- It is thought that the nearest relative of the Tyrannosaurus rex is a chicken.
- A castrated male chicken is called a capon.
- Chickens will be less 'flighty' if while tending a pen or chicken house the caretaker walks backwards.
- You can literally hypnotize a chicken by holding it and drawing a line in the dirt over and over. The chicken will stay still right there as long as you do this.
- Some breeds of chickens can lay colored eggs.
- Christmas has different meanings in different countries. Christmas Eve in Japan is a good day to eat fried chicken and strawberry short-cake.
- The average hen lays 265 table eggs each year.
- Arkansas produced over 1.1 billion broilers in 2006 which averages about 422 broilers for each Arkansan.
- A chicken's gizzard will likely have gravel to help "chew" the food for digestion.
- A rooster will usually perform a special waltz or dance in an attempt to attract a mate.
- A chickens' body temperature normally runs at 102-103 degrees
- A chickens' heart beats 280-315 times a minute.
- Chickens are not capable of sustained flight.
- It takes a hen 24-26 hours to lay an egg.
- Grocery store chickens are 5-8 weeks old.
- Americans consume 8 billion chickens a year.
- The latin name for chicken is Gallus Domesticus.
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- There are over 150 varieties of domestic chickens.
- Chickens were domesticated about 8000 years ago
- A rooster takes 18-20 breaths a minute, a hen 30-35.
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- The chicken was once considered a sacred animal symbolizing the sun.
- Breeds were developed to provide plumage for ceremonial costumes.
- The first Poultry Exhibition was held in the United States on November 14, 1849. There were 219 exhibitors, 1023 birds, and over 10,000 visitors.
- All domestic chickens can be genetically traced to Gallus Gallus, The Red Jungle Fowl.
- In 1925, hens laid an average of 100 eggs a year. In 1979, the World Record was set by a White Leghorn who laid 371 eggs in 364 days!!!
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- A hen lives an average of 5-7 years, but can live up to 20 years. She'll lay eggs her entire life, with production decreasing every year from year one.
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- An egg starts growing into a chick when it reaches a temperature of 86 degrees F.
- Alektorophobia is the name given to "The Fear of Chickens".
- There are more chickens than people in the world.
- Chickens are very social animals. They will fight to protect their family and will mourn when a loved one is lost.
- Chickens have more bones in their necks than giraffes. They have no teeth and swallow their food whole. Part of their stomach is used to grind their food up.
- If a rooster is not present in a flock of hens, a hen will often take the role, stop laying, and begin to crow.
