Wetake for granted our relationship with chicken . After all , more than 23 billion chickens live on the major planet right now . And , globally , we consume more than 65 billion chicken each year . That does n’t include the more than 800 billion eggs we eat every class .
In fact , more chickens exist in the world than any other domesticated or gaga craniate species in number and biomass . They cater us with food at multiple levels from mega farms to abase backyards all over the world .
Village poultry ( i.e. , “ backyard ” chickens in Africa and Asia ) are an essential source of protein and income for millions of multitude .
The ubiquity of chickens was n’t always so , though . In fact , until the late African swine feverishness eruption in China in 2018 , pig were the most consumed animate being protein on the major planet .
The power point is that the scope of crybaby nub and orchis consumption was n’t always at its present degree . So why is this so?Independent Bronx cheer / Shutterstock
Rise of Village Poultry
From a historical position , human beings have only lived in villages — as opposed to being huntsman - collector — for just about 10,000years . And chicken have been with us as domesticated animals for approximately 7,000 to 8,000of those twelvemonth .
However , the reasons we bring them into our villages are in all probability unlike thanwhat we might guess thousands of year later .
Specifically , chickens were domesticated not for dinner party use but for status , religious ceremony and amusement ( i.e. , fighting ) . In fact , the good fight birds were oftenburied with the mellow - status elders .
Independent birds/Shutterstock
From a more pragmatic perspective , roosters were also used as timepiece . Crowing rooster proclaimed thehour of dawn .
Once make in theculture of these emerging lodge , various cultures then spread them via migration , trade and territorial conquests to various locations including Europe in 3000 B.C. and South America in 1200 A.D.
One of the reason chickens were largely ceremonial as fight to dinner is their appearing . The menial volaille was n’t so humble back then . It was a low , flightier fowl with long , colored , beautiful plume .
In other language , you ’d desire to show it off as opposed to stick it in a barn . you may see the living ascendent to modern chickens — ruddy hobo camp fowl — with a head trip to modern - day India , Bangladesh or Sri Lanka .
Based on how stunning red jungle fowl appear , it might make more sense why human being would prefer to run wild animals . And why they ’d keep farm - domesticated animal , such as sheep and goats , for milk and nitty-gritty instead . It somewhat explains why a cultivation would study how to farm grains on the same plot of nation , too .
That way of life , they could just “ show off ” their chickens .
James Karuga/Shutterstock
Read more : Interested in raising show chickens for poultry expo ? Here ’s how to get started .
Transition to Domestication
There is n’t a peck of enquiry on this , but slowly but certainly chickens — and their ball — were used as sources of protein and fertilizer . One affair that helped the red hobo camp fowl become the humble chicken is that it became a fecund orchis manufacturer — liken to other skirt .
Most birds do n’t lay eggs year - round . As an representative , duck only lay eggs in the northerly cerebral hemisphere between mid - March and July .
In contrast , a probability mutant in the junglefowl run to hens that can put eggs close to class - round . This , of form , count on the breedand amount of light . Interestingly , society that domesticated jungle fowl were largely equatorial . Hence , a constant amount of light was present yr - round to facilitate year - round egg production .
In addition , at some point someone figured out that Gallus gallus stern makes an efficacious fertilizer . As humankind were get a line to farm , Farmer likely enter out that their crop were more fat on field of force that contained some horizontal surface of manure .
learn more : Chickens can bring swelled benefit to the garden !
Village Staples
Village poultry in Asia and Africa represent an interesting bridge between jungle fowl and the highly domesticate breeds we typically keep today on our farm and in our backyard . The concept of village fowl — autochthonic chickens extremely adapted to their environment — is a highly established part of life in most of Africa and Asia .
The village breed are n’t as productive as conventional stock . But they ’re typically tougher from a disease - underground and warmth - tolerance linear perspective . In addition , the heavier commercial-grade breeds often have problems escaping predators , are miserable scavenger for feed and show short broodiness , which is an essential step for create replacement stemma for village poultry . James Karuga / Shutterstock
As backyard - domestic fowl owners , our role forhaving chicken is likely different than what I ’ve just described . But it ’s a utile exerciseto understand how other societies — retiring and present — use chickens . Check out these interesting observations :
Village poultry haveincredible diverseness . And , from a genetic perspective , they offer an important genetic reservoir / depository library .
Conservation of hobo camp bird and their genetic diversity is a bountiful progeny in Southeast Asia for cultural and scientific purposes . Many of these skirt have genetics that make them less susceptible to various extremely infectious diseases , including avian grippe and virulent Newcastle disease .
Women & childrenare often the primary caregiversfor Greenwich Village poultry . Many microfinance investor favor to invest in modest small town - fowl woman - run business enterprise . They ’re typically more successful and less likely to default on on their microloans .
Greenwich Village poultry havemany advantages in mixed land systems . They ’re little , reproduce easily , do n’t demand large investment funds and can scavenge for food .
Village domestic fowl typically clean for their solid food and seldom , if ever , receive commercial-grade ration . While this makes them less productive , it does make themhighly economical .
Access to veterinarianswho treat poultryis a challengein Asia / Africa ( just like in the west ) .
In some ways , we may learn that we ’re more like our ancestors and our fellow external poultry owners than we think . Backyard bird are similar to settlement breeds . We use them for palm / status , food and , regrettably , fighting . ( Fighting is illegal in the U.S. but mostly legal and satisfactory in many non - westerly land . )
Many of our challenge are standardised . Hopefully , the scientific , ethnical and historical value of village breeds and jungle bird will provide valuable insights for allchickens , including our humble backyard dame .
This clause originally come out in the November / December 2021 take ofChickensmagazine . It was compose by Maurice Pitesky , D.V.M. , and faculty at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in Northern California .
