For the culinary use of chickens, see Chicken as food. Male and female 3 oz grilled chicken sitting together. Chickens are one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, with a total population of 23. 7 billion as of 2018, up from more than 19 billion in 2011.
Dunghill fowl: a chicken with mixed parentage from different domestic varieties. Pullet: a young female chicken less than a year old. In the poultry industry, a pullet is a sexually immature chicken less than 22 weeks of age. Chicken was originally a term only for an immature, or at least young, bird. In older sources, chicken as a species were typically referred to as common fowl or domestic fowl. This section needs expansion with: the origin of the term ‘chicken’ in general.
You can help by adding to it. In most breeds the adult rooster can be distinguished from the hen by his larger comb. In the wild, they often scratch at the soil to search for seeds, insects, and even animals as large as lizards, small snakes, or sometimes young mice. 10 years, depending on the breed. The world’s oldest known chicken lived 16 years according to Guinness World Records. However, in some breeds, such as the Sebright chicken, the rooster has only slightly pointed neck feathers, the same colour as the hen’s. Chickens may occasionally fly briefly to explore their surroundings, but generally do so only to flee perceived danger.