© Copyright, Princeton University Press.

No part of this book may be

distributed, posted, or reproduced in any form by digital or mechanical
means without prior written permission of the publisher.

Introducing the Chicken 

T
he chickens of today are descended from the jungle fowl of Southeast Asia.
The process of domestication probably began almost 10,000 years ago, when
humans started to take pleasure in the bloodthirsty spectacle of cockfighting.
Champion fighters were no doubt encouraged to stay close to the human
settlement—along with the groups of hens that naturally accompanied them.
For these early chickens, this arrangement would have worked to their
advantage; they would have been afforded some protection against their natural
predators, and given access to food scraps, grain, and the assorted invertebrates
that live in and around a settlement. And, as social birds, they would have been
likely to respond well to their new-found “keepers,” all the while becoming better
adapted to the human environment with each generation.
Our ancestors, too, must have gradually come to notice how efficiently
chickens converted their food sources into eggs and meat. Over time, chickens,
therefore, became part of the scenery and, indeed, part of the culture—with
evidence suggesting that they soon became used for spiritual and medicinal
purposes. Over the next few thousand years, humans began to congregate in
ever greater numbers in established locations, and chickens would probably
have been found living closely among them.
By and large, they were seen simply as a handy but casual
source of meat and eggs, with only the ancient Romans
(in typically enterprising fashion) applying any kind of
industrialized approach to rearing them as a food source.
However, true industrialized chicken farming—and
breeding—would not begin until the middle of the
twentieth century.

Right Chickens have been part of the

lives of humans for thousands of years.

6 I NT R ODUC I N G T H E C H IC K E N
For general queries, contact webmaster@[Link]

I-CLUK PB_The_Chicken_001-011_PB_US.indd
PB_The_Chicken_001-011_PB_UK.indd 6 29/01/2018 11:31
28/02/2018 12:02
I-CLUK PB_The_Chicken_001-011_PB_US.indd
PB_The_Chicken_001-011_PB_UK.indd 7 29/01/2018 14:43
09/02/2018 12:02
 © Copyright, Princeton University Press. No part of this book may be
distributed, posted, or reproduced in any form by digital or mechanical
means without prior written permission of the publisher.

8 I NT R ODUC I N G T H E C H IC K E N
For general queries, contact webmaster@[Link]

I-CLUK PB_The_Chicken_001-011_PB_US.indd
PB_The_Chicken_001-011_PB_UK.indd 8 29/01/2018 14:43
09/02/2018 12:02
 © Copyright, Princeton University Press. No part of this book may be
distributed, posted, or reproduced in any form by digital or mechanical
means without prior written permission of the publisher.

A R E WA R DI NG S P E C I E S

With the advent of industrialized farming, the relationship

between humans and chickens has changed, but the idea of
the backyard chicken still has its attractions. Some people
keep fowl for the same reason that others enjoy growing
flowers and vegetables in their garden—for the simple
pleasure of seeing modest reward for honest toil. And when
it comes to the yard, chickens are only too happy to provide
extra benefits; they peck away at common pests, such as
ticks, ants, caterpillars, snails, and slugs (and the occasional
prized cabbage or lettuce—no-one said they were perfect),
and they also provide an organic, high-nitrogen fertilizer
on a daily, often hourly, basis, which is well worth adding
to your compost or mulch.
Almost all owners enjoy cooking and eating freshly
harvested chicken eggs. This is not just because they taste
better than intensively farmed alternatives—although they
really do—but because there is a satisfaction in knowing
just where your food has come from. This stands in stark
contrast to the guilt people often feel after eating cheaper
chicken or eggs from intensive farming systems, where
poor welfare and suffering can be commonplace. In an age
where we have become geographically and psychologically
distanced from our food, there is something to be said for
locally grown produce—and you cannot get more local
than your own backyard.
Other keepers of chickens revel in the everyday
interaction with another species, as people do with
other kinds of pet or livestock. Chickens are undeniably
rewarding company: they recognize and respond to their
keepers; they indulge in all kinds of fascinating behavior;
and they bring color and movement to your backyard.
They also serve to teach children about the cycle of life,
and about the effort and responsibility required to get
food from the land.

I N TRO D U CI N G TH E CH I CKEN 9
For general queries, contact webmaster@[Link]

I-CLUK PB_The_Chicken_001-011_PB_US.indd
PB_The_Chicken_001-011_PB_UK.indd 9 29/01/2018 11:31
28/02/2018 12:02
 © Copyright, Princeton University Press. No part of this book may be
distributed, posted, or reproduced in any form by digital or mechanical
means without prior written permission of the publisher.

A B OU T T H I S B O OK
KEY CHICKEN TERMS
This book is for anyone interested in chickens, whether you
Bantam A small or miniature breed
keep some already or whether you are thinking about it. It
of chicken. Many large breeds of
treats chickens not simply as producers of meat and eggs
domestic chickens have miniature
but as fascinating creatures in their own right. In the first
counterparts that are also termed
four chapters, you will discover all that science can tell us bantam varieties.
about the origins, anatomy, behavior, and capabilities of
Broiler Chicken breeds selected for
modern domesticated chickens. And in the fifth, you will
fast growth, large appetites, higher
find an introduction to the many breeds of chicken that muscle mass, and a greater efficiency
exist in all their richness and variety. By the time you finish for converting feed into weight gain.
this book, you will be able to understand a great deal more
Capon A castrated male chicken.
about how these amazing birds live and how you can help
Chick A baby chicken.
them thrive. Welcome to the world of chickens.
Cock British term for a mature male
chicken—known as a rooster in the
United States and Canada.
10 FA S C I N AT I N G F OW L FAC T S Cockerel Often used to describe an
1. Chickens are descended from dinosaurs. immature male chicken, a male less
than one year of age, or a male of
2. Chickens outnumber humans by almost three to one.
Around 19 billion are reared worldwide every year. any age.

3. Chickens are the most populous bird species alive. Hen A female chicken that lays eggs
(egg laying can begin at about
4. In 2010, there were more than 1,400 breeds of chicken
twenty weeks of age).
but a total of forty three breeds were considered extinct.
Layer Chicken breeds selected for
5. Hens lay eggs even without a male; some breeds can lay up
to 260 eggs per year, with some individuals able to lay over 300.
frequent egg laying, not for their
meat, with some breeds able to lay
6. Hens prefer to mate with dominant males; they can eject
more than 250 eggs per year.
the sperm of more subordinate males after copulation.
Pullet A female chicken not yet mature
7. Chicks “cheep” to each other while still within their eggs,
enough to lay eggs, or commonly less
which can result in them hatching at the same time.
than a year old.
8. Chickens can run as fast as nine miles per hour.
Rooster A mature male chicken—


9. Chickens have a good sense of smell—chicks can even known as a cock in the UK.
react to odors they were exposed to before hatching.

10. Chickens naturally live to between five and ten years of

age, and some can reach 15–16 years of age. In commercial
settings with access to nutritional food, broiler chickens
reach slaughter weight at just five to six weeks of age.

10 I NT R ODUC I N G T H E C H IC K E N
For general queries, contact webmaster@[Link]

I-CLUK PB_The_Chicken_001-011_PB_US.indd
PB_The_Chicken_001-011_PB_UK.indd 10 29/01/2018 11:31
28/02/2018 12:02