Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Junglefowl breed and evolved through the centuries into hundreds of breeds as they were car-
ried from continent to continent.
The origin and history of chickens
It may be hard to imagine, but sketches of chickens found on shards of pottery and on cave
walls suggest that during the Roman Empire, these birds were worshipped. Long before being
considered a menu item, they were used as sacrifices to Roman and Greek gods. In Greek cul-
ture, the Greeks would offer chickens as sacrifices to the gods to try to appease them or in the
hopes of receiving something they wanted. The Romans, who were a superstitious people, be-
lieved slaughtering a chicken could help them make decisions in battle. “The Keeper of the
Sacred Chickens” was a position in the army and a title one of the soldiers held. Romans car-
ried a cage of sacred chickens with them when they went to war. They would throw food and
crumble at the bottom of the chicken cages when the troops needed assistance, such as when
they should attack. If the chickens ate, it was a sign that everything was fine. If they did not
eat, then something was wrong, and the soldiers were to take caution.
In one particular battle, when the Keeper of the Sacred Chickens fed the birds, they did not
eat. The Roman general Publius Claudius Pulcher was headstrong and ignored the birds; he
tossed their cage into the sea. He said they could drink if they did not want to eat. The Ro-
mans then lost their battle, the Battle of Drepanum.
So how did hens and roosters get from Asia and Europe to America? History suggests Chris-
topher Columbus carried chickens with him on his ships from Italy during his second voyage
to the New World. With today's ever-changing technology, scientists still search for more spe-
cific answers and are conducting DNA testing on remnants of chicken bones found in North
and South America. These bones may predate Columbus, indicating the birds were there be-
fore he landed on the continent. If this is the case, a breed of chicken may have developed in
the Western Hemisphere from another breed of bird, or another explorer might have brought
chickens with him.
From 1500 to the 1900s, chickens were raised on small farms and in family backyards primar-
ily for producing eggs. America's poultry industry did not come to fruition until 1923, when
Celia Steele, a housewife in Sussex County, Delaware, had the foresight to see that chickens
also could be sold as broilers and not just layers. A broiler chicken is raised for meat, and a
layer lays eggs. She saw the profit potential and purchased 500 chicks intending to sell them
for meat. At the time, poultry was a delicacy and typically was not sold for meat, so Steele's
