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Archive 1Archive 2Archive 3Archive 4

reproduction

One subject in this article lacks is details on the reproductive cycle of chickens.

This includes the role of roosters in fertilisation, the differences between fertilised and unfertilised eggs and more details on eggs in general.

Given that the hen seems to lay the eggs whether they are fertilised or not, I think it would be helpful for someone to explain how roosters fertilise the eggs.

Also what causes hens to begin laying eggs in the first place? Is it just a matter of reaching a certain developmental stage or are roosters involved?

There could be a lot of information added to explain this aspect of chicken reproduction and egg laying.

--I (talk) 13:51, 23 September 2010 (UTC)

Incubation?

"Artificial incubation An egg incubator.

Chicken egg incubation can successfully occur artificially as well. Nearly all fertilized chicken eggs will hatch after 21 days of good conditions - 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) and around 55% relative humidity (increase to 70% in the last three days of incubation to help soften egg shell). Eggs must be turned regularly (usually three to eight times each week) during the first part of the incubation. If the eggs aren't turned, the embryo inside will stick to the shell and may hatch with physical defects. Some incubators turn the eggs automatically. This turning mimics the natural process. An incubating hen will stand up several times a day and shift the eggs around with her beak. However, if the egg is turned during the last week of incubation the chick may have difficulty settling in the correct hatching position."


Where did you get this? The humidity level an ventilation level has to be adjusted to account for outside temp an humidity. 55% is way to high for most of the world. You need the egg to lose about 14% of its weight or the air cell to grow to a set level seen threw candling. You also have to turn at least 3 times a day (not a week) you can turn more but it should always be in odd numbers. You then stop turning on day 18, 3 days before hatching, not a week. At that point you bump the humidity up to 65% to keep the membrane around the chick from completely drying out after the chick cracks the shell.(shell softening has nothing to do with it)

Marlon Weldon Confederate Money Farm cmfarm.us —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.58.94.159 (talk) 21:30, 29 September 2010 (UTC)

OK Marlon I have referenced an OSU document. Can you find something out there which says that humidity should be lower than 55% in the first 18 days? T0mpr1c3 (talk) 22:36, 29 September 2010 (UTC)
Vermont extension office ([1]) says humidity needs to be above 55% during incubation. Earthdirt (talk) 13:50, 1 October 2010 (UTC)
The pdf is from Virginia Tech, but I take your point T0mpr1c3 (talk) 18:57, 1 October 2010 (UTC)

This is the most linked page I know of on using low humidity day 1-18 http://paraguinparadise.netfirms.com/Dry%20Incubation.htm This website http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/index.php has hundreds of people that are incubating all over the world an talking about what works for them. Some can incubate at 55% but most need to run it much lower. The over 55% rule really only applies to days 19,20 an 21. I have tried here http://cmfarm.us/ventilation.html to explain why the humidity one person uses day 1-18 an works for them to get good hatches does not work for others. Its about losing the right amount of water from the eggs not about trying to run a set Humidity level. Marlon 67.132.241.161 (talk) 00:10, 6 March 2011 (UTC)

How many eggs in a day

500,000 eggs — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.125.30.133 (talk) 20:13, 4 May 2012 (UTC)

Please,how many eggs can a hen lay in a day.I believe new technology must on grounds for more egg laying ability of hens,Please let me know the latest technology concerning hens laying abilty.Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.128.49.41 (talk) 18:00, 23 November 2010 (UTC)

Each hen of an egg-laying breed usually lays one a day for a couple of weeks, then rests for a day or two before starting again. Once a year she stops altogether for a couple of weeks to moult. A good hen might lay 500 corndogs that drink coolaid READ THIS or more in a year. Very occasionally they may lay one egg in the morning and another the same evening, so two in one day is not impossible – but more commonly a hen may lay two yolks in one egg. Meat and fancy breeds may only lay for a few weeks in the spring – perhaps only 20 to 30, or fewer if they are allowed to sit on them.
It's not really "technology", but biology, and hens of laying breeds are already very efficient at turning feed into egg, so there's not really very much prospect of making the poor things lay even more. Richard New Forest (talk) 22:55, 23 November 2010 (UTC)

Chicken article potential vandalism?

This is a potential problem for this article: http://www.everytopicintheuniverseexceptchickens.com/ Should this article be locked?

--Some random IP address, but actually [User:lf2planet] since I'm too lazy to log in. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.252.112.26 (talk) 02:36, 29 November 2010 (UTC)

I think instead we should include this in the chickens article. -varunrau — Preceding unsigned comment added by Varunrau (talkcontribs) 05:48, 11 March 2011 (UTC)


Indeed, that link and the dinosaur comic from which it originated are the only reason I came to this article (and I'm guessing that's where quite a few of this article's hits came from). It deserves a mention in the article, even though the comic is five years old and I doubt vandalism is a concern any longer.

Hey everybody I totally agree you should unprotect this article I'm sure nothing bad will happen. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 96.244.121.28 (talk) 16:59, 16 October 2012 (UTC)

RE: chicken breeding

We have 3 hens and one rooster and the rooster is pecking at one of the females. Is that normal? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 74.230.251.20 (talk) 02:52, 11 February 2011 (UTC)

Poultry Farming

Again, my computer won't let me actually edit the real article, but I have a suggestion. -I feel like the factory/intensive farming aspect of commercial layers/boilers is not discussed enough in the "Poultry Farming" section. Maybe someone could add a pic of caged layers and something from/about "FOOD, INC'? -Just an idea :)--75.32.144.42 (talk) 01:37, 17 February 2011 (UTC)

this article is primarily about the bird. see if http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry_farming has what you're looking for. ViniTheHat (talk) 14:46, 17 February 2011 (UTC)
OK thanks, this is definitely what I was talking about.--173.11.83.125 (talk) 16:44, 17 February 2011 (UTC)

Chicken disease

I looked quickly and I did not see Bumble foot (officially a form of Staph, I think) but it even says on its own wiki-page that it is really common in poultry. I don't have time/not sure how so can someone else put it in? Thanks--75.18.197.21 (talk) 03:21, 16 February 2011 (UTC)

added it. It's not caused by staph, but susceptible to staph infections (like any open sore). ViniTheHat (talk) 16:35, 16 February 2011 (UTC)
Also, egg binding can be caused by ovo-duct constriction in excessively fat chickens - not just from "oversized eggs." I daresay that cause is more common. Can this be verified/updated? Alphachimera (talk) 16:33, 1 March 2011 (UTC)

Communication

Chickens communicate both vocally and behaviorally. Squawking, clucking and a whole range of vocal communication comes from a flock. Chickens also posture and behave in ways that have meaning to others of their species. Roosters do a dance just before mating and hens indicate they are ready to mate with various movements recognized by the male. A young rooster will charge at an older bird but stop short of an attack with no response from the adult but based on behavior that same adult will counter the attack just by knowing when the young one is serious or not. 1:'Cluck' 2: 'Squawk' 3: 'Buck' —Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.17.138.91 (talk) 08:18, 17 April 2011 (UTC)

Image: Red Jungle Fowl

I'm not too handy with uploading images to wikipedia, so could someone please crop the image, so that in the thumbnail-sized image in the article, the bird is more easily seen? ViniTheHat (talk) 16:42, 5 May 2011 (UTC)

Breeding: blood/air

The section with the heading Breeding, subheading Current, includes the words "blood supply" where I assume it should be "air supply" or "air sac." The passage in question:

The chick begins by "pipping"; pecking a breathing hole with its egg tooth towards the blunt end of the egg, usually on the upper side. It will then rest for some hours, absorbing the remaining egg yolk and withdrawing the blood supply from the membrane beneath the shell (used earlier for breathing through the shell). 24.239.168.210 (talk) 05:47, 8 August 2011 (UTC)

No, it's withdrawing its blood supply. ViniTheHat (talk) 13:39, 8 August 2011 (UTC)

Terminology

The section under 'Terminology' is incorrect, male chickens over 12 months of age are in fact called Cock Birds in Australia, not 'Roosters'. Roosters is a generic term that refers to all male Chickens. The chicken article will not allow me to edit it though. Anjwalker (talk) 11:55, 28 August 2011 (UTC)

the hen is a pet.it is a for making money.in kerala lot of chikken farms  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 117.201.242.31 (talk) 15:08, 30 November 2011 (UTC) 

Edit of "which presumably reflect farming practice[original research?]".

