Chicken
domesticated bird (specifically a red junglefowl) kept by humans primarily as a food source
The chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is the domesticated form 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 kept for their meat and eggs, though they are also kept as pets.
As of 2023, the global chicken population exceeded 26.5 billion, with more than 50 billion birds produced annually for consumption. Specialized breeds such as broilers and laying hens have been developed for meat and egg production, respectively. A hen bred for laying can produce over 300 eggs per year. Chickens are social animals with complex vocalizations and behaviors, and feature in folklore, religion, and literature across many societies. Their economic importance makes them a central component of global animal husbandry.
Etymology
The word chicken comes from Old English ċicen (pronounced essentially the same as in Modern English). While the origin is Germanic, it is unclear exactly where the word came from, although it could ultimately have come from an imitation of the sound a chicken makes.
The public source identifies “Chicken” as domesticated bird (specifically a red junglefowl) kept by humans primarily as a food source. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Chicken, domesticated and bird.
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Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 23, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q780. The Library of Congress control number is sh85023298. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2023.
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This entry incorporates text from “Chicken” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.