Chicken Facts
Some Interesting Chicken Facts
Let’s bring some chicken facts from the barnyard to the table, and not on a plate, either! While we know they make a delicious meal, and their eggs are a nutritional form of food, there is a bit more to the humble chicken than what is served on a plate.
Chickens became a domesticated animal approximately 8,000 years ago, and since that time it has been roasted, broiled, fricasseed, fried, stewed and more. It is difficult to believe that the chicken was at one time revered as sacred; its feathers used in ceremonial costumes. However, as chicken facts show that it is the most populous bird on the planet even to the point of outnumbering the people on earth, it should be obvious that they play an important part here in some form.
Female chickens begin to lay eggs at about 5 to 6 months old, although it may vary by breed. This process is a fascinating set of chicken facts. The egg begins as egg yolk inside the hen, traveling from the ovary into the oviduct. As it moves through the duct, it becomes covered with membranes, fibers and albumin; spiraling down until it reaches the bottom of the duct. It is here that the shell, made of calcite, is formed around the egg just prior to the egg being laid. The entire process takes 24 to 48 hours in total. The hen will continue laying eggs throughout her lifetime, which could last up to 20 years in some cases.
The clucking sounds that are emitted by a chicken are a form of conversation within the broods. Each particular sound has a meaning, from a sound of contentment when socializing to an alarm call when a threat, such as a predator, is present.
One of the odd chicken facts involves a human disease; chicken pox. This disease is in no way associated with the chicken at all. In years past, an Old English term for the disease was “gican pox”, meaning itching pox. Over the years, this evolved into the current term used of chicken pox.
Roosters are an important feature in the barnyard. There is one head rooster in a flock of chickens. This rooster generally forages for food, and when finding it, calls to his hens to allow them to eat. Too many roosters will cause conflict in the coop, as they struggle to be the head.
Chickens are interesting birds. Chicken facts or no, there is no doubt that human consumption of chicken is continually on the rise as a healthy food, and that the egg is one of the more nutritious foods on a menu. While knowing more about them won’t make your next meal taste differently, it does make you just a bit smarter.