The citation and original research belong to the 28 days in the sentence. I postulated this presumably relates to standard practice because otherwise the sentence indicates that it ONLY occurs under experimental conditions, and I do not not whether this is the case or not.DrChrissy (talk) 18:30, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

  • Within religious practice and understanding, Fox pointed out that Saʻadiah's understanding was "the honesty of their behavior and their success" (the rooster) and not simply aesthetic, but to be that of his will{and ultimately the king according to Fox) as being that of spiritual and instilling of understanding. All Worlds (talk) 22:40, 4 July 2012 (UTC)

Awministries (talk | contribs)

Please could you explain what message you are trying to convey to the readership by your addition to this article. I'm afraid it is lost on me at the moment. DrChrissy (talk) 23:38, 5 May 2012 (UTC)

  • Possibly a benefit to Wiki purposes would be a move of the majority of information leaving a paragraph and a new page created on "in religion and mythology" for further explanation and expansion of information on subject for more clarity.All Worlds (talk) 03:07, 5 July 2012 (UTC)

Proposal to delete section on 'chickens as food'

This article heading states "This article is about the animal. For chicken as human food, see Chicken (food)", however, Section #7 is all about chickens as food! I propose this section and the pictures (please see previous Talk subject) be deleted.DrChrissy (talk) 18:35, 16 July 2012 (UTC)

Food Sharing and Courting-should be seperate

The section "Food Sharing and Courting" discusses two different topics, so it should be seperate. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kevinzhang27 (talkcontribs) 00:55, 3 November 2012 (UTC)

Have split the two into new different headings.__DrChrissy (talk) 19:01, 3 November 2012 (UTC)

Edit request on 31 March 2013

Please change:

"In the UK, Ireland and Australia adult male chickens over the age of 12 months are primarily known as cocks, whereas in America and Canada they are more commonly called roosters. "

to

"In the UK and Ireland adult male chickens over the age of 12 months are primarily known as cocks, whereas in America, Australia and Canada they are more commonly called roosters.

Explanation:

The article is currently contrary to current general usage. "Rooster" is the generally accepted term for an adult male chicken as evidenced by its use by the restaurant chain "Red Rooster" and the Sydney "Roosters" (rugby league) football team. "Cock" is more commonly used as the colloquial for penis, and its use in general conversation would be considered inappropriate if not outright offensive.

Richard1098 (talk) 08:44, 31 March 2013 (UTC)

 Done -- Dianna (talk) 14:59, 1 April 2013 (UTC)


RELATED NOTE

I believe "in the UK and Ireland adult male chickens over the age of 12 months are primarily known as cocks, whereas in America, Australia and Canada they are more commonly called roosters. Males less than 1 year old are cockerels" To be factually inaccurate, although i cannot source anything for you.

The reason i believe this to be inaccurate is i've never actually heard anyone call a male chicken a cock outside the context of cock-fighting.

I'm from rural Scotland, casual owners of chickens invariably call them cockerels, and i'm not talking about those under 1 year. It may be different in serious farming, but in the general populace the male bird appears to be a cockerel, so the sentence is misleading. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 188.221.73.75 (talk) 01:31, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

I tend to agree. I live in the UK and have been involved in research on hen farms for 20 years. My own view is that the dominantly used word in the UK (farming and non-farming populations) is "cockerel", although this is incorrect (a cockerel becomes a cock at 1 year of age). A lot of biological terms lose their accuracy as they enter more widespread useage. Perhaps the article could indicate this. The term "cock" is used sometimes, but in my opinion seems to be largely limited to breeders, perhaps of fancy strains, where the males are often referred to as "cock birds".__DrChrissy

Predators

how about calling humans "predators of chickens"? and btw Scientists found that genetically the Tyrannosurus dinosaur is related to the modern chicken. --174.89.235.248 (talk) 13:24, 12 April 2013 (UTC)

Edit request on 3 August 2013

under "Courtship" when rooster begin their dance, they actually lower their wing that's furthest from the chicken. And sometimes (but not always)when cock fighting, roosters will perform this same dance and when in a certain proximity, will attack immediately after. Grinder1337 (talk) 07:52, 3 August 2013 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. RudolfRed (talk) 05:15, 6 August 2013 (UTC)

History

a) Needs more China. b) Needs much more USA: see poultry farming in the United States for the importance of understanding vit D to chicken-rearing & the vast improvements in growth & laying rates brought about following industrialization. — LlywelynII 05:22, 8 August 2013 (UTC)

You know that 'Synonyms' section of the taxobox that basically hasn't changed in over 3 years?

Well, I believe it's wrong. That section is meant to display binomial (or trinomial) synonyms only. Example here. The taxobox basically is a scientific classification box, after all. Would someone mind removing the information under the synonyms parameter of the taxobox entirely? (I don't believe there are any technical synonyms.) Arachka (talk) 18:05, 8 October 2013 (UTC)

Done by User:Chrisrus. Thanks, Arachka. --Stfg (talk) 21:06, 8 October 2013 (UTC)

Edit request (November 27, 2013)

From In religion and mythology: "The rooster(cock) serves as a"
Should be replaced with "The rooster serves as a" or "The cock serves as a"; Rooster appears more common in the article (30 vs 23, but many of the instances of Cock are in Cockfighting and Cockerel and similar), but Cock seems to be the more common version in that region; roughly 14 vs 7. 81.232.114.228 (talk) 17:38, 27 November 2013 (UTC)

Your argument is not made very clearly; there does not appear to be a distinct reason why the phrasing "rooster(cock)" should be shortened into one of the words. The current phrase seems to be in favor of your evidence/calculations, as it represents both of the words. Could you perhaps articulate the reason as to why the change should be made? --JustBerry (talk) 07:29, 29 November 2013 (UTC)

Flight

I was hoping to find more information on the development of the early chicken into today's mostly ambulatory model.

I'm reading Letters from an American Farmer by the writer, naturalist, farmer, observer of Pre-Revolutionary North American life, and later, French ambassador, J. Hector St. John de Crèvecœur. de Crèvecœur was, and remains, a respected observer of the flora and fauna of the colonies and of it's agriculture. He writes in the book, in "Letter XII", written after the Revolutionary War began (in an analogy):

". . .the hen, the very timid hen, fights for the preservation of her chicken, nor does she decline to attack and meet on the wing even the swift kestrel."

To face a kestrel on the wing strongly implies to me that chickens had a much more developed flight ability in the 1776 Province of New York. I know of no inaccuracies in the book regarding his naturalist and agricultural observations. Are there any other reputable sources in addition to this one? Thank you, Wordreader (talk) 17:56, 10 December 2013 (UTC)

I am wondering if the phrase "on the wing" really means flight. Modern layers can fly brief distances but are very good at jumping up onto shed roofs e.g. 2 metres. I can imagine a hen leaping high into the air to protect her chicks against a kestrel, although I would not describe this as flight.__DrChrissy (talk) 21:05, 10 December 2013 (UTC)
I have just been chatting with an expert on rare breeds of poultry. He has informed my that poultry in the 1770's, particularly, the game-birds, were very capable fliers. I think my previous comment was perhaps biased by the modern domestic hybrid strains of commercial layers.__DrChrissy (talk) 17:20, 12 December 2013 (UTC) (forgot to sign!)

Semi-protected edit request on 15 January 2014

Please Add this photo in the bottom Gallery section. Thanks.

Kadaknath Chicken (Totally Black Flesh)

Kadaknath Chicken

Arulnathan (talk) 12:17, 15 January 2014 (UTC)

The web-address in the bottom of the image makes me think this is a copyright image. Is the image free of copyright as it needs to be for Wikipedia?__DrChrissy (talk) 14:22, 15 January 2014 (UTC)

Please Add this photo in the bottom Gallery section. free of copyright for wikipedia, Thanks.

Kadaknath-Chicken


Done! __DrChrissy (talk) 17:25, 16 January 2014 (UTC)

Diet

This article could be improved by adding some mention of what chickens like to eat. Krychek (talk) 20:35, 6 March 2014 (UTC)

Source for the 50 billion chickens reared annually

I searched for the source of "50 billion chickens reared annually", and it's probably from this website: animalethics.org.uk/i-ch7-2-chickens.html

animalethics.org.uk is currently blacklisted on wikipedia. It seems to be the primary source for the "50 billion chickens". The author calculated it from two other primary sources:

40 billion Broilers. -> calculated from Livestock and Poultry: World Markets and Trade that presented the data in tonnes of ready to cook chickens. + over 6 billion Egg-layers -> from The Statistical Reference for Poultry Executives, not sure if the "6 billion Egg-layers" was directly extracted from this source, or if it was calculated from some other info. + over 6 billion male chicks in the egg-laying industry -> probably this is a guess about the egg industry discarding the males. = over 50 billion

I'm not sure if there is a better source for the quantity of chickens raised annually, so I just put a "citation needed" there.

--Arthurfragoso (talk) 12:18, 29 May 2014 (UTC)

I just did a workaround :) --Arthurfragoso (talk) 12:30, 29 May 2014 (UTC)

WikiProject Poultry

Origin addition

I would like to add a line in the origins section:

Research shows that chickens are the closest living relative to Tyrannaosaurus Rex. Similarities in collagen fibers and proteins were found in a T. Rex leg.

Reference: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2007/apr/13/uknews.taxonomy Mary Schweitzer, a palaeontologist at North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

Lvangundy (talk) 22:59, 23 June 2011 (UTC)

Go for it! If you want to add that easily, one way is you can click the Cite dropdown menu on the editing toolbar (which appears after you load the edit window). Then choose "cite news" from the Templates list and fill in the options you know. Steven Walling 02:51, 24 June 2011 (UTC)
The news article is inaccurate: the Schweitzer study compared amino acid sequences of T. rex collagen proteins to amino acid sequences of of the collagen of all animals that were available (which might be a couple dozen species). Since the chicken was the only bird included in the study, all this does is confirm that dinosaurs and birds are related: it does not support the notion that chickens are the closest living relatives of T. rex. In fact, it is almost certainly not true, given that chickens aren't even a particularly basal lineage of birds. I'm removing this. Tennesseellum (talk) 21:50, 3 August 2011 (UTC)

Steven Walling Darn, I don't have enough edits. Someday!

