Chicken!!!
A chicken is a bird and one of the features that differentiate it from other birds is that it has a comb (red appendages on top of the head) and two wattles (the wattles are the two appendages under the chin). Chicken is the most common type of poultry in the world compared to other animals like hogs and cattle because of the low cost involved in raising them.
A Chicken weighs approximately 2.6kg (5.7 pounds) on average. Big chickens are generally known for their fleshy comb and high-arched tails. A male chicken is called a cock or rooster while the female is called a hen.
The heartbeat of chicken is fast, being about 286 times a minute in males and 312 in females in a resting condition, their rate of respiration is higher than bigger animals. The smaller the bird the faster the rate of breathing. Chickens are hatched not born; they have the lightest body for flying because it has pneumatic bones which means they are operated by air under pressure. Chickens have a short life span, it takes the female six months to mature sexually and kept for 12-14 months for egg production.
Chickens have both white (breast) and dark (thighs, back, neck, and legs) meat. There are many varieties of chicken which include conventional chicken, free-range chicken, and organic chicken, the difference between them is how they are fed and raised. The conventional types are kept in cages and not allowed to move freely, while the free-range type as the name implies is allowed to move freely. The organic variety is the most expensive because the chickens are fed only with organically grown foods and they may not be given antibiotics.
Chicken serves as food in many restaurants and can be prepared in different ways like boiling, frying, grilling, roasting, etc. It is said to be healthier than red meat with a lower concentration of cholesterol and saturated fat. Those raised specially for food are called boilers.
The edible components of a chicken:
Wings:
It comprises three parts
- The tip which is often discarded
- The flat middle part which contains two bones
- The drumette which is shaped like a small drumstick is white meat.
Legs:
It consists of two parts
- The thigh which is the upper part of the leg is also known as dark meat.
- The drumstick is the lower part of the leg also known as dark meat
Breast:
These are white meat and are relatively dry. It comprises two-part
- The breast
- The two tenderloin
The by-product of chicken: This includes
- Blood
- Carcass
- Eggs: the most consumed by-product
- Liver: the largest organ
- Heart and gizzard
Health benefits of eating chicken
- It promotes health: It provides under-consumed vitamins and minerals and can be the center of the plate for a heart-healthy, low-fat, and low-cholesterol diet
- It aids weight loss: Lean chicken meat is an excellent source of protein that the body can use easily. Foods high in protein may be a tool for managing weight and normal blood sugar.
- Builds muscle: It is a source of high-quality dietary protein.
- Strengthens bone: It is a source of dietary protein. Protein can benefit bone health.
- Chicken is easy to eat: For those who struggle with chewing or swallowing foods, or with changes in taste, it is a versatile source of high-quality protein.
- Chicken contains nutrients linked with mood: They have tryptophan, an amino acid that is responsible for raising serotonin levels in your brain. Serotonin is the “feel-good” neurochemical linked with mood.