Chicken

The chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is a domesticated bird descended from the red junglefowl native to Southeast Asia. It is the most numerous bird species in the world, raised for meat, eggs, and feathers. It is a small bird with limited flight capacity: it can manage only brief flights.

In Somalia and most other countries, chickens form part of the culture of pastoral and village communities. Some households keep small numbers that forage freely for food, while large facilities use crowded enclosures and planned feeding schedules.

Physical characteristics

Chickens have a hard beak, two scaled legs, and feathers covering the entire body. The rooster is generally larger than the hen, with a comb (a fleshy crest) and wattles (fleshy lobes beneath the chin) that are larger than the hen's, and longer tail feathers. Roosters typically crow at dawn, linked to light cycles and territorial behaviour.

Reproduction and eggs

Hens lay eggs; when eggs are fertile they require incubation for roughly three weeks before hatching. Some hens have a broody tendency and incubate eggs naturally, but industrial strains have largely been bred to suppress this, and artificial incubators are used instead. Egg-laying breeds can produce large numbers of eggs annually if feeding and light conditions are adequate.

Economic value and food

Chicken meat and eggs are protein sources of good value compared to beef and camel meat, making them widely available in many markets. Chicken raising is also commonly a source of income managed by women in households, since it requires little capital.

Health and disease

Poultry diseases, such as Newcastle disease and avian influenza, spread rapidly in crowded facilities. Prevention relies on vaccination, isolation, and sanitation. Use of antibiotics in chicken farming is regulated in many countries due to concerns about antibiotic resistance.