It's probably a lie. How could T. rex's closest living relative possibly be the domestic chicken. What does it even have in common with the chicken. T. rex was a carnivore. It could run as fast as 40 km/h. Chickens can't run nearly that fast. T. rex could see in the dark. Who ever heard of a chicken who could. Plus, T. rex was so ravenous. Also, it was even more intelligent than the chicken. Say, T. rex's closest living relative is probably actually the North American raven. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 110.175.40.89 (talk) 07:41, 26 September 2014 (UTC)

Conservation Status: Domesticated

Domesticated is no conservation status. Instead it should say Least Concern.— Preceding unsigned comment added by 110.175.40.89 (talk) 07:57, 8 October 2014 (UTC) 110.175.40.89 (talk) 07:14, September 26, 2014‎ (UTC)

Britannica being sourced for the claim

"Humans first domesticated chickens of Indian origin for the purpose of cockfighting in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Very little formal attention was given to egg"

Britannica is usually pretty accurate but as an encyclopedia it's a pretty weak source categorically. Surely there must be better sources to support this statement?174.45.178.216 (talk) 05:19, 4 January 2015 (UTC)

'To the causual observer' it seems more probable that 'ancient peoples' encouraged fowl of various kind towards domestication for their 'meat, eggs and feathers' than that they wished to start fights with them. 108.171.128.162 (talk) 15:52, 19 February 2015 (UTC)

Yeah seriously, I find this a bit difficult to believe and that's how it caught my eye in the first place. Could really use a stronger source.174.45.178.216 (talk) 05:46, 25 February 2015 (UTC)
I actually don't find it difficult to believe. Remember the red junglefowl (chickens prior to domestication) is a small bird which would provide little meat. It also lays only one clutch of 4-6 eggs per year. I have added a robust supportive reference to the article.__DrChrissy (talk) 14:50, 25 February 2015 (UTC)
Thanks, that's definitely better! I'd really like to see some papers or studies somewhere that discuss this hypothesis but that's a definite improvement.174.45.178.216 (talk) 23:12, 27 February 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 4 March 2015

Supermaniscoolerthanyou (talk) I want to edit this piece of article

Sorry, but you need to describe the change you want made. Andy Dingley (talk) 21:57, 4 March 2015 (UTC)

Most common animal on the planet?

The second sentence of this article currently reads: "As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird." Surely at 24 billion, they are the most common domestic animal? Doing a quick search of likely contenders, there are 1.3 billion cows, 1.3 billion goats, 1 billion pigs, 1 billion sheep, 0.5 billion cats and 0.4 billion dogs. Chickens are the clear winner.

Also, with sure a high population, I can't help but suspect - are the most common vertebrate on the planet? Anxietycello (talk) 18:52, 30 July 2012 (UTC)

I think your first question largely depends on the definition of 'domestic' or 'domesticated' being used. Are we counting things like goldfish or honey bees? What about lab animals like rats or fruit flies?
As for your second question, that would definitely be false. Remember, vertebrates include things like rodents and fish. So many widespread fish species and several rodent ones would definitely outnumber chickens. There may also be a few reptile or amphibian species widespread enough to have that large of a population, but I'm less familiar there with species ranges and whether some of the most common ones are actually a single species or not. Nemokara (talk) 06:38, 25 May 2014 (UTC)

The domestic chicken is the most common vertebrate on the planet. It is not even outnumbered by any rodent, fish, amphibian or reptile. But it's not the most common animal. It is immensely outnumbered by invertebrates, especially Antarctic Krill. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 110.175.40.89 (talk) 07:10, 26 September 2014 (UTC)

I don't see how you can state that so unequivocally. After some poking around, it seems to me that the best we can say is "we can't ever be sure". At the very least, things like the brown rat and cyclothones (deepwater bioluminescent fish, aka 'minnows of the deep') are on par with chickens, if not orders of magnitude more abundant. Certainly chickens are worst off of the three in terms of both global range, and biomass per individual. -Nemokara (talk) 17:10, 22 March 2015 (UTC)
Just a gentle reminder folks. These are comments about what is being said only on this talk page, not the article. I have just spent several minutes on the article to see where such a contentious statement has been made. If it was made at some time, it is not there now.__DrChrissy (talk) 17:41, 22 March 2015 (UTC)

Chicken genome resequencing reveals domestication history

This might be useful for the article. • SbmeirowTalk07:44, 8 April 2015 (UTC)

Diet of wild chickens and red jungle fowl.

Wild chickens and red jungle fowl also eat fruit and many types of green vegetable matter including grasses. Can someone add this please? 122.105.142.141 (talk) 04:03, 29 October 2015 (UTC)

Pictures

How many pictures of chickens do we really need in this article? I would say that a third are either unnecessary/redundant. For instance, the images of chicks and two images subtitled junglefowl (I would probably get rid of the first). I'm not sure what we gain by the image of the battery hen either. 96.247.176.69 (talk) 08:29, 16 July 2012 (UTC)

I partly agree. Certainly, this article is about the chicken and therefore 2 pictures of the Red junglefowl seems excessive (some might argue that one is not required at all, just a link to Red junglefowl). Personally, I think a photo of a fried egg is a complete waste of space - how many people using WP do not know what a fried egg looks like? The image of the ex-battery hen is to illustrate the plumage damage these hens might experience because of the housing system, and the paleness of the comb and wattles due to a combination of diet and lack of sunlight.DrChrissy (talk) 18:22, 16 July 2012 (UTC)

I totally agree that the image of the alleged "battery hen" is not appropriate and have tried to change this. There is no evidence that this is actually a hen released from a cage. Are we supposed to take someone's word for it? Anyone can take a photo of a molting chicken and claim it is from a cage, insuating like DrCrissy said, that is damaged from living in these cages. Furthermore, as a chicken owner now for 40 years, I can attest to the fact that this hen is molting and is the way a hen or chicken looks when it goes through molt. Pale comb and wattles and ratty looking plumage are all a part of molting. Chickens don't lay eggs during the molt and the comb and wattles will turn pale and small. [1]

My chickens are done molting now, but I had several that looked this way. Someone can come in and take a picture of my birds and claim that they were from "battery cages" when this of course, would not be true. I am not sure what the agenda of the person that put this photo up or the description but this is not the place for that kind of false information. [2]

Angmarbar (talk) 02:08, 17 December 2015 (UTC)

References

Egg Shell Color

This maybe helpful content to add to the Eggs section. Alternatively, it could be rewritten to be more scientific, referencing the underlying factors and be added under a chicken genetics section.

"Breed earlobe color correlates with the breed's egg color. There are exceptions, of course, but this is the general rule. The earlobes of a chicken are noticeable areas of colored skin on the sides of the head. Breeds with white earlobes lay white eggs and chickens with red earlobes lay eggs in shades of brown.

Exceptions include Penedesencas and Empordanesas, which have white earlobes and lay dark chocolate colored eggs. Easter Eggers, Ameraucanas and Araucanas, which have red earlobes and lay blue or green eggs. Silkie chickens, which lay light brown or nearly white eggs but have blue earlobes. "Boryana (talk) 06:28, 18 January 2016 (UTC)

Claim of holocene domestication ...

... is made in the title of the December 2014 PNAS paper but not quite in the fine print, which makes a more cautious statement, moreover, even the more cautious claim has already been disputed in PNAS (2015), by investigators from:

I caution that this is a fast changing field. A December 2014 paper in a field of only slightly less recent papers, which a few years ago were positing maternal origin in Thailand, does not deserve such prominence, especially not in the lead. Better to leave the older poultry farming/Darwinian view along with a general statement suggesting modern genetic studies point to multiple maternal origin in Southeast Asia, China, and South Asia, with the South Asian clade the progenitor of chicken found in most other places (which even the PNAS 2014 paper more or less concedes). Fowler&fowler«Talk» 18:58, 3 February 2016 (UTC) In the "courtship section it is stated "often lowering his wing which is closest to the hen". Quite the opposite; the rooster lower the wing opposite to hen. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 5.25.6.232 (talk) 21:43, 26 February 2016 (UTC)

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Photo of Hen With Inaccurate Description

The photo of a chicken with the description "A former battery hen, five days after her release. Note the pale comb and missing feathers" is actually of a hen that is molting. Pale comb and missing feathers are both signs of a molting hen. The photo occurs under the "Farming" section. There's no way to verify that this photo is of a hen released from a battery cage.

Requesting to have the photo removed as no evidence exists to substantiate the description OR:

Please change the description from "A former battery hen, five days after her release. Note the pale comb and missing feathers" to "Pale comb and missing feathers are signs of a hen that is molting" or "Hen going through molt" with the following section on molting included in the chicken article under "BEHAVIOR" following "Hatching and early life" with a new subtitle "Molt".

