# Monster chickens **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 21, 2018, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282 "2018-10-21T14:04:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/1 "2018-10-21T14:04:23Z")
Over the recent few years, I’ve noticed the size of chicken purchased in grocery stores (US) has increased tremendously. One bird is enough to feed an army. Breasts, thighs, and legs are (I feel) grotesquely large; nearing turkey size, for crying out loud. The poor processors tasked with dispatching these things should receive hazard pay, for I’m certain these giant birds don’t go down without a fight!😉 Is this trend the result of consumer demand, or is it driven by some benefit to the producer/marketer? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/2 "2018-10-21T14:20:45Z")
> [@ZurBob](#): > > Is this trend the result of consumer demand, or is it driven by some benefit to the producer/marketer? Clearly it’s both. They sell by the pound, so each unit yields more. Consumers, on the other hand, see it as “getting more.” Same thing with unnaturally turkeys. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/3 "2018-10-21T15:42:51Z")
We have gotten Young hens from a meat processing plant. Every truck load some escape and they are wandering around the grounds. If you can catch them you can have them. (not easy, btw). They are very big and lay big eggs. I am sure ( anecdote) they are engineered to be large. It’s all financial. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/4 "2018-10-21T15:54:47Z")
I often buy organic chicken just to avoid these over sized breasts. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/5 "2018-10-21T16:05:53Z")
Genetic engineering: > [@](#): > > The trend started with the 1948 contest that invited farmers nationwide to develop the “Chicken of Tomorrow” with specific goals — bigger, meatier, faster growth. As a result, Arbor Acre breed, the crossbreed of the two winners, has become the grandparents of most commercial meat chicken we eat today worldwide. > > There were massive genetic differences as a result of selective breeding by raising chicken breeds from different eras under exact same conditions, a 2014 study by researchers at the University of Alberta, Canada, observed. The result was stunning: At the same age, the 2005 breed had grown to about four times as heavy as the 1957 breed, despite being fed the same food. > > [Why chickens are twice as big today as they were 60 years ago - MarketWatch](https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-chickens-are-twice-as-big-today-as-they-were-60-years-ago-2017-01-06) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/6 "2018-10-21T16:22:44Z")
They’re using more Herakleophorbia these days [![](http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9781620281192_p0_v3_s260x420.JPG) ](http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9781620281192_p0_v3_s260x420.JPG) [![](https://balladeer.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/food-of-the-gods-2.jpg) ](https://balladeer.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/food-of-the-gods-2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/7 "2018-10-21T16:37:31Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Genetic engineering: > > > [@](#): > > > > The trend started with the 1948 contest that invted farmers nationwide to develop the “Chicken of Tomorrow” with specific goals — bigger, meatier, faster growth. As a result, Arbor Acre breed, the crossbreed of the two winners, has become the grandparents of most commercial meat chicken we eat today worldwide. > > > > There were massive genetic differences as a result of selective breeding by raising chicken breeds from different eras under exact same conditions, a 2014 study by researchers at the University of Alberta, Canada, observed. The result was stunning: At the same age, the 2005 breed had grown to about four times as heavy as the 1957 breed, despite being fed the same food. > > > > [https://www.marketwatch.com/story/wh...ago-2017-01-06](https://www.marketwatch.com/story/wh...ago-2017-01-06) Humans have practiced selective breeding of domestic animals for thousands of years (and have done the same thing for plant species for perhaps longer). Is that the same thing as “genetic engineering”? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/8 "2018-10-21T16:44:31Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Humans have practiced selective breeding of domestic animals for thousands of years (and have done the same thing for plant species for perhaps longer). Is that the same thing as “genetic engineering”? By definition, no. “Genetic engineering” refers to the artificial manipulation of the genome itself, often by inserting genes from entirely different organisms. ---
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/9 "2018-10-21T17:20:49Z")
Wellll… Irrespective of the reason(s) involved, it has reached a tipping point for me. I used to consume quite a bit of chicken but now, not so much. I find the whopper size unappealing, and feel the taste and texture has suffered to boot. If the strategy is to encourage more chicken consumption, it has backfired on me… I consume less. bob++ : Thanks for the excellent link. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/10 "2018-10-21T17:56:06Z")
