Chicken
Gallus gallus domesticus · Bird (domesticated)
Meet them at our Fort Lauderdale cafe
- Native range
- Domesticated worldwide, descended from the red junglefowl of Southeast Asia.
- Size
- Varies enormously by breed, from bantams under 2 pounds to giants over 10.
- Lifespan
- Commonly 5 to 10 years in good care.
- Conservation
- Domesticated.
Little Learners Corner
Chickens can remember lots of faces, and they even dream when they sleep, just like you.
Say it like a scientist: GAL-uss GAL-uss doh-MESS-tih-kuss
Where They Live
Farms, backyards, and anywhere with ground to scratch. Chickens roost off the ground at night, an instinct from their forest ancestors.
What They Eat
Omnivore. Seeds, greens, insects, and whatever the flock can scratch up.
How They Live
Flocks run on a real pecking order, and chickens recognize dozens of individual faces, chicken and human alike. They use more than 20 distinct calls, including different alarms for danger from the air versus the ground.
Chickens as Pets?
Backyard chickens can be great where they are legal, with predator proof housing and a plan for many years of care. They are smarter and more personable than almost anyone expects.
Fun Facts
Chickens dream. They experience REM sleep like we do.
They can see a wider range of color than humans, including into ultraviolet.
The chicken is the closest living relative most of us will ever meet to Tyrannosaurus rex, evolutionarily speaking, as birds descend from theropod dinosaurs.
Capy Quiz: Prove It
How many distinct calls do chickens use?
Keep exploring: Rabbit came before this, Ball Python is next, or head back to the full Animal Encyclopedia.
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