Molting is a natural process that mature chickens experience once a year, usually beginning in late summer to early fall as the days get shorter and lasting an average of about eight weeks, but some complete the process in as little as 3-4 weeks or as long as 12-16 weeks. Hens will not lay eggs during this process and can look quite shabby as they lose their feathers starting from the head and going down the neck and across the neck and breast, ending with their tail feathers. New feathers that are growing in are called pinfeathers and a high protein diet is recommended to help with the energy needs of the chicken during this time. [nutrenaworld.com/knowledge-center/poultry/the-molting-process/index.jsp] Chickens that are going through molt will have pale combs and wattles. (Brake and Thaxton, 1979a)

Angmarbar (talk) 22:59, 30 October 2015 (UTC)

The caption is consistent with the information provided by the person who originally uploaded the information. However, the comment about the pale comb is not in the original description - I think it was me that added that later.DrChrissy (talk) 00:48, 31 October 2015 (UTC)
The caption read "A former battery hen, five days after her release. Note the pale comb and missing feathers." This wording clearly insinuated that the pale comb and missing feathers were a consequence of the fact the hen was a battery hen. If these features are actually just normal consequences of moulting, then the caption was highly misleading. I've removed the second sentence. Adrian J. Hunter(talkcontribs) 07:43, 31 October 2015 (UTC)

Regardless of the information given by the person who uploaded the photo, the photo is of a hen that is molting. Ragged and tattered feathers are a result of the natural process of molt. There is no reason that chickens living in "battery cages" would experience plumage damage or lose feathers and furthermore pale combs and wattles with ragged and tattered feathers are due to not laying eggs during molt. Commercial poultry are fed a nutritionally correct diet (how on earth would it benefit a commercial poultry farmer to not feed their chickens correctly and expect to get any eggs?)

Farmers want their chickens taken care of properly because they depend on healthy, well-fed chickens to produce eggs to provide an income, so DrCrrissy's comment in the Pictures Talk section that pale comb and wattles is a combination of diet and lack of sunlight is speculation and has no place here. Why are we taking the info on this photo as gospel truth according to the person that uploaded it and DrCrissy? Why is this a 'he said/she said' thing?

The photo is obviously someone's agenda to support a negative view of commercial farming as admitted in user DrCrissy's words: " The image of the ex-battery hen is to illustrate the plumage damage these hens might experience because of the housing system, and the paleness of the comb and wattles due to a combination of diet and lack of sunlight.DrChrissy (talk) 18:22, 16 July 2012 (UTC)"


Since there is no evidence that this hen is "recently released" and from 40 years of experience with chickens, I can vouch that this is a hen molting. So it comes down to my word against the uploader of the photo and DrCrissy who seems to support this unsubstantiated claim about this hen in the photo. Is this truly how things are decided here at wikipedia? I sincerely am looking for resolution to this because it's obvious that this photo is to imply that the farming method of keeping hens in cages is somehow harmful. We don't need to be spreading our incorrect positions on commercial farming to the unsuspecting public, especially when this is contrived because this photo is simply of a molting hen.

Go to this link to see a photo of a molting hen that is quite similar (but the photo quality/color is different...note plumage and background color in photo from the link is brighter than photo in "chicken" article on wikipedia) [1] Angmarbar (talk) 02:43, 17 December 2015 (UTC)

There are two issues here - the origin of the hen, and the reason for the loss of feathers.
The origin of the hen is easy to answer - in Wikipedia, we assume good faith. In this instance, we assume that the person uploading the photo acted in good faith when they added information about the hen and that she had recently been released. The photo is also added into the "Battery cages" category, not "free-range.
The reason for the feather loss is also an easy question to answer. First, hens from battery cages are usually disposed of (slaughtered) at 62 weeks of age. This is because their productivity begins to decrease as they approach their first moult. So, if the hen was from a battery cage, she would not have moulted. Second, look at the pattern of feather loss. The feathers on her back toward the tail are complete. Moulting tends to affect the body overall. Also look at the throat. It is completely bald. This is classic feather loss caused by the abrasion of feeding from the feeder.
DrChrissy (talk) 18:11, 17 December 2015 (UTC)
@RonaldDuncan:, the uploader of the disputed photo. Discuss-Dubious (t/c) 21:55, 21 December 2015 (UTC)
The hen was one of a group of 20 ex battery hens that we got. We have had 3 groups of ex battery hens and they all turned up in a similar state with a number of injuries, bald spots, light weight, and colourless. It takes about 3 months for them to heal and become normal healthy hens, they do start to die after about 6 months and are short lived. I suspect because of the early stress. The person that collected them from the commercial farm stopped the collections and we now get point of lay hens. These arrive as normal health hens, and I have never seen one of our hens that we have had since point of lay in the state that the ex battery hens arrived in. Typically a limping featherless colourless mess. The ex battery hens do still lay at a high rate about 1 egg per day in our environment. I can confirm that the photo is typical of our source of spent hens (non productive battery hens) RonaldDuncan (talk) 14:24, 3 October 2016 (UTC)
Ronald, thank you very much for this clsrification. DrChrissy (talk) 18:58, 3 October 2016 (UTC)

Not done: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{edit semi-protected}} template. (Don't let this stop the discussion.) Discuss-Dubious (t/c) 21:52, 21 December 2015 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 5 May 2015

Please remove {{visible anchor}} from § Terminology. A section heading is a visible anchor, so the template is wholly unnecessary here, even if it didn’t produce invalid HTML and broken edit summary links. 174.141.182.82 (talk) 04:50, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

Done Stickee (talk) 06:00, 5 May 2015 (UTC)

today i gonna show u how to make a end portal that goes to the deepest seed in the whole minecraft — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.51.217.46 (talk) 13:25, 13 October 2015 (UTC) What?217.39.41.197 (talk) 15:02, 12 October 2016 (UTC)

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Recent reverts

For the record, I rollbacked that editor because I'm in a hurry and their contributions are in no way written in an encyclopedic manner. White Arabian Filly Neigh 20:44, 2 December 2016 (UTC)

I agree. I was about to do the same thing for the same reason. DrChrissy (talk) 20:56, 2 December 2016 (UTC)

Proper Class: Aves or Sauropsida?

I note that chickens are listed as Phylum:Chordata and Class:Aves, but on Wikipedia's /Chordate page, it lists them under Class:Sauropsida "(reptiles (including birds); 9,000+ species)." Just a thought; I will let the experts weigh in on this. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.149.8.201 (talk) 21:38, 27 January 2017 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 1 February 2017

please can you let me edit, i love chickens!! Warnerharry (talk) 14:16, 1 February 2017 (UTC)

Not done: this is not the right page to request additional user rights. You may reopen this request with the specific changes to be made and someone will add them for you, or you can wait until you are autoconfirmed and edit the page yourself. DRAGON BOOSTER 14:42, 1 February 2017 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 2 May 2017

 Not done it's not clear what changes you want made. ProgrammingGeek talktome 20:30, 2 May 2017 (UTC)

Chicken Intelligence?

How about a section on the intelligence of chickens? --Derwos (talk) 16:12, 14 October 2012 (UTC)

I do not understand why people want to include sections on animal 'intelligence'. Intelligence amongst humans and other animals is such a nebulous idea that I fail to see what such sections achieve.__DrChrissy (talk) 18:29, 14 October 2012 (UTC)

Nowadays in Education they talk about 'multiple intelligence' in humans, which means that even if you are a ballerina who is weak in math, you are still considered intelligent. Same with animals, they are intelligent, even if they can't read books. It is important to discuss this, because people will be less inclined to hurt and eat an animal they view as intelligent. Nowadays they view chickens just as a piece of meat. --174.89.235.248 (talk) 13:39, 12 April 2013 (UTC)

I agree. Whether or not an animal is perceived as intelligent depends on the question asked. If we were to judge intelligence on teaching ability, a mother hen teaches (using the strict definition of 'teaching') her chicks which foods to eat and which to avoid; a dog does not. Which is the more "intelligent"? People then mistakenly equate intelligence with a capacity for suffering, including pain. But this would mean humans that are less intelligent than others suffer less. Should we therefore treat less intelligent humans humans in a different way?__DrChrissy (talk) 17:39, 12 April 2013 (UTC)

I agree, we need to recognize the hen’s ability to teach her children. And intelligence does depend on the questions we ask. For example, if we give a hen a math test and judge her intelligence based on that, they she’d be perceived as dumb and given a death sentence. Is that why it’s ok for humans to murder chickens? I think that humans usually measure intelligence based on academic skills and IQ. Lets for a moment compare an educated person to a fish. This person just went on vacation to Thailand. The year is 2004. He’s looking at the ocean and feels an earthquake, and then the ocean recedes. He looks at the horizon in wonder, meanwhile all the fish take off, because they know that a tsunami is coming to this location. This person just stands there until he is swept by the tsunami, causing his legs to shatter... So, who is more intelligent – the human or the fish? And what does all this mean in regards to who gets to live on this earth and who dies? Jane955 (talk) 13:25, 20 April 2013 (UTC)

