Fowl

A poultry is a domesticated bird used by man for food, either in the form of meat or its eggs; and for their feathers and down. The name typically includes members of the orders Galliformes (such as chickens and turkeys) and Anseriformes (waterfowl such as ducks and geese).

However, this is not a strict classification, and the term can also refer to other types of birds that are used in cooking, such as pigeons and even ostriches. For birds such as pheasant, quail and wild ducks, the term gamefowl is commonly used.

The domestication of poultry took place about 5,400 years ago in Southeast Asia. Initially, it may have been the result of people incubating and raising young birds from eggs collected in the wild, but more Later it meant keeping the birds permanently in captivity. It is possible that domesticated chickens were initially used for cockfighting and quails were bred for their singing, but the usefulness of having a captive-bred food source was soon realized. Selective breeding for rapid growth, egg-laying ability, conformation, plumage and docility has been carried out over the centuries, and modern breeds often look very different from their wild ancestors. Although some birds are still raised in small groups in extensive systems, the majority of birds available on the market today are raised in intensive commercial enterprises.

Although practically all parts of a bird are edible, the most succulent parts or prey are the pectoral muscles of flight, called breasts, and the muscles of the first and second segments of the lower limbs, called thigh and leg respectively; These are the favorites in the kitchen. Also used, although to a lesser extent, are the upper limbs or wings, the neck or neck, the legs and the viscera, also called giblets.

In chickens and, in general, in all birds that do not have sustained flight or are flightless, the pectoral muscles are not adapted for sustained use, and they have less oxygen-carrying myoglobin than the muscles of the lower extremities. They thus present a whiter color, which is why the breast is usually called "white meat" in contrast to the "dark meat", as the other parts are called. In flying birds, such as waterfowl and game birds, the pectoral muscles are adapted for sustained flight, therefore, their flesh is dark. On the other hand, free-range chicken (free-range or free-range chicken) usually gives a yellowish tone to its meat.

Chickens

Chickens are medium-sized, stocky birds with an upright posture and characterized by fleshy red crests and wattles on their heads. Males, known as roosters, are usually larger, bolder in color, and have more exaggerated plumage than females (hens). Chickens are gregarious, omnivorous, terrestrial birds that in their natural environment search for seeds, invertebrates and other small animals in the leaf litter. They rarely fly except as a result of perceived danger, preferring to run into the undergrowth if approached. Today's domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is descended primarily from the wild red jungle cock. Asia, with some additional contributions from birds such as the wild gray cockerel, the Sri Lankan cockerel and the Javan green cockerel.

Genomic studies estimate that the chicken was domesticated 8,000 years ago in Southeast Asia and spread to China and India 2000–3000 years later. Archaeological evidence supports domestic chickens in Southeast Asia long before 6000 BC. C., China in 6000 BC. C. and India in 2000 BC. C. A landmark 2020 Nature study that completely sequences 863 chickens worldwide suggests that all domestic chickens originate from a single domestication event of the wild red cockerel whose current distribution is predominantly in southwestern Mexico. China, northern Thailand and Myanmar. These domesticated chickens spread across Southeast and South Asia, where they interbred with local wild species of junglefowl, forming genetically and geographically distinct groups. Analysis of the most popular commercial breed shows that the White Leghorn breed has a mosaic of divergent ancestors inherited from subspecies of the red wild cock.

Chickens were one of the domesticated animals transported with the Austronesian migrations transported by sea to Taiwan, the islands of Melanesia, Madagascar and the Pacific islands; from around 3500 to 2500 BC. C.

By the year 2000 BC. C., chickens seem to have reached the Indus Valley and 250 years later, they arrived in Egypt. They were still used for fighting and were considered symbols of fertility. The Romans used them in divination, and the Egyptians made a breakthrough when they learned the difficult technique of artificial incubation. Since then, chicken farming has spread throughout the world for food production, with domestic birds being one valuable source of both eggs and meat.

