Chicken

The chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is the domesticatedsubspecies of the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is one of the most common and widespread domesticated animals in the world. Chickens are primarily cultivated as poultry for their meat and eggs, and are occasionally kept as pets.

As of 2023, the global live population of chicken exceeded 26.5 billion, with more than 50 billion birds slaughtered annually for consumption. Specialized breeds such as broilers and laying hens have been developed for better meat and egg yield, respectively. A female chicken (known as a hen) bred for egg production can lay over 300 eggs per year. Chickens are social animals with dominance hierarchy (known colloquially as "pecking order"), complex vocalizations and social behaviors, and feature in folklore, religion and literature across many societies. Their economic importance makes them a central component of global animal husbandry.