Unhelpful comment deleted__DrChrissy (talk) 14:32, 12 January 2015 (UTC)

I'm all for ethical farming, but once companies like Tyson are out of the running, you're going to be hard pressed to get people to stop cultivating prey animals with a strawman like "Wow, this anecdotal human died in a hurricane but the anecdotal fish didn't!" https://www.odt.co.nz/sites/default/files/story/2016/04/life_after_hurricane_ike_2524469254.JPG
Tons of humans survive hurricanes else we wouldn't settle in hurricane country, I think we can all agree that nobody "deserves" to die just because there's a higher chance they will, but that's a decision the people who live in those places need to make for themselves. Sure, chickens aren't afforded the ability to make that decision, but keep in mind, the modern chicken is ill-equipped for nature, and nature for it. Even if chicken farming ended tomorrow, the only sure-fire way I can think to keep it from becoming the next ecological disaster would be to continue consuming the hypothetical chickens until the food breed(s) were near extinct. Killing them all at once, I'm sure you'd agree would be horrifying, as well as potentially disastrous for the environment.
Situational intellect is not a strong case for dismantling an industry that humans rely on world-wide, yes it will work for some individuals, only those that have the option to eschew cheap poultry, and yes any potentially relevant information about a species belongs on the page for that species, but that's the case in spite of your ideology, not because of it.
I come here late because I agree, this is something that seems lacking from the 'Social Behavior' section of the article, and am shocked to see that it has not yet been added.Jeffman12 (talk) 01:16, 6 May 2017 (UTC)

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Semi-protected edit request on 9 November 2017

103.25.182.132 (talk) 03:41, 9 November 2017 (UTC)
Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format.  — Ammarpad (talk) 04:23, 9 November 2017 (UTC)

How the Chicken Got its Name

My name is Tim Platt and I would like to share how the chicken got its name. I have no source to back this information, what I do have are simple facts about the nature of this bird under farm raised conditions that are hard to ignore.

I've noticed, right after the eggs are gathered and taken from the chicken, the first thing it does is get up and start looking for them. It starts Checkin under leaves, checkin in holes, checkin in the bushes, and even checkin across the street. This not only answers the old question of why the chicken crossed the street, it also gives us a little hint at how the name was most likely formed into our language. That bird is always Checkin. Chicken... as for the rooster, he's a bit of a rudester. Waking everyone up too early. ♥ Doctor Nocturnal (talk) 22:35, 23 November 2017 (UTC)

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Citation to add

I was using Citation Hunter for #1Lib1Ref and found a citation needed for:

Columella[citation needed] advises farmers to slaughter hens that are older than three years, because they no longer produce sufficient eggs.

This information is accurate and can be found on p.355 of Columella's book "On Agriculture," an archived digital version of which can be found at https://www.archive.org/stream/onagriculturewit02coluuoft/onagriculturewit02coluuoft_djvu.txt

[1]

The exact lines from the book are "A 24 practice too, which is employed for all other live-stock, of choosing the better and selling the worse should be observed also in the case of poultry, in order that annually during the autumn, when they cease to be productive, their number may be diminished. We shall get rid of the old hens, that is, those which are more than three years old, also those which are not very prolific or are not very good nurses, and, above all, those which eat their own and other hens' eggs, likewise also those which are beginning to crow like cocks or even to strut about, and also late-born chickens, which have been hatched from the solstice onwards and could not reach their full growth."

I don't have the necessary permissions to fix the citation and am hoping this is the right place to notify those who do.

Jeq13 (talk) 21:52, 24 January 2018 (UTC)jeq13

Thank you for finding that wonderful reference! - Mr.1032 (talk) 13:15, 25 January 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 10 May 2018

The chicken came before the egg 50.200.240.194 (talk) 13:36, 10 May 2018 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. L293D ( • ) 13:41, 10 May 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 21 September 2018

Can you please the link in the hatnote from Chicken (food) to Chicken as food? 192.107.120.90 (talk) 17:52, 21 September 2018 (UTC)

 Done. Deli nk (talk) 18:12, 21 September 2018 (UTC)

chickens are reallated to llams

2601:240:4202:8ED3:B5C5:8739:4529:DAD3 (talk) 22:06, 10 October 2018 (UTC)
 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. ♪♫Alucard 16♫♪ 06:37, 11 October 2018 (UTC)

Eggs

I edited a while ago that chickens sometimes eat their own eggs, but it seems to have gone now. Benjamin (talk) 05:03, 5 November 2018 (UTC)

Did you provide a reliable source that backed up your claim? Even if something seems obvious or we know it from personal experience we can only add it to Wikipedia if it is backed up by a reliable secondary source. You're welcome to add it back in as long as it comes with a citation. Captain Eek Edits Ho Cap'n! 16:09, 5 November 2018 (UTC)
I'm familiar with policy. Yes, if I recall, I did cite multiple sources, but it was quite some time ago. I'm just wondering, was there some discussion about it that I missed? Or do I have to go back searching through the archives? That would be tedious. Benjamin (talk) 21:06, 5 November 2018 (UTC)
It might have been removed erroneously or by vandalism and it might not have been noticed. Do you remember about what time (month, year) you made those edits? If so you can try to find it in the edit history and find when your section was removed. Feel free to add it back in and if it doesn't meet requirements we can discuss it here. I'm not familiar with a talk page argument on it, but its possible that it exists in the archives. I know searching is tedious but thats why there is a search bar. Captain Eek Edits Ho Cap'n! 21:42, 5 November 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 10 December 2018

chicken is good for health we should eat daily basis 213.34.201.58 (talk) 09:30, 10 December 2018 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate.Captain Eek Edits Ho Cap'n! 09:57, 10 December 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 24 February 2019

2A02:214C:8029:C000:446A:2E65:CA9E:3AAB (talk) 08:26, 24 February 2019 (UTC) chrisamarikachicken

is alsoa chicken her bread is red chicken and she is 1 yr old

 Not done Not an improvement that can be made to this article. Captain Eek Edits Ho Cap'n! 08:30, 24 February 2019 (UTC)

Chickens lock their heads in place

As far as I can tell, this article does not mention the distinct way in which chickens lock their heads in place if their body is moved around (similar to camera stabilizers; video). Also, as far as I can tell, their head bobbing while walking is not mentioned in the article. Both these things are related to the same thing, which is explained on this (unreliable) Quora page, and in this Wired article. It's an interesting phenomenon, and there should be enough reliable sources out there to create a Wikipedia article about it. Because, again, as far as I can tell, there isn't one. Then this article about chickens could briefly mention the stabilizing and bobbing, and link to that new article. Thoughts? --77.173.90.33 (talk) 23:23, 25 March 2019 (UTC)

Diet

Could someone write a section on diet?Mukogodo (talk) 15:08, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 22 April 2019

ZeterM (talk) 18:47, 22 April 2019 (UTC)I would like to add (gallus gallus) after red junglefowl to add extra reference information.

ZeterM (talk) 18:47, 22 April 2019 (UTC)Before:"...a type of domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the red junglefowl. It is one of the most common and widespread..." ZeterM (talk) 18:47, 22 April 2019 (UTC)After: "...a type of domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the red junglefowl(gallus gallus). It is one of the most common and widespread..." ZeterM (talk) 18:47, 22 April 2019 (UTC)

 Done (with slight modification for correct wikiliniking). Deli nk (talk) 18:55, 22 April 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 22 April 2019

ZeterM (talk) 18:40, 22 April 2019 (UTC)In the text in page "chicken" I would like to add the changes: ZeterM (talk) 18:40, 22 April 2019 (UTC)"type of domesticated fowl, a (put "common" here)subspecies of the red junglefowl. It is..." ZeterM (talk) 18:40, 22 April 2019 (UTC)The red junglefowl has other subspecies, so "common" would show that. ZeterM (talk) 18:40, 22 April 2019 (UTC)

 Not done: it is described as "common and widespread" in the next sentence, no need to add repetition. NiciVampireHeart 21:48, 22 April 2019 (UTC)

Nowhere does this page explain anything about chicken intelligence

There is much knowledge about chicken intelligence, why is it not explained anywhere here? SaltySemanticSchmuck (talk) 20:25, 22 June 2019 (UTC)

If you know something about the subject you could start to contribute it yourself instead of lazily demanding others do. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.10.154.93 (talk) 09:37, 30 June 2019 (UTC)

Why is information pertaining to chicken intelligence not mentioned anywhere?

