Worldwide, there are over 23 billion chickens squawking, laying eggs and running around farmyards at any one time.
In fact, there are far more chickens in the world than human beings!
So what is the weight of a chicken?
Chickens vary significantly in size and weight, with most adults weighing somewhere between 5 and 10 pounds (2.27 kg to 4.54 kg).
On average, adult roosters tend to be larger than hens.
Likewise, birds bred for meat tend to be bigger than chickens kept for eggs. When slaughtered, a chicken will typically weigh 4.5 to 5 pounds (2.04 to 2.27 kg).
Although there are over 23 billion chickens on earth, annual chicken production can reach upwards of 66 billion birds. This is because the lifespan of a meat chicken is typically 50 days or less.
Amazingly, there are around three times more chickens on earth than human beings! There are also more chickens than any other type of bird.
Chickens are thought to have been domesticated in China around 6,000 BC.
Today, they are most commonly kept for their meat and eggs – or, occasionally, as pets.
On average, a mother hen may lay more than 300 eggs each year.
Humans consume a staggering 110 million tonnes of chicken each year. This is forecast to reach 160 million tonnes by 2040.
~ Fun Fact ~
The heaviest egg ever laid by a hen weighed in at 454 g (16 ounces). It was laid by a White Leghorn at Vineland, New Jersey, USA in 1956.
Resources
https://sorrychicken.com/how-much-chickens-weigh
https://www.thefactsite.com/chicken-facts/
https://www.darrinqualman.com/100-years-chicken-production/
https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/heaviest-chicken-egg