Aylin Humpherys

Final Paper

December 1, 2023

Chickens Chickens Chickens

Chicken Research Paper

Chickens have been around for a very long time. They have become a staple in

society and have made quite an impact. Chickens are very versatile and accessible

creatures, allowing them to become something for people to profit off of as well as take

care of. This paper will highlight the history of these animals, as well as how they are

important agriculturally, culturally, and economically. The current roles they play in

society and how it has changed over time will also be discussed.

“Poultry Science” provides the information that one of the chicken’s first ancestors

was the red jungle fowl. It originated in Southeastern Asia around the time of the

Pleistocene era. In “Poultry Science,” Wood-Gush writes that the Bronze Age seems

like the most realistic time period that humans began to domesticate chickens in one

way or another. The Smithsonian Magazine claims that chickens were originally

domesticated for cockfighting, which “has claims to be the world's oldest continual sport”

(Adler & Lawler). They also write that the chicken’s genealogy consists of two or more

wild progenitors, and “possibly more than one event of initial domestication” (Adler &

Lawler) From Southeastern Asia, the chicken population spread northward and

westward, further into Asia and parts of Europe. While most experts are fairly certain

that chickens made their way to America sometime around the 1400’s, there are a few
different theories on how they got here. Some say that Columbus brought the chickens

with him on his voyage from Spain. “Poultry Science” claims that chickens were most

likely introduced before anyone from Europe arrived. This source writes that chickens

probably came from trade between Asia and Indians on the Peruvian and Ecuadorian

coasts, then later were brought to America by travelers (Wood-Gush).

There are many ways that chickens are beneficial to the environment. According to

Dr. Jennifer Westerman, the department chair of the Sustainable Development

department at App State, chickens can actually help improve sustainable agriculture.

She writes, “Poultry are efficient convertors of feed to meat or eggs” (Westerman).

Chickens are also good for nature because they can help cycle nutrients through their

feed, manure, and soil. These processes help increase biodiversity, which allows an

environment to flourish. The fact that there are many chicken breeds can also help

increase biodiversity. It is possible for poultry production to be carbon neutral, and that

aids in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They are reduced because chickens do not

release as much methane during digestion like other farm animals, like cows for

example. “Sustainable Development” provides the information that “Manure from poultry

can be used to fertilize feed crops, especially when raised in the same region as

poultry” (Westerman). Poultry genes are very interesting in that they can be easily

molded to what farmers need them to produce. “Waste, such as poultry litter or feathers,

can be integrated in sustainable systems and becomes a resource, such as composting

for organic matter,” writes Westerman. Chickens have helpful features that can almost

become recyclable and reused for different purposes. This is extremely useful for

chicken owners, since it means they get more uses out of the animal than just food.
 To some surprise, chickens have actually benefited the economy. Gwen Venable, the

executive vice president of communications from the U.S. The Poultry and Egg

Association says that poultry production provides a lot of jobs. The data shows,

“companies involved in the production and processing of poultry provide 2,012,269

jobs…generates approximately $556 billion in annual economic impact” (Simpson). This

is significant because the chicken industry by itself provides 1,517,797 jobs, which is

more than half of poultry production in general. Without chicken production, the poultry

industry would be quite smaller. The first study of the poultry industry’s impact was

conducted in 2012 and it is updated every two years. Since the first year of the survey,

there are almost one million more jobs in this industry, and the economic impact has

about doubled.

Since chickens have been around for such a long time, they have accumulated a

large significance across many cultures. They carry a religious and social importance to

many different environments. National Geographic writes that in 800 B.C, chickens were

found on seals used for identification in the middle east. They were illustrated being

worshiped by priests. The article says, “Zoroastrians considered the chicken sacred

because it crowed before dawn, before the light appeared” (Worrall), and that the

chicken was associated with waking up from a physical or spiritual slumber. They also

provide that in ancient times, chicken’s mating habits were seen as “a sign of vibrancy

and fertility” (Worrall). The Smithsonian Magazine writes that hens symbolized similar

ideas, saying, “The prodigious and ever-watchful hen was a worldwide symbol of

nurturance and fertility” (Alder & Lawler). They also write that there are a handful of

references to chickens or roosters in the Bible, and, “In the ninth century, Pope Nicholas
I decreed that a figure of a rooster should be placed atop every church as a reminder [of

the incident]—which is why many churches still have cockerel-shaped weather vanes”

(Alder & Lawler). In Egypt, eggs were hung from temples to allow a “bountiful river

flood”, and the Roman Army carried chickens with them to battles. If the animal had a

good appetite prior to combat, it was a sign of a future victory. The chicken’s history

spans back many years, and is a symbol for many different cultures.

In more recent times, the chicken has still had an effect. Looking back at the slave

trade, African Americans helped bring a significant amount of knowledge about

chickens to the United States. National Geographic says that the chicken was

considered a sacred animal in Africa, and was very common to own. When black people

were shipped to America during the slave trade and had to work on plantations, they

introduced the plantation owners to chickens. They started to become more popular to

own, and became one of the only animals that slaves were allowed to take care of

themselves. More currently, chickens have become more common in towns and cities.

National Geographic writes that more urban areas have started relaxing regulations on

chickens, which allows more of them to live in these places. They also say, “Backyard

chickens are providing people with a clear and simple way to connect with what lands

on their plate” (Worrall). This gives people control of what they eat and how they eat it in

a world filled with heavily processed and fake foods. Chickens are helpful for getting rid

of pests and bugs, and they are often allowed closer to homes than other farm animals.

In conclusion, chickens' history and their impact is larger than most people imagined.

Their history spans many generations, going back to when humans were in their earliest

stages. Chickens’ have had an impact on quite a few different cultures, from Africans, to
the Romans, to our country today. They have even made their appearance in religion.

Chickens are very versatile and accessible animals, which make them ideal to own.

Their cultural, economic, and agricultural impact makes these animals very interesting

and important to our society today.

D.G.M. Wood-Gush, A History of the Domestic Chicken from Antiquity to the 19th

Century, Poultry Science, Volume 38, Issue 2, 1959

https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.0380321.

(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119480565)

Adler, Jerry, and Andrew Lawler. “How the Chicken Conquered the World.”

Smithsonian.Com, Smithsonian Institution, 1 June 2012,

www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-chicken-conquered-the-world-87583

657/#:~:text=Some%20archaeologists%20believe%20that%20chickens,before%2

0the%20voyages%20of%20Columbus.

Westerman , Jennifer. “Sustainable Development.” Sustainable Poultry Production, 2

Nov. 2023,

sd.appstate.edu/research-outreach/sustainable-poultry-production#:~:text=Poult

ry%2C%20including%20laying%20hens%2C%20meat,and%20help%20to%20incre

ase%20biodiversity.

Simpson , Amy. “Study: U.S. Poultry Industry Benefits the Economy.” Brownfield Ag

News, 10 Nov. 2022,

brownfieldagnews.com/news/study-u-s-poultry-industry-benefits-the-economy/#:

~:text=“The%20chicken%20industry%20provides%201%2C517%2C797,%2425.5%

20billion%20in%20government%20revenue.
Worrall, Simon. “The Surprising Ways That Chickens Changed the World.” Adventure,

National Geographic, 3 May 2021,

www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/141221-chickens-civilization-avi

an-flu-locavore-turkey-ngfood-booktalk.