Friday, November 2, 2012

A short Introduction to Chickens

By Paul Hill


Chickens are descendants of the red Junglefowl, a tropical member of the pheasant family. Studies in 2003 approximated a combined population of more than Twenty four billion around the world; meaning that at this time there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird.

The geographic beginnings of the chicken are relatively unknown but it is believed that humans first begun domesticating the chicken for the purpose of cockfighting; an act that has now been outlawed by many nations around the world. Ironically, when the creature had been originally introduced within mankinds culture, very little attention had been paid to egg or meat production; a huge contrast to today's society where the birds are farmed on massive levels to satisfy the ever increasing demands for both eggs and meat.

Chickens are omnivores, which means that they are quite content eating both plant life and other creatures; it is very common to find chickens scratching at the floor to discover seeds, small insects or in some instances even lizards and small rodents.

Recent years have observed a big change to the farming strategies of the chicken. Investigations in to the procedure have shown that chickens have been subject to terrible living conditions in an attempt to increase productivity in the space available. The name "battery hens" were given to these birds as they were housed in extensive lines of connected cages for use of mass egg production within industrial farming. It was this research that elevated understanding within the general public and was a significant factor which helped bring about this transformation. The change in legislation has forced out the usage of battery cages and the quantity of eggs coming from battery hens is lowering speedily.

Keeping chickens is becoming an increasingly typical activity for a great number of families across the Uk. Not only can it be economically beneficial to keep your own chickens for egg produce, it also comes with the peace of mind that you fully understand that the egg has arrived from a hen which has not fallen suspect of brutal living conditions.

Free range is a phrase often associated with chickens; what it means is that the chicken in question has the capacity to wander freely within its natural environment to find food, get frequent exercise and regular exposure to sunlight.




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