produced annually for consumption. Chickens are now commonly found in supermarkets worldwide, and they have arguably increased human meat consumption in recent memory.
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Chicken as a common global food
Chicken is one of the most common foods in the world, with nearly 94% of all poultry in the world made up of chickens. In 2023, the global chicken population exceeded 26.5 billion, with more than 50 billion birds produced annually for consumption. In the United States alone, more than 8 billion chickens are slaughtered each year for meat, and over 300 million are reared for egg production.
The chicken is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl, originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and has since become one of the most common and widespread domesticated animals in the world. Chickens were likely brought to the New World by Polynesians who reached the Pacific coast of South America before the voyages of Columbus. They were also brought to the Americas by Dutch and Portuguese slave traders from Africa in the 16th century.
Chickens are primarily kept for their meat and eggs, though they are also kept as pets. They are social animals with complex vocalizations and behaviours, and they feature prominently in folklore, religion, and literature across many societies. Their economic importance makes them a central component of global animal husbandry and agriculture.
Chicken is consumed globally in a variety of dishes, including coq au vin, General Tso's chicken, and Buffalo wings. They are also used for medicinal purposes in some Asian cultures.
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Chicken's role in human meat consumption
Chickens are believed to have been first domesticated around 8,000 years ago in Southeast Asia, though some estimates place this as far back as 12,000 years ago in northern China. They are a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl, which is native to Southeast Asia. Genomic studies suggest that all domestic chickens originate from a single domestication event of red junglefowl, which are predominantly found in southwestern China, northern Thailand, and Myanmar.
Chickens have become one of the most common and widespread domesticated animals in the world. They are kept for their meat and eggs, as well as being kept as pets. As of 2023, the global chicken population exceeds 26.5 billion, with more than 50 billion birds produced annually for consumption. In the United States alone, more than 8 billion chickens are slaughtered each year for meat, and more than 300 million are reared for egg production.
The distribution of chickens throughout the world is a direct result of human interest in the birds. Initially, they spread around the world through cockfighting, and were brought westward to Europe and eastward to Oceania. They were likely introduced to the New World by Polynesians who reached the Pacific coast of South America before the voyages of Columbus, and later by Dutch and Portuguese slave traders who brought chickens over from Africa in the 16th century.
Chickens have played a significant role in increasing human meat consumption. They are the most numerous domestic birds on the planet, and in 2020, they made up nearly 94% of all poultry in the world. They are a central component of global animal husbandry and agriculture, and their meat is commonly found in supermarkets worldwide.
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Frequently asked questions
Chicken was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago in Southeast Asia and spread to China and India 2,000 to 3,000 years later. Initially, chickens were spread around the world through cockfighting. They became a food source in the city of Maresha, now part of Israel, which was at its peak from around 400 BCE to 200 BCE.
Chicken is considered an Old World food.
Other examples of Old World foods include apples, bananas, cattle (beef), coffee, garlic, and oranges.
Some examples of New World foods include avocados, beans, blueberries, cacao, corn, potatoes, strawberries, and tomatoes.
