Chicken

Chicken is the term for a female bird that has reached breeding age. It is a domesticated bird and one of the most numerous bird species in the world. Chickens are raised primarily for eggs and meat.

Compared to the rooster, the chicken is smaller and has a smaller comb and feathers that are duller in color. By sound, the chicken makes a distinctive noise when laying an egg or sensing danger.

Physical characteristics

The chicken has a hard beak, two legs with claws for scratching, and wings that cannot support sustained flight. Plumage color varies by breed: white, black, red, brown, and mixed. Size and weight also vary; breeds raised for eggs are lighter than those raised for meat.

Eggs and reproduction

The chicken lays eggs without a rooster present, but those eggs do not hatch. For an egg to hatch, a rooster must be in the flock. Fertilized eggs require incubation for approximately three weeks before chicks emerge, and this can be done by the chicken brooding naturally or using a heat-producing incubator.

A chicken that will lay eggs usually begins laying when she reaches six to nine months of age, with the number of eggs depending on breed, nutrition, light, and climate. A chicken in broody condition stops laying eggs while she is caring for her clutch.

Rearing and benefits

Chickens are raised in various ways: open systems in compounds near homes, closed systems, and large facilities producing eggs or meat. Their feed includes grains, seeds, insects, worms, and vegetation. In Somalia and many African countries, keeping chickens at home is part of household income and food security.