An average chicken in the 1950s weighed around 2 pounds, whereas an average chicken in the market weighs around 6-8 pounds today. A considerable shift has been witnessed in the size of the chickens over the past few decades.
Not only are big chickens big today, but they grow faster too. Although people believe that the reason behind the rapid growth of chickens is hormones and added steroids, that might not be the case.
The demand for chicken as a protein has widely increased, especially chicken parts such as breasts and thighs. Farmers, therefore, have worked to create larger and healthier chickens to meet that demand.
Through several improvements in nutrition, breeding, bird health, and veterinary care, today’s chicken farmers can raise bigger and healthier birds faster. Before even a broiler chicken is hatched today, it has a healthier start to life than a chicken from just 25 years ago.