A little bit of the Chicken History

Chickens are descended from   ancient animals that were adapted in remarkable ways to survive. The very first chickens lived in the jungle more than 8 thousand years ago. Before that, they were  dinosaurs that roamed the Earth in the Mesozoic era, between 230 and 65 million years ago. 

The ancient dinosaur ancestors of chickens had teeth, a larger beak and larger legs covered with scales, making them formidable birds of prey. The chicken feather and reptile scale are morphologically very similar and are mostly made of keratin. Recent research has shown that chickens and ostriches bear striking similarities to dinosaurs like the famous Tyrannosaurus rex. In fact, there are more than 125 anatomical similarities between the skeleton of a carnivorous dinosaur and that of a modern chicken. From dinosaurs, chickens have inherited many characteristics. The scales on their legs should continue to remind us of their reptilian heritage, and looking into a chicken’s eye offers a glimpse into prehistory.

It was the Egyptians who developed the techniques for artificially hatching chicks. This was the beginning of the domestication of chickens for meat and eggs. In ancient Greece, roosters had a symbolic value related to bravery and from there cockfighting took off. In ancient times, roosters were often sacrificed to the gods.

Later, in England, Queen Victoria, who received beautiful ornamental roosters as gifts, banned cruel cockfighting and established rooster and hen beauty contests at fairs where people could show off their most beautiful roosters and win prizes. This tradition continues to this day.

Chickens have always lived close to people for thousands of years. In fact, it is only since the Second World War that chickens have been brought to the farm and to industry. Chickens used to live near houses, lay eggs here and there outside and roost in trees at night. We liked to bring them grain and table scraps and we could collect the eggs for our food needs. These chickens did not have much meat. It wasn’t until the arrival of the cochineal hen in the 1800s from China that Americans began to build chicken coops. They were more expensive to buy, fatter, rounder and heavier. They could not climb trees to perch. She was a superb layer and her meat is also delicious.