Since their domestication, a large number of chicken breeds have been established, but with the exception of the white Leghorn, most commercial birds are of hybrid origin. About 1800, chickens began to be bred at a higher level. scale, and modern high-yield poultry farms were present in the United Kingdom from around 1920 and were established in the United States shortly after the Second World War. In the middle of the 20th century, the poultry meat production industry was of greater importance than the laying industry. eggs. Poultry farming has produced breeds and strains to meet different needs; lightly structured laying birds that can produce 300 eggs a year; fast-growing meaty birds intended for consumption at a young age and utility birds that produce both an acceptable number of eggs and a very meaty carcass. Males are unwanted in the egg-laying industry and can often be identified as soon as they hatch for later slaughter. In meat breeds, these birds are sometimes castrated (often chemically) to prevent aggression. The resulting bird also has more tender and flavorful meat.

A dwarf chicken is a small variety of domestic chicken, either a miniature version of a member of a standard breed or a "true rooster" no larger counterpart. Roosters can be a quarter to a third the size of standard birds and lay equally small eggs. They are kept by small owners and hobbyists for egg production, used as broody hens, for ornamental purposes and for exhibitions.

Ducks

Ducks are medium-sized aquatic birds with a wide beak, eyes on the side of the head, a fairly long neck, short legs far back from the body, and webbed feet. Males are often larger than females and have different colors in some breeds. Domestic ducks are omnivores and eat a variety of animal and plant materials such as aquatic insects, mollusks, worms, small amphibians, aquatic algae, and grasses. They feed in shallow water while playing, with their heads underwater and their tails upside down. Most domestic ducks are too heavy to fly and are social birds that prefer to live and move together in groups. They keep their plumage waterproof by preening, a process that spreads secretions from the preen gland over their feathers.

Clay models of ducks found in China dating back to 4000 BC. C. may indicate that the domestication of ducks took place there during the Yangshao culture. Even if this is not the case, the domestication of the duck took place in the Far East at least 1500 years earlier than in the West. Lucius Columella, writing in the I century BC. C., advised those seeking to raise ducks to collect eggs from wild birds and put them under a broody hen, because when raised in this way, ducks 'leave aside their wild nature and reproduce without hesitation. when they are closed in the bird pen ". Despite this, ducks did not appear in agricultural texts in Western Europe until approximately 810 AD. C., when they began to be mentioned along with geese, chickens and peacocks as rental payments made by tenants to landowners.

There is a general consensus that the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is the ancestor of all breeds of domestic ducks (with the exception of the mallard (Cairina moschata), which is not closely related to other ducks). Ducks are raised primarily for their meat, eggs, and down. As with chickens, several breeds have been developed, selected for their ability to lay eggs, rapid growth and a well-covered carcass. The most common commercial breed in the United Kingdom and the United States is the Peking duck, which can lay 200 eggs a year and reach a weight of 3.5 kg in 44 days. In the Western world, ducks are not as popular as chickens, because the latter produce greater quantities of lean white meat and are easier to raise intensively, which makes the price of chicken meat lower than that of duck meat. Although popular in fine dining, duck appears less frequently in the mass-market food industry. However, things are different in the East. Ducks are more popular there than chickens and are mostly still raised in the traditional way and selected for their ability to find enough food in harvested rice fields and other humid environments.

Geese

The common goose (Anser anser) was domesticated by the Egyptians at least 3,000 years ago, and a different wild species, the swan goose (Anser cygnoides), Domesticated in Siberia about a thousand years later, it is known as the Chinese goose. The two hybridize with each other and the large bump at the base of the beak, a notable feature of the Chinese goose, is present to varying degrees in these hybrids. Hybrids are fertile and have given rise to several modern breeds. Despite their early domestication, geese have never gained the commercial importance of chickens and ducks.