There are several scientific studies that demonstrate specific feats of chicken intelligence; how come there is no mention of such anywhere on the bird's Wikipedia article? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:3CA:4100:B0ED:2D7F:7E02:ECA8:A582 (talk) 19:42, 5 September 2019 (UTC)

Howdy hello! If you can provide some links to those studies, I would be happy to include them. Captain Eek Edits Ho Cap'n! 19:53, 5 September 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 18 February 2020

A recent study published in BMC Biology - The wild species genome ancestry of domestic chicken https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-020-0738-1 - has now improved our knowledge on the origin and domestication period of chicken. I am requesting that this unique finding is incorporated in the below:

Change "Recent genetic analysis has revealed that at least the gene for yellow skin was incorporated into domestic birds through hybridization with the grey junglefowl (G. sonneratii).[32]"

to

"Evidence from the genetic analysis revealed that at least the gene for yellow skin was incorporated into domestic birds through hybridization with the grey junglefowl (G. sonneratii).[32]" Interestingly, a recent whole-genome study has now shown for the first time that the four Gallus species (i.e. G. gallus, G. sonneratii, G, lafayetii and G. varius) contributed genetic material to the gene pool of domestic chicken at different evolutionary timescales." (Cite this article - https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-020-0738-1)

Change "Based on paleoclimatic assumptions, chickens were domesticated in Southern China in 6000 BC.[38] However, a recent study[39] raises doubts as to whether those birds were the ancestors of chickens today. Instead, the origin could be the Harappan culture of the Indus Valley."

to "Based on paleoclimatic assumptions, chickens were domesticated in Southern China in 6000 BC.[38] However, a recent study[39] raises doubts as to whether those birds were the ancestors of chickens today. Instead, the origin could be the Harappan culture of the Indus Valley. However, evidence from a molecular study now dates chicken domestication to 8,000 years ago." (Cite this article - https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-020-0738-1) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Akinyanju (talkcontribs) 18:58, 18 February 2020 (UTC)

Minor Semi-protected edit request on 19 May 2020

Under the 'In History' section we find this:

'After the attacks of Aria people these fowls spred from Sindh to Balakh and Iran'

I assume this is referring to the Indo Aryan Migrations , but instead the word 'Aria' is linked to the musical kind of Aria

Should probably either remove the link, or replace it with one to the page on Indo-Aryan Migration. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.234.98.81 (talk) 21:41, 19 May 2020 (UTC)

 Done removed wikilink. I couldn't verify the actual source, so I took the conservative approach to our original research policies and removed the wikilink. Thank you, Rotideypoc41352 (talk · contribs) 20:01, 21 May 2020 (UTC)

Proposed merge of Chickens as pets into Chicken

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section. A summary of the conclusions reached follows.
The result of this discussion was Merge. - RichT|C|E-Mail 11:09, 4 June 2020 (UTC)

This page consisted mostly of how-to advice from non-WP:RS sources, entirely confined to the United States. Now that some of that stuff is gone, there's little left; a sentence or two here would cover all that needs to be said. Justlettersandnumbers (talk) 22:17, 24 May 2020 (UTC)

Justlettersandnumbers, sounds good to me. Replacing the poor existing paragraph here about "chickens as pets" with the remaining lead from the pets article looks like it would do the trick. Maybe try to bring one of the images over that has both a human and a chicken in it? Though not sure which one. CaptainEek Edits Ho Cap'n! 22:23, 24 May 2020 (UTC)
Neutral on this. The "on pets" article meets criteria for a standalone entry, but I don't see any harm in the proposed merge. Rotideypoc41352 (talk · contribs) 00:15, 25 May 2020 (UTC)
Not in favor. Differing topics, not the same thing. Eventfully1 (talk) 22:04, 25 May 2020 (UTC)

I think that is a good idea as well. Firestar9990 (talk) 16:19, 28 May 2020 (UTC)

Support. 🐔 Chicdat ChickenDatabase 11:44, 2 June 2020 (UTC)
It's been seven days. Just to be safe, I'm asking an uninvolved editor to determine whether we should merge. Thanks! Rotideypoc41352 (talk · contribs) 20:26, 3 June 2020 (UTC)
  checkY Merger complete. - RichT|C|E-Mail 13:49, 5 June 2020 (UTC)
The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Recent genetic study of origins

The article currently gives the impression of a settled view of the origins; how-ever, a recent study (https://science.sciencemag.org/content/338/6110/1020) challenge Does https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/06/chicken-first-crossed-road-southeast-asia-landmark-gene-study-finds qualify? Kdammers (talk) 04:27, 29 June 2020 (UTC)

I see that this has been done in the origins section, but I think it should be included in the introduction as well, given the length of the article. Kdammers (talk) 04:31, 29 June 2020 (UTC)
I saw this too & thought citation templates might be useful.
  • Lawler, Andrew (2020-06-24). "The chicken first crossed the road in Southeast Asia, 'landmark' gene study finds". Science. American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). doi:10.1126/science.abd4961. ISSN 0036-8075.
  • Wang, Ming-Shan; et al. (2020-06-25). "863 genomes reveal the origin and domestication of chicken". Cell Research. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/s41422-020-0349-y. ISSN 1001-0602.
Peaceray (talk) 20:42, 29 June 2020 (UTC)

Egg fertilization

I came here because I was curious how the egg fertilization process worked, but I don't find it made much clearer. I assume the chicken just regularly lays eggs, generally unfertilized (and only in certain seasons?), which are usually collected for eating. If she has access to a rooster, they will mate and the eggs will be laid fertilized? So what happens to all the unfertilized eggs that the bird lays in the wild? How do you avoid having all fertilized eggs if many people keep chickens and rooster together year round? If they only mate in certain seasons, why do they waste the energy producing all those pointless (to them) eggs? And since eggs have hard shells, how do they fertilize anyway? Does the rooster have to copulate with the female within a certain time frame right after she has laid her last setting, when her new batch is just starting to form, and still has soft membranes? Does this have something to do with why a hen will sometimes reject a rooster's mating display? Seems like there is a lot more data that could be included in such an important article. 64.223.166.179 (talk) 20:33, 15 August 2020 (UTC)

I think that this is more generic than just chickens, as it can apply to any bird & many dinosaurs. I think that oviparity is the article for which you are looking. Peaceray (talk) 21:13, 15 August 2020 (UTC)
I am by no means an experienced editor, and do not think I can help much with this. maybe you could try asking at the teahouse? Firestar9990 (talk) 05:58, 17 October 2020 (UTC)
No. Firestar9990 was wrong to suggest that volunteers at the Teahouse will answer this. The Teahouse is purely a place to answers users' questions about the practicalities of editing Wikipedia. Nick Moyes (talk) 23:14, 18 October 2020 (UTC)

Problematic terms

"Cock" is listed as British English, but it is clearly used in the US as well. It is the preferred term for "cock fitting," for one.

Below, "yardbird" is called a "slang term in the Deep South." This is dialectal, and "slang" is typically used as a form of language shaming. Just because the local dialect is not commonly used outside the region doesn't make it any less correct. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 5.173.138.235 (talk) 23:31, 5 February 2021 (UTC)

Proposed merge of Rooster into Chicken

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.


The basic content relating to cock birds should be in our chicken page, which should also have links to various subtopics such as cockfighting and Long-crowing chickens. Justlettersandnumbers (talk) 13:48, 19 December 2020 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Hen and chicks

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.


Hen and chicks is a type of plant. Perhaps that should be distinguished on the page? 🐔 Chicdat  Bawk to me! 13:51, 20 March 2021 (UTC)

See hen and chicks. 🐔 Chicdat  Bawk to me! 13:51, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
For See also, at most. I must say (though I grow both genii mentioned), here in the UK I've never heard the name. Johnbod (talk) 15:49, 20 March 2021 (UTC)
The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Semi-protected edit request on 4 April 2021

Replace Turkey with Armenia. The chicken and Turkey is like saying Columbus left his homeland to come to the Unites States. Asia Minor or Armenia existed long before the post-genocide Republic of Turkey. It is ridiculous to use the term which is based on an invading and genocidal republic a few decades old, when Armenia or Asia Minor are Both Geographical terms. E.g. Armenian highlands, Asia Minor, Armenia. Turkey is not a proper term when referring to events occurring literally thousands of years before the genocidal invaders stepped foot in Armenia. 64.53.178.85 (talk) 13:32, 4 April 2021 (UTC)

The article says present-day Turkey, indicating that there were other states in that region before the Republic of Turkey came into existence (and as far as I know they were the Ottomans and the Byzantines so the current statement is correct). And I don't know what all of this has to do with a crime committed by a government that has now been overthrown for a century. Don't make it political. Keivan.fTalk 03:12, 13 April 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 26 April 2021

Could I please add some of my personal observations from living with chickens to this page? 193.1.201.2 (talk) 10:08, 26 April 2021 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 10:15, 26 April 2021 (UTC)

Too many widelies

This sentence has an extra 'widely' that should be omitted: During the Hellenistic period (4th-2nd centuries BC), in the Southern Levant, that chickens began widely to be widely domesticated for food.[2] TomTattles (talk) 13:26, 18 May 2021 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 14 September 2021

Add the chicken definition as well, it was originally ciccen in Old English. Becoming chicken as the Cs and CHs when they came before an i just like Italian. Once was referring to a group of chickens or chicks. ChickenResearcher (talk) 18:11, 14 September 2021 (UTC)

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made.  Ganbaruby! (talk) 18:20, 14 September 2021 (UTC)

Crowing at morning?

