Are Chickens Dinosaurs?
The History of Chickens
No, but chickens did descend from dinosaurs and have proven to be more similar to dinosaurs (specifically the T. rex) than any other living creature! In 2004, an international team of geneticists produced a complete map of the chicken genome. They determined that the chicken was the first domesticated animal, the first bird – and consequently, the first descendant of dinosaurs.
Red Junglefowl. Photo Credit
The domesticated chickens that produce our eggs today are descendants of the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus domesticus) and are believed to have originated from Southeast Asia. However, before they became a source of food the world over, they were revered for their fighting prowess. The legend goes that in the first decade of the fifth century B.C. the Athenian general Themistocles stopped to watch two cocks fighting on the side of the road. He was struck by their ferocity and summoned his troops to watch the two roosters fight. He used this battle between roosters as an analogy for how to fight in their upcoming battle with the Percians. Historians believe this may have been the start of cockfighting, which has the dubious honor of being the world’s oldest continual sport.
Chickens were used only sporadically for food until the Egyptians mastered the technique of artificial incubation – a method that they kept secret from outsiders for centuries! This spurred on the availability of chickens, and their popularity grew as a source of meat and eggs throughout the Mediterranean, especially for the Romans who are credited with inventing the omelet and the practice of stuffing birds for cooking.
As the Romans expanded their empire, they also expanded the footprint of chickens into Europe. Because chickens were a great source of food for long sea voyages, European explorers and colonists brought them along to the Americas, Africa and other parts of the world.
Large-scale industrial production of eggs and poultry began in the 20th century, which skyrocketed the availability and demand for both meat and eggs. Many advancements have been made since then in areas such as chicken health, ethical treatment, and more. In fact, many of these innovations took place right in Petaluma. These innovations include the invention of the modern day incubator and the first pharmacy dedicated solely to chickens.
A History of Farming in Petaluma
Petaluma Egg Farm is also part of the legacy of chicken farming in Petaluma. Our grandfather’s uncle, Johnny Mahrt, immigrated to Petaluma from Germany in the 1920s where he started his own chicken ranch. Later, in the 1950s, our grandfather joined him to start working on his ranch and other chicken ranches in the area until he had enough money to start raising chickens on his own ranch.
Boyd Mahrt, affectionally referred to as Opa by his family. immigrated from Germany in the 1950s and eventually started his own chicken ranch.
Here Boyd is performing a daily walk in one of his chicken houses.
On our farm, we raise white Leghorn and brown Rhode Island Red chickens. The Leghorn originated in Italy, perhaps even going back to Roman times. The Rhode Island Red is native to the United States through cross-breeding that included brown Leghorns from Italy.
We’re proud to be a part of Petaluma’s tradition of producing eggs, though we’re now the last independent family-run egg farm left in Sonoma County. However, with our next generation now working on the farm, we look forward to continuing that tradition for many years to come.
