Males, known as cocks, are usually larger, more boldly coloured, and have more exaggerated plumage than females (hens). Main article: Chicken Cock with comb and wattlesĬhickens are medium-sized, chunky birds with an upright stance and characterised by fleshy red combs and wattles on their heads. Poultry can be distinguished from "game", defined as wild birds or mammals hunted for food or sport, a word also used to describe the meat of these when eaten. Both words are also used for the flesh of these birds. In colloquial speech, the term "fowl" is often used near-synonymously with "domesticated chicken" ( Gallus gallus), or with "poultry" or even just "bird", and many languages do not distinguish between "poultry" and "fowl". In his 1848 classic book on poultry, Ornamental and Domestic Poultry: Their History, and Management, Edmund Dixon included chapters on the peafowl, guinea fowl, mute swan, turkey, various types of geese, the muscovy duck, other ducks and all types of chickens including bantams. Crawford's Poultry breeding and genetics, squabs are omitted but Japanese quail and common pheasant are added to the list, the latter frequently being bred in captivity and released into the wild. The Encyclopædia Britannica lists the same bird groups but also includes guinea fowl and squabs (young pigeons). "Poultry" can be defined as domestic fowls, including chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks, raised for the production of meat or eggs and the word is also used for the flesh of these birds used as food. "Poultry" is a term used for any kind of domesticated bird, captive-raised for its utility, and traditionally the word has been used to refer to wildfowl ( Galliformes) and waterfowl ( Anseriformes) but not to cagebirds such as songbirds and parrots. Old English Fugol, German Vogel, Danish Fugl). The word "fowl" is of Germanic origin (cf. The term for an immature poultry, pullet, like its doublet poult, comes from Middle English pulet and Old French polet, both from the Latin word pullus, meaning a young fowl or young animal. The word "poultry" comes from Middle English pultry or pultrie, itself derived from Old French/ Norman word pouletrie. Semi-vegetarians who consume poultry as the only source of meat are said to adhere to pollotarianism. All poultry meat should be properly handled and sufficiently cooked in order to reduce the risk of food poisoning. Together with pork, poultry is one of the two most widely-eaten types of meat globally, with over 70% of the meat supply in 2012 between them poultry provides nutritionally beneficial food containing high-quality protein accompanied by a low proportion of fat. Although some birds are still kept in small flocks in extensive systems, most birds available in the market today are reared in intensive commercial enterprises. Selective breeding for fast growth, egg-laying ability, conformation, plumage and docility took place over the centuries, and modern breeds often look very different from their wild ancestors. Domesticated chickens may have been used for cockfighting at first and quail kept for their songs, but people soon realised the advantages of having a captive-bred source of food. The process may have originally occurred as a result of people hatching and rearing young birds from eggs collected from the wild, but later involved keeping the birds permanently in captivity. This was previously believed to have occurred around 5,400 years ago, also in Southeast Asia. Recent genomic studies involving the four extant junglefowl species reveals that the domestication of chicken, the most populous poultry species, occurred around 8,000 years ago in Southeast Asia. The term also includes waterfowls of the family Anatidae ( ducks and geese) but does not include wild birds hunted for food known as game or quarry. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae ( fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, and turkeys). The practice of raising poultry is known as poultry farming. Poultry ( / ˈ p oʊ l t r i/) are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting useful animal products such as meat, eggs or feathers. For other uses, see Poultry (disambiguation).
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