Fast Facts for Kids
Chicken Facts for Kids

Chicken Facts for Kids

  • Common Name: Chicken
  • Trinomial Name: Gallus gallus domesticus
  • Family: Phasianidae
  • Genus: Gallus
  • Diet: Omnivore (Meat and Plants)
  • Habitat Range: Worldwide (Except Antarctica and the Artic)
  • Domesticated: ~8000 years ago

23 Chicken Facts For Kids

  1. Chicken is the common name for several junglefowl species in the Gallus genus.
  2. Chickens are one of the most easily recognizable farm animals in the world.
  3. Chickens were domesticated by humans around 8,000 years ago in Asia.
  4. Chickens can be found anywhere in the world that has been settled by humans.
  5. In 2020, there were an estimated 33 billion chickens living worldwide.
  6. Chickens are omnivores and eat both meat and plant material.
  7. The typical chicken diet includes grain, seeds, insects and occasionally small snakes, lizards, and mice.
  8. Chickens are social birds and live together in groups known as flocks.
  9. Chickens are a domesticated farm animal, raised for egg production and their meat.
  10. Chickens come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, which is determined by the chicken’s breed.
  11. There are a few hundred different chicken breeds, each with its own desired characteristics.
  12. Chicken breeds raised specifically for meat production are called broilers.
  13. An example of a meat production breed is the Delaware chicken.
  14. Chicken breeds raised specifically for egg production are called egg layers.
  15. An example of an egg production breed is the Leghorn chicken.
  16. The color of a chicken egg is based on the chicken breed.
  17. Typically, chicken eggs are brown or white, but can also be blue, cream, pink, green, and even speckled.
  18. The average chicken breed weighs between 5 and 10 pounds.
  19. The average chicken breed lives between 5 and 10 years.
  20. The largest chicken breed in the world is the Jersey Giant chicken.
  21. The smallest chicken breed in the world is the Malaysian Serama chicken.
  22. A male chicken is called a rooster and a female chicken is called a hen.
  23. A young chicken is called a chick and a freshly hatched chicken is called a biddy.

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Chicken Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on chickens. Below are few pictures of various chickens. These pictures should help you better understand what chickens can do, and what they look like.

Female Chicken "Hen" (Gallus domesticus)

A picture of a female chicken (hen).

Male Chicken "Rooster" (Gallus domesticus)

A picture of a male chicken (rooster).

Group of Baby Chickens "Chicks"

A picture of baby chickens (chicks).

Chicken Resources

We hope you found the above chicken facts, information, data, and pictures both fun and educational. You can continue to research chickens using one of the below additional resources. They were chosen for their credibility and accuracy; you can trust their information when it comes to chickens. Thank you for choosing Fast Facts for Kids.