I don’t know that we’re suddenly producing giant chickens. The biggest breed in the U.S. currently is said to be the [Jersey Giant](https://countrysidenetwork.com/daily/poultry/chickens-101/the-jersey-giant-chicken-an-outstanding-heritage-meat-breed/), which was created in the late 1800s. The next largest breed (the Brahma) dates back at least to the 1850s. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/11 "2018-10-21T19:33:54Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > I don’t know that we’re suddenly producing giant chickens. Maybe not “suddenly,” but the chickens marketed today [are much larger than in the past.](https://www.chickencheck.in/faq/supersized-chicken/) > [@](#): > > In the 1920’s, the average chicken at market weight was 2.5 pounds and the U.S. population to feed was 115 million. Through a number of improvements in breeding, nutrition, veterinary care and bird health, today’s chicken farmers are able to raise bigger and healthier birds faster – an average of about 6 pounds at market weight today, to feed the current U.S. population of approximately 320 million. Also, [commercially available chickens are not “genetically engineered/modified.”](https://www.chickencheck.in/farm-to-table/are-chickens-genetically-modified/) > [@](#): > > The biggest breed in the U.S. currently is said to be the [Jersey Giant](https://countrysidenetwork.com/daily/poultry/chickens-101/the-jersey-giant-chicken-an-outstanding-heritage-meat-breed/), which was created in the late 1800s. The next largest breed (the Brahma) dates back at least to the 1850s. But the Jersey Giant is not really a factor in the increased size of commercially available chickens, because (from the link): > [@](#): > > By now you should have in your mind that the Jersey Giant chicken is large and well-fleshed, though it grows slowly by today’s standards. From the chicken producer’s point of view, growth rate rather than size per se is one of the most important factors. ---
**Author:** ![ZurBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/71e660/32.png) [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/12 "2018-10-21T20:34:43Z")
Hasn’t the pork industry experienced a similar fate? Hogs brought to market larger, faster, leaner, _AND_ tastes like chicken!!!.. Blechh.:mad:… Gotta have the fat! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/13 "2018-10-22T01:10:13Z")
Chickens have been bred to the extent that they are now like cattle: they have diverged into 2 sub-species. Just like we have beef cattle & dairy cattle, we now have egg-laying chickens and meat chickens. There are different breeds specializing in each. Those producing meat chickens breed for fast growth, which larger portions of the parts that people prefer to eat (like breasts & thighs). Meanwhile the egg-laying chickens have been bred to put all their energy into producing more eggs faster, and end up with worn-out, scrawny bodies with minimal meat on their bones. > [@](#): > > Is this trend the result of consumer demand, or is it driven by some benefit to the producer/marketer? Really, it’s both: consumers demand more meat, more eggs at lower prices; producers move to supply that demand at least cost. You could say it’s a chicken-and-egg question. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/14 "2018-10-22T01:51:57Z")
> [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > Really, it’s both: consumers demand more meat, more eggs at lower prices; producers move to supply that demand at least cost. You could say it’s a chicken-and-egg question. So which came first? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/15 "2018-10-22T02:15:40Z")
Coincidentally enough, today was when I started reading [this](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=147643) manga… ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/16 "2018-10-22T02:18:40Z")
> [@Tatterdemalion](#): > > So which came first? Obviously, eggs. Dinosaurs were laying eggs millions of years before chickens even existed. If you say a dinosaur egg doesn’t count, only a chicken egg, then it comes down to what your definition of a chicken ‘egg’ is: is it an egg containing a chicken, or an egg laid by a chicken. Whichever definition you choose, then you have specified the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/17 "2018-10-22T03:02:26Z")
As I recall, Cecil’s answer was that the chicken came first because the hen had to get laid before the egg could. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/18 "2018-10-22T03:17:13Z")
> [@Tatterdemalion](#): > > As I recall, Cecil’s answer was that the chicken came first because the hen had to get laid before the egg could. [https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/479/which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg/[https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/479/which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg/](https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/479/which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg/)](https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/479/which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg/%5Bhttps://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/479/which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg/%5D(https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/479/which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg/)) I should include a link to the column. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/19 "2018-10-22T03:41:52Z")
I was thinking about this yesterday when I was at the grocery store, and saw a few capons in the freezer. They were the size of small turkeys! A while back, I read about a woman who had emigrated from Africa, and shortly after her arrival went to an American restaurant with some fellow new arrivals. She thought she was safe with baked chicken, but in the end, neither she nor her companions could eat it because not only were the pieces much larger than expected, they were also a texture with which they were unfamiliar. Home-grown and -processed chicken in her homeland was tough, stringy, and also very flavorful, whereas this was not. I sometimes see stewing hens for sale at ethnic markets in my area; they are incredibly scrawny, and I’ve never purchased one but they probably do taste very good. (If you don’t know what a capon is, I’ll describe it the way my grandmother, who died in 1990, did: “It’s a rooster that’s been neutered. They grow really big.” I’ve never knowingly eaten it, but it’s a meat that I wouldn’t because it’s produced by torturing the animals; in the meantime, I found out that the rooster’s testicles are NOT located at the vent. They are located under the wings.) ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2018, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282/20 "2018-10-22T04:10:24Z")
Keep in mind as well that grocery stores are now allowed to inject massive amounts of saline solution into their chicken meat to “plump it up”, ostensibly to make it more visually appealing, but in addition because they can sell you salt water at $4 a pound (or whatever). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-chickens/823282.md?page=2)