Domestic geese are much larger than their wild counterparts and tend to have thick necks, an upright posture, and large bodies with wide hind ends. Birds derived from the gray lobster are large and fleshy and are used for meat, while Chinese geese have smaller frames and are used primarily for egg production. The fine down of both is valued for use in pillows and quilted garments. They feed on grass and weeds, supplementing this with small invertebrates, and one of the attractions of goose farming is their ability to grow and thrive in a grass-based system. They are very sociable and have a good memory and can be allowed to wander a lot knowing that they will return home in the evening. The Chinese goose is more aggressive and louder than other geese and can be used as a guard animal to warn of intruders. The meat of geese is dark in color and rich in protein, but they deposit fat subcutaneously, although this fat contains mainly monounsaturated fatty acids. The birds are slaughtered at around 10 or around 24 weeks. Between these ages, there are problems with coating the carcass due to the presence of developing pin feathers.

In some countries, geese and ducks are force-fed to produce livers with exceptionally high fat content for the production of foie gras. More than 75% of global foie gras production is produced in France, with minor industries in Hungary and Bulgaria and growing production in China. Foie gras is considered a luxury in many parts of the world, but the process of feeding birds in this way is prohibited in many countries for animal welfare reasons.

Turkeys

Turkeys are large birds, their closest relatives being the pheasant and the guinea fowl. Males are larger than females and have extended fan-shaped tails and distinctive fleshy wattles, called snoods, which hang from the top of the beak and are used in courtship display. Wild turkeys can fly, but rarely do so, preferring to run with a long, straddling gait. They perch in trees and forage on the ground, feeding on seeds, nuts, berries, grass, foliage, invertebrates, lizards and small snakes.

The modern domesticated turkey descends from one of the six subspecies of wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) found in the present-day Mexican states of Jalisco, Guerrero and Veracruz. The pre-Aztec tribes in South-central Mexico first domesticated the bird around 800 BC. C., and the Pueblo Indians who inhabited the Colorado Plateau in the United States did the same around 200 BC. C. they used feathers for tunics, blankets and for ceremonial purposes. More than 1,000 years later, they became an important food source. The first Europeans who encountered the bird mistakenly identified it as a guinea fowl, a bird known as a 'turkey hen'; at that time because it had been introduced into Europe through Turkey.

Commercial turkeys are generally raised indoors under controlled conditions. These are often large buildings, purpose-built to provide ventilation and low light intensity (this reduces bird activity and therefore increases the rate of weight gain). The lights can be turned on for 24h/day, or a variety of stepped light regimes to encourage birds to feed frequently and therefore grow rapidly. Females reach slaughter weight at around 15 weeks of age and males at around 19. Mature commercial birds can weigh twice as much as their wild counterparts. Many different breeds have been developed, but the majority of commercial birds are white, as this improves the appearance of the dressed carcass, with pin feathers being less visible. At one time, turkeys were mainly eaten on special occasions. such as Christmas (10 million birds in the UK) or Thanksgiving (60 million birds in the US). However, they are increasingly becoming part of the daily diet in many parts of the world.

Other poultry

The guinea fowl originated in southern Africa, and the species most commonly raised as poultry is the helmeted guinea fowl (Numida meleagris). It is a medium-sized gray or spotted bird with a small bare head with colorful wattles and a bump on top, and was domesticated in the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Guinea fowl are hardy, sociable birds that subsist primarily on insects, but also consume grasses and seeds. They will keep a garden free of pests and eat the ticks that carry Lyme disease. They happily perch in trees and give a loud vocal warning of approaching predators. Their meat and eggs can be eaten in the same way as chickens, as young birds are ready for the table at the age of about four months.

A pigeon is the name given to the breeding of domestic pigeons that are intended for the table. Like other domesticated pigeons, the birds used for this purpose are descended from the rock pigeon (Columba livia). Special utility breeds with desirable characteristics are used. Two eggs are laid and incubated for about 17 days. When they are born, the chicks are fed by both parents with 'pigeon milk', a thick, protein-rich secretion produced by the crop. The chicks grow quickly, but are slow to fledge and are ready to leave the nest in 26 to 30 days and weigh about 500 g. By then, the adult pigeons will have laid and incubating another pair of eggs and a prolific pair should produce two chicks every four weeks during a breeding season that lasts several months.