What differentiates a chicken from a foul in particular? Chickens are domesticated fowls, but a fowl is a superorder of birds. This is the main difference between a fowl and a chicken. In essence, a chicken is a type of bird, although not all fowl are chickens. Keep reading to know more.
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As a backyard chicken keeper I often get asked what the difference is between a fowl chicken and regular poultry chicken. For a long time I thought they were interchangeable terms. However, after doing some research, I realized there are some distinct differences between fowl and poultry that are important to understand.
Fowl Refers to Wild or Domesticated Birds
The term “fowl” has a broad meaning that includes any bird that is hunted or raised for meat and eggs. Fowl encompasses both wild birds like pheasants, partridges, and quail as well as domesticated birds like chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese. Essentially, fowl includes all varieties of birds raised or captured for food.
Some key characteristics of fowl:
- Includes both wild and domesticated birds
- Hunted or raised for meat, eggs, feathers or sport
- Examples: chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, pheasant, quail
In essence, a fowl chicken is just a tamed chicken that is raised for meat and eggs.
Poultry Refers Specifically to Domesticated Birds
While fowl has a wide meaning, poultry is a more narrow term that refers specifically to domesticated birds raised for food production. The most common poultry species are chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese that have been bred and raised on farms.
Some defining traits of poultry
- Only includes domesticated birds
- Raised for meat, eggs, or feathers
- Not hunted or caught from the wild
- Examples: chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese
This means that a “poultry chicken” is only a domesticated chicken raised for its meat and eggs.
Key Differences Between Fowl and Poultry
To summarize the distinctions:
- Origin: Fowl can be wild or domesticated, while poultry only refers to domesticated birds.
- Purpose: Fowl includes birds hunted for sport or food. Poultry focuses on domestic production.
- Examples: Fowl includes pheasants and quail, while poultry does not.
- Legal Designation: Game laws differentiate between fowl and poultry.
People often use the terms “fowl” and “poultry” to refer to the same thing, but it’s important to know the technical differences between the two.
Different Terminology Used for Chickens
The terminology for chickens can get a bit complex. Here’s a quick guide:
- Chicken: Generic term for the species as a whole
- Hen: Mature female chicken
- Rooster: Mature male chicken
- Pullet: Young female chicken under 1 year old
- Cockerel: Young male chicken under 1 year old
- Broiler: Chicken bred specifically for meat
- Fryer: Young chicken under 4 months old weighing 2.5-4 pounds
- Roaster: Chicken between 3-5 months old weighing 4-8 pounds
That is, a fowl or poultry chicken could be called a pullet, hen, broiler, fryer, or roaster, depending on its age, sex, and purpose.
Is There a Difference in Taste?
In terms of meat quality, there is little difference between pasture-raised fowl chickens and poultry chickens raised in barn or free-range conditions. However, most people find that pasture-raised fowl have more flavor and a firmer, leaner texture due to their diverse natural diets and higher activity levels. Fowl chickens allowed to forage freely develop more muscle and less fat compared to conventionally farmed poultry chickens.
Fowl and Poultry Both Play Important Roles
Whether it’s wild forest-dwelling fowl or domesticated poultry chickens, both groups provide high-quality protein, nutrients, and eggs. Fowl and poultry may have different backgrounds, but they serve equally important roles in feeding populations around the globe. The rich diversity of birds encompassed by the broad term “fowl” provides unique flavors and textures to suit every taste preference.
So next time you enjoy a meal starring our fine feathered friends, take a moment to appreciate the difference between fowl and poultry!
Chicken Vs Fowl: What’s the Difference Between the Two?
Despite the fact that the terms are sometimes used synonymously, “chicken” refers to a particular type of bird, whereas “fowl” can cover a wide range of birds.
For instance, domesticated chickens are raised for their meat or eggs. Any bird, including various domesticated and wild gallinaceous species, can be considered a fowl.
What is a Chicken?
As previously established, the scientific name for domestic chickens is Gallus gallus domesticus. Actually, the red junglefowl subspecies include chicken. One of the most popular and widely used domestic animals in modern times is the chicken.
Although the number of chickens worldwide varies continually, the website Statista estimates that there are currently around 22 billion of them in existence.
Chickens make up the majority of domesticated birds and poultry in the world today. This is due to the fact that humans use them as their main source of both meat and eggs, and some people even keep them as pets.
Before they were kept as food, chickens were used for cockfighting and were often seen in religious settings. They first started being kept as farm animals and for meat and eggs during the Hellenistic era. The birds are currently virtually everywhere, both in the wild and being domesticated for agricultural use.
Jungle Fowl Facts: the WILD CHICKEN?! Animal Fact Files
FAQ
What is the difference between a chicken and a fowl?
Colloquially , fowl and poultry are used interchangeably. But there are two biological orders of birds called fowl: landfowl (like chicken, quail, and pheasant) and waterfowl. A fowl is any domesticated bird that is raised for meat or eggs.
What is considered a fowl?
In general, fowl includes all chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and other game birds, as well as any domesticated or wild bird that is eaten for food. The term can encompass both landfowl (like chickens and turkeys) and waterfowl (like ducks and geese).
Does fowl taste like chicken?
They are often kept as pets (as they are very friendly toward little kids). So most of the time they are free range, and not raised in the disgusting Iowa CAFOs. Meaning they will often taste just a bit “gamier”. Not in a bad way. They taste like chicken. Just not like corporate Perdue chicken.
Is a rooster a fowl?
Yes, a rooster is a type of fowl. In general, fowl means chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys, as well as other birds that have been tamed and raised for food.