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| All About Chickens! |
The chicken is a type of domesticated fowl. It is one of the most
common and wide-spread domestic animals. In fact, there are more
chickens in the world than any other bird.
Chickens generally live five to eleven years depending on the breed.
Male chickens are known as roosters (in the U.S., Canada and
Australia). Female chickens are known as hens. Young females are
known as pullets. Roosters look different from hens because of their
striking feathers. They are also marked by long flowing tails and bright
pointed feathers on their necks.
Domestic chickens are typically fed commercially prepared feed that
includes a protein source as well as grains. Chickens often scratch at the
soil to search for insects and seeds.
Domestic chickens are not capable of long distance flight, although they
are generally capable of flying for short distances such as over fences.
Chickens will sometimes fly to explore their surroundings, but usually do
so only to flee danger.
Chickens live together as a flock. They have a communal approach to
the incubation of eggs and raising of young. Individual chickens in a flock
will dominate others, establishing a "pecking order," with dominant
individuals having priority to food and nesting locations.
Chickens will try to lay in nests that already contain eggs, and have
been known to move eggs from neighboring nests into their own. Some
farmers use fake eggs made from plastic or stone to encourage hens to
lay in a particular location.
Contrary to popular belief, roosters do not crow only at dawn, but may
crow at any time of the day or night. Their crowing - a loud and
sometimes shrill call - is a territorial signal to other roosters. Crowing
may also result from sudden disturbances within their surroundings.
common and wide-spread domestic animals. In fact, there are more
chickens in the world than any other bird.
Chickens generally live five to eleven years depending on the breed.
Male chickens are known as roosters (in the U.S., Canada and
Australia). Female chickens are known as hens. Young females are
known as pullets. Roosters look different from hens because of their
striking feathers. They are also marked by long flowing tails and bright
pointed feathers on their necks.
Domestic chickens are typically fed commercially prepared feed that
includes a protein source as well as grains. Chickens often scratch at the
soil to search for insects and seeds.
Domestic chickens are not capable of long distance flight, although they
are generally capable of flying for short distances such as over fences.
Chickens will sometimes fly to explore their surroundings, but usually do
so only to flee danger.
Chickens live together as a flock. They have a communal approach to
the incubation of eggs and raising of young. Individual chickens in a flock
will dominate others, establishing a "pecking order," with dominant
individuals having priority to food and nesting locations.
Chickens will try to lay in nests that already contain eggs, and have
been known to move eggs from neighboring nests into their own. Some
farmers use fake eggs made from plastic or stone to encourage hens to
lay in a particular location.
Contrary to popular belief, roosters do not crow only at dawn, but may
crow at any time of the day or night. Their crowing - a loud and
sometimes shrill call - is a territorial signal to other roosters. Crowing
may also result from sudden disturbances within their surroundings.
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Chicken eggs vary in
color depending on the
hen, typically ranging from
bright white to shades of
brown and even blue,
green, and recently
reported purple (found in
South Asia)
color depending on the
hen, typically ranging from
bright white to shades of
brown and even blue,
green, and recently
reported purple (found in
South Asia)
| Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Galliformes Family: Phasianidae Genus: Gallus Species: G. gallus |