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Chicken
Domesticated species of bird / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the culinary use of chickens, see Chicken as food. For other uses, see Chicken (disambiguation).
"Rooster" and "Roosters" redirect here. For other uses, see Rooster (disambiguation).
"Cockerel" redirects here. For the Fabergé egg, see Cockerel (Fabergé egg).
The chicken (Gallus domesticus) is a large and round short-winged bird, domesticated from the red junglefowl of Southeast Asia around 8,000 years ago. Most chickens are raised for food, providing meat and eggs; others are kept as pets or for cockfighting.
Quick Facts Conservation status, Scientific classification ...
Chicken | |
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Male (left) and female chickens | |
Domesticated | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Galliformes |
Family: | Phasianidae |
Genus: | Gallus |
Species: | G. g. domesticus |
Binomial name | |
Gallus gallus domesticus | |
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Chicken distribution | |
Synonyms | |
Gallus domesticus L. |
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Chickens are common and widespread domestic animals, with a total population of 23.7 billion as of 2018[update], and an annual production of more than 50 billion birds. A hen bred for laying can produce over 300 eggs per year. There are numerous cultural references to chickens in folklore, religion, and literature.