The marvel chicken Today, chickens born from targeted genetics are raised by the millions in industrial farms. Industrial fried chicken is physiologically adapted to gain weight, so it is ready to be pan-cooked in six weeks. Modern hybrid laying hens are so efficient that they don't even think about laying eggs (Will). To understand the importance of chickens, you need to know their history, their many uses and how to raise them effectively. Chickens are complex creatures that have greatly impacted history. Leading animal behaviorists claim that chickens have advanced cognitive abilities: in some circumstances, they are more advanced than cats, dogs, and (“hidden”) primates. This article, written in Modern Language Association (MLA) format, covers the history of chickens, their many uses, and how they can be raised successfully. Chickens have a diverse history full of unexpected facts. Chickens were first domesticated in Southeast Asia from wild birds, and "many archaeologists believe that chickens were first domesticated not for eating but for fighting roosters" (Adler) . However, cockfighting is illegal in the United States today because it is considered inhumane. Chickens are considered the most numerous birds inhabiting the earth. In the United States alone, 8.5 billion chickens are killed each year. That’s 272 chickens killed every second (Geer). Chickens are often considered mindless animals; however, this is not the case. Chickens are actually very intelligent animals with similar attributes to primates. “Even when an object is taken away from the chicken and hidden, it is able to understand that it still exists. Few animals have the ability...... middle of paper ......ent has its advantages. Managing chickens requires less time: farmers only need to feed, water and monitor the chickens. It also requires less land because chickens only need shelter, not somewhere to roam: at their largest, chickens only need two to three feet of space ( " How "). Chickens are valuable animals: they can produce meat, eggs, and feathers. These intelligent birds have a long and prosperous history. To successfully raise chickens, you need to have a detailed plan. They need to know what type of confinement is best for them, how much they want and what type of food to use. Clear knowledge and understanding of the types of chickens, their benefits, and the appropriate conditions for raising them effectively ensures that chickens and the humans who raise and consume them will obtain productive poultry grown humanely to support human needs...