I was hoping to find poop or something here about the phenomenon of Roosters crowing at morning/dawn/whenever, but I didnt see much info about it in the article. I was just curious how commonly it occurs and any other in depth information. I personally don't have time to research it at the moment because I'm usually cleaning the roosters poop, so thought I would suggest it here. Pythagimedes (talk)

From my experience, roosters poop and crow almost constantly, and not at any specific time. It's an old wive's tale that roosters only crow in the morning. AureliaDefines (talk) 22:48, 9 December 2021 (UTC)

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 24 August 2020 and 5 December 2020. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Glabor5. Peer reviewers: Beemaxilla, Daniel7514.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 17:23, 16 January 2022 (UTC)

Chickens 🐓 Say Ohh,Nea & Mia

Ohh! 2406:3400:20D:E160:AC1F:9B53:BFAB:844A (talk) 07:24, 7 February 2022 (UTC)

Chicks 🐥 Say,chi Chi Chi,Mia & Nea

Chi Chi Chi 2406:3400:20D:E160:AC1F:9B53:BFAB:844A (talk) 07:26, 7 February 2022 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 31 March 2022

Hello my name is Malachy Mullane i am a chicken biologist and would like to make a few changes to this article about the history of the bird and other details about its history. Malachy Mullane (talk) 07:12, 31 March 2022 (UTC)

 Not done: this is not the right page to request additional user rights. You may reopen this request with the specific changes to be made and someone may add them for you, or if you have an account, you can wait until you are autoconfirmed and edit the page yourself. Courtesy ping: @Malachy Mullane: (please ping on reply) Happy Editing--IAmChaos 10:09, 31 March 2022 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 14 May 2022

I need to edit there is a mistake Solodj117 (talk) 21:51, 14 May 2022 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. ScottishFinnishRadish (talk) 22:21, 14 May 2022 (UTC)

Binomial name

The binomial name contradicts the opening paragraph. Subspecies have trinomial names, so if we're sticking with the current classification, it should be "Gallus gallus domesticus". Not "Gallus domesticus". Mason1999 (talk) 16:07, 29 May 2022 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 6 June 2022

Can a confirmed take a look at the latest reports at https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jun/06/chickens-were-first-tempted-down-from-trees-by-rice-research-suggests and https://phys.org/news/2022-06-evidence-chickens-domesticated.html Can I suggest the following be added to the end of the Origins section -

In 2022 the domestication of chicken was reassessed by researchers at the University of Exeter, the University of Oxford and Cardiff University. Chicken remains found in more than 600 sites in 89 countries were examined during the research project. The remains of 23 of what were thought to be the earliest chickens found in western Eurasia and north-west Africa were subjected to radiocarbon dating. Dr Julia Best, from Cardiff University, said, “This is the first time that radiocarbon dating has been used on this scale to determine the significance of chickens in early societies. Our results demonstrate the need to directly date proposed early specimens, as this allows us the clearest picture yet of our early interactions with chickens.”

The oldest bones of a known domestic chicken were from the Neolithic Ban Non Wat in central Thailand, dating to between 1650BC and 1250BC. Researchers concluded that ancestors of domestic chickens were attracted to dry rice. Chickens were taken first across Asia and then throughout the Mediterranean along routes used by early Greek, Etruscan and Phoenician maritime traders. Chickens arrived in the Mediterranean region of Europe in about 800BC. They reached Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia and Iceland almost 1,000 years later.

Prof Greger Larson, of the University of Oxford, said, “This comprehensive re-evaluation of chickens firstly demonstrates how wrong our understanding of the time and place of chicken domestication was. And even more excitingly, we show how the arrival of dry rice agriculture acted as a catalyst for both the chicken-domestication process and its global dispersal.”

A wiki-link to Ban Non Wat would be helpful Thanks 109.159.4.2 (talk) 20:44, 6 June 2022 (UTC)

Please include both studies. They appear to be closely related, deliberately published simultaneously, and include many of the same authors.
Peters et al PNAS 6 June 2022
• Peters, J., Lebrasseur, O., Irving-Pease, E. K., Paxinos, P. D., Best, J., Smallman, R., Callou, C., Gardeisen, A., Trixl, S., Frantz, L., Sykes, N., Fuller, D. Q., & Larson, G. (2022). "The biocultural origins and dispersal of domestic chickens." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(24), e2121978119.
https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2121978119
• 13 authors, mostly Germany and UK
• "we assessed archaeological occurrences and the domestic status of chickens from ∼600 sites in 89 countries by combining zoogeographic, morphological, osteometric, stratigraphic, contextual, iconographic, and textual data. Our results suggest that the first unambiguous domestic chicken bones are found at Neolithic Ban Non Wat in central Thailand dated to ∼1650 to 1250 BCE"
Best et al Antiquity 7 June 2022
• Best, J., Doherty, S., Armit, I., Boev, Z., Büster, L., Cunliffe, B., Foster, A., Frimet, B., Hamilton-Dyer, S., Higham, T., Lebrasseur, O., Miller, H., Peters, J., Seigle, M., Skelton, C., Symmons, R., Thomas, R., Trentacoste, A., Maltby, M., Larson, G., Sykes, N. (2022). "Redefining the timing and circumstances of the chicken's introduction to Europe and north-west Africa." Antiquity, 1-15. doi:10.15184/aqy.2021.90
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/redefining-the-timing-and-circumstances-of-the-chickens-introduction-to-europe-and-northwest-africa/0797DAA570D51D988B0514C37C2EC534
• 21 authors, mostly UK
• "the authors radiocarbon dated 23 chicken bones from presumed early contexts. Three-quarters returned dates later than those suggested by stratigraphy"
And please mention more than just the UK contributors inline :) Webbph (talk) 14:20, 8 July 2022 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: English 202A Writing in the Social Sciences

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 23 August 2022 and 9 December 2022. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Openskies789 (article contribs). Peer reviewers: Jessica nakkoul, Benjamsredcob.

— Assignment last updated by Openskies789 (talk) 00:34, 24 October 2022 (UTC)

Main Introduction is currently poorly written

SUGGEST RESORT sentences and add a little - perhaps as follows The chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is a domesticated junglefowl species developed primarily (71-79%) from the red junglefowl (gallus gallus), with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult male bird, and a younger male may be called a cockerel. A male that has been castrated is a capon. An adult female bird is called a hen and a sexually immature female is called a pullet. Chickens are one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, with a total population of 23.7 billion as of 2018, up from more than 19 billion in 2011. There are more chickens in the world than any other bird. There are numerous cultural references to chickens – in myth, folklore and religion, and in language and literature. Humans now keep chickens primarily as a source of food (consuming both their meat and eggs) and sometimes as pets (?is this last significant??)Underline

In 2011 a study in genetic and archaeological evidence conclude that the origin of the modern-day chicken is from South-East Asia. This is the area east of India and south of China Genetic studies have pointed to multiple maternal origin theories of within South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia, but the clade found in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa originated from the Indian subcontinent. The paras from 'Domestication' & also 'Dispersal' seem to contradict parts of the current introduction!!! Exactly when and where the chicken was domesticated remains a controversial issue. 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 well before 6000 BC, China by 6000 BC and India by 2000 BC. From ancient India, the chicken spread to Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent. Fowl have been known in Egypt since the mid-15th century BC, with the "bird that gives birth every day" having come from the land between Syria and Shinar, Babylonia, according to the annals of Thutmose III. The spread was into Lydia in western Asia Minor, and to Greece by the 5th century BC. Chickens were not kept for food until the Hellenistic period (4th–2nd centuries BC) ??PROOF -What else were they for? Divination??) In China they are recorded in about 500BC according to estimations in the study of the sub-haplogroup C1, or for special ceremonies; and originally raised for cockfighting. (?is this last true and significant??)Underline Nojoking (talk) 17:21, 14 November 2022 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 10 May 2023

I want to write more about chickens because I know a lot about them. AyamCemani (talk) 17:48, 10 May 2023 (UTC)

 Not done: this is not the right page to request additional user rights. You may reopen this request with the specific changes to be made and someone may add them for you, or if you have an account, you can wait until you are autoconfirmed and edit the page yourself. Tollens (talk) 18:08, 10 May 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 31 May 2023

hello i just want to make an edit beacause you are missing an older chicken: a freare thank you! Hcduhudcvh (talk) 13:45, 31 May 2023 (UTC)

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Paper9oll (🔔📝) 13:52, 31 May 2023 (UTC)
I am unable to verify its existence. Invasive Spices (talk) 14:48, 31 May 2023 (UTC)


Genetics image

Hello @Lotje: I hope those changes are acceptable. I wanted to give you a chance to object or modify. Invasive Spices (talk) 5 January 2022 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Comparative Anatomy

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 7 February 2022 and 20 May 2022. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): JustinDelC (article contribs).

Firm timeline for arrival of chickens in Europe?

