Poultry

Poultry are a group of domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or their feathers.^[1] These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae, especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails, turkeys).^[2] The term also includes birds that are killed for their meat, such as the young pigeons (known as squabs) but does not include similar wild birds hunted for sport or food and known as game. The word "poultry" comes from the French word poule, which itself is derived from the Latin word pullus, which means game birds.^[3]

Ducks amongst other poultry.

Poultry, on an image by Otto Scheuerer.

Poultry as food

Poultry is the second most widely eaten type of meat in the world, accounting for about 33% of total meat production all around the world compared to pork at 36%.^[4][5]

World production of duck meat was about 4.2 million tonnes in 2011. China was producing two thirds of that total which means around 1.7 billion birds.^[6]

Chicken and duck eggs on sale in Hong Kong.

Global egg production reached 76.7 million tonnes in 2018, a huge 24% growth since 2008.^[7]

Related pages

• Animal husbandry
• Cattle