In the History section, it says "The first pictures of chickens in Europe are found on Corinthian pottery of the 7th century BC." But in the Dispersal section, it claims "Chickens reached Europe circa 100 BC". Does anyone know the reason for this discrepancy? Bzzzing (talk) 23:41, 15 April 2023 (UTC)

Yes, the claim in this Wikipedia article that "Chickens reached Europe circa 100 BC" is absolute nonsense.
If you read the paper used as a source for the 100 BC claim, Perry-Gal et al 2015, it actually doesn't say anywhere that chickens reached Europe in 100 BC. No, what it actually says is that chickens were being widely exploited commercially by 100 BC in Europe, about a century later than in the Levant. Before 100 BC in Europe chickens were widely used for fighting, and for sacrifices in religious rituals. Chickens were therefore bred to be highly aggressive animals for that purpose, but later in Europe they began to breed a tamer and less aggressive chicken for food consumption and this became widespread in parts of Europe by 100 BC.
Somebody needs to either edit out the false claim that "Chickens reached Europe circa 100 BC", or if you want to keep that claim it needs to be somehow put it into the previous paragraph where they talk about the development of the economic exploitation of the chicken. And, perhaps the quote used for the source needs to be altered so as to be less misleading.
From - "We further argue that the earliest secure evidence for economic exploitation of chickens in Europe dates to the first century B.C.E. and therefore is predated by the finds in the Southern Levant by at least a century."
Putting it into better context...
To - "Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) is today one of the most widespread domesticated species and is a main source of protein in the human diet. However, for thousands of years exploitation of chickens was confined to symbolic and social domains such as cockfighting. The question of when and where chickens were first used for economic purposes remains unresolved ... We further argue that the earliest secure evidence for economic exploitation of chickens in Europe dates to the first century B.C.E. and therefore is predated by the finds in the Southern Levant by at least a century" — Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.44.230.145 (talk) 10:54, 19 July 2023 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 20 September 2023

Dapperdanman65 (talk) 22:04, 20 September 2023 (UTC) I would like to fix some spelling errors on this page.
 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Cannolis (talk) 22:14, 20 September 2023 (UTC)

Diseases section Campylobacteriosis

Campylobacteriosis is claimed to be caused by a tissue injury in the gut but the wikipedia article for Campylobacteriosis itself says it's a bacterial infection, so on of them is incorrect or at the very least misleading! 2A0A:F640:1610:E6D2:0:0:0:1 (talk) 13:36, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

Who/Where claims it is caused by a tissue injury in the gut? Plantsurfer 16:48, 2 December 2023 (UTC)


'Male chicken' vs 'rooster/cock'

The lead and first line of the 'terminology'-section, make it seem like every adult male chicken is called a rooster or a cock. However, the definition of capon in that section and its article, say that it's a 'castrated male chicken'. In the articles about cows and horses it is specifically stated that bull and stallion only reffer to non-castrated individuals. Is this the same for chickens, because if it is, it should be mentioned. Wikifan153 (talk) 11:39, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

Should the binomial name be Gallus domesticus or Gallus gallus domesticus?

I've seen most sources refer to it as Gallus gallus domesticus. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7014787/ (from a source on the Gallus gallus page.) It seems like they are synonyms, but Gallus gallus domesticus is much more common. Gallus gallus domesticus is also mentioned earlier on this talk page. 2st (talk) 23:02, 2 February 2024 (UTC)

The binomial (species) is Gallus gallus, same as the red junglefowl. The subspecies identifier is domesticus, forming a trinomial. G. domesticus is a synonym. Chiswick Chap (talk) 09:58, 3 February 2024 (UTC)
yeah cool, i looked it up because of Nanashi Mumei's tweet lmao, I see that the wiki is edited now https://twitter.com/nanashimumei_en/status/1753550400207384985 2st (talk) 07:53, 5 February 2024 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 9 February 2024

Male is spelled "mail" in . Under the section "Reproduction and life-cycle", male is spelled incorrectly in "After copulation the mail does a tail-bending display." Nickanastasiades (talk) 21:42, 9 February 2024 (UTC)

 Done, thanks! Peaceray (talk) 22:14, 9 February 2024 (UTC)
Thanks both. Chiswick Chap (talk)@

Semi-protected edit request on 21 March 2024

I am requesting an edit to change "legs unfeathered" some breed of chickens have feathers, specifically Silkies 2600:1006:B066:BF2B:24E9:2BAE:7E97:E2D0 (talk) 16:22, 21 March 2024 (UTC)

OK, I've added a brief gloss to that effect. Chiswick Chap (talk) 16:58, 21 March 2024 (UTC)

Dispersal source

Hello, i bumped into this source while reading on mobile.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-46093-2 Yug (talk) 🐲 19:28, 3 April 2024 (UTC)

Well, we certainly shouldn't be trying to chase every primary research paper, it's not our function, nor is it even possible. This paper however makes an attempt to review past work and to explain why dating has been difficult, so it's more relevant than many. I've added a note about it. Chiswick Chap (talk) 08:39, 4 April 2024 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 11 April 2024

under "domestication" section of this article. Remove falsely cited graphic. Map titled "chicken domestication and dispersal" is cited as being from citation [42] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12915-020-0738-1. If you read the cited article, two things become apparent: 1. the map is not from the article, only created using some information from the article. Clearly, this graphic is not from a peer-reviewed source seeing as it lists the "AD" after the year, not before. And 2. some of the information in the graphic is from an un-cited source. the cited article makes no mention of domestication dates in the Americas. Needs proper citation (and grammar). Generally Bassariscus (talk) 03:18, 11 April 2024 (UTC)

Graphic is stated on Commons to be a standard world map, with the addition of data from cited source. It is not asserted that the map is from the source, indeed if it was it would be in copyright. Chiswick Chap (talk) 06:56, 11 April 2024 (UTC)
Not all of the information in the graphic is cited in the source. some of the information--dates in the Americas--are without citation. it is misleading. additional citation needed if America domestication dates are going to be kept. Alternatively, the America dates could be removed from the graphic. Generally Bassariscus (talk) 04:23, 7 May 2024 (UTC)
The data and citations are already in the article as you well know, so there is nothing at all misleading about it. I've repeated the refs in the caption for you. Chiswick Chap (talk) 06:26, 7 May 2024 (UTC)
k. I see you added the Borrell source and the Storey source. thank you! Generally Bassariscus (talk) 01:56, 14 May 2024 (UTC)

Cockerel age

The article currently defines a cockerel as "a young male chicken less than a year old," and cites to reference.com (sketchy?), which no longer includes the time restriction, and even in the archived page, it was wishy-washy. Many dictionaries don't include a specific age constraint, and the current entry in the OED notes the less than a year old factor, but then goes on to say there is a wider definition of "any age," and that the wider sense prevails in popular use. I'm not sure how much "popular use" there is of the word cockerel, but in any case, I don't think it's appropriate define it in such absolute terms on this page. I have tagged it dubious. (Also not sure about the use of reference.com). jhawkinson (talk) 13:39, 3 May 2024 (UTC)

OK, let's ditch it. Chiswick Chap (talk) 13:42, 3 May 2024 (UTC)
I think it remains current in Indian English; not sure exactly what it conveys there. Johnbod (talk) 16:47, 3 May 2024 (UTC)
Johnbod, can you say that without using pronouns ("it")? I cannot tell what you mean. I don't quite know what relevance Indian English has to the English Wikipedia, but regardless of that, the point is not that the definition of "less than a year old" is wrong — the point is that that is one of two definitions, and the other definition is more general. Even if the more general definition were not more widespread (which it appears to be), it would problematic for this article to use the more specific definition only. jhawkinson (talk) 17:20, 3 May 2024 (UTC)
Not sure I follow you here - "it" means "use of cockerel". If you "don't quite know what relevance Indian English has to the English Wikipedia" I suggest you read WP:ENGVAR and other core policies. We cover the English language in all its major varieties, and have many millions of readers in South Asia. Then you seem to start arguing with something I didn't say. Johnbod (talk) 19:04, 3 May 2024 (UTC)
Hi, @Johnbod. Since I couldn't tell what you meant, I took my best guess and gave you my reaction. Sorry that it turns out I was wrong ("something [you] didn't say"); it's not surprising since, like I said, I could not tell what you meant. I'm afraid I don't see how WP:ENGVAR matters to the question at hand — perhaps the important thing to be looking at is WP:NOTDICT. In this case, this article defined "cockeril," and offered a more-specific definition that is less common than general definition, and that more-specific definition is out of favor according to the English language authorities that I checked. (That is not to say it is wrong or that it is not "current" — currency is a totally different concept!) If it were, hypothetically the case, that Indian English prefers the more-specific definition to the general definition, in conflict with my understanding of British English and American English, that would not justify leaving the more-specific definition in this article without explanation. That is why I do not understand the relevance.
You used "it" twice in your sentence, and I am further confused. If I substitute your provided antecedent for for either the first or for both, I still don't understand your points: (1) "I think use of cockerel remains current in Indian English; not sure exactly what it conveys there."; or (2) "I think use of cockerel remains current in Indian English; not sure exactly what use of cockerel conveys there." Neither of those seem to make much sense. If you're saying the word is used in Indian English but you don't know what it means in Indian English, well, I don't see how that's information that is particularly useful in deciding how to define the word in this article. Sorry I couldn't make this shorter. jhawkinson (talk) 01:48, 4 May 2024 (UTC)
Yes, the definition with 'young' is sufficient. Chiswick Chap (talk) 17:42, 3 May 2024 (UTC)