Poultry

Poultry (/ˌpoʊltriː/) are domesticated birds kept by humans for the eggs they produce, their meat, their feathers, or sometimes as pets. These birds are most typically members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens, quails and turkeys) and the family Anatidae, in order Anseriformes, commonly known as "waterfowl" and including domestic ducks and domestic geese. Poultry also includes other birds that are killed for their meat, such as the young of pigeons (known as squabs) but does not include similar wild birds hunted for sport or food and known as game. The word "poultry" comes from the French/Norman word poule, itself derived from the Latin word pullus, which means small animal.

The domestication of poultry took place several thousand years ago. This may have originally been as a result of people hatching and rearing young birds from eggs collected from the wild, but later involved keeping the birds permanently in captivity. Domesticated chickens may have been used for cockfighting at first and quail kept for their songs, but soon it was realised how useful it was having a captive-bred source of food. Selective breeding for fast growth, egg-laying ability, conformation, plumage and docility took place over the centuries, and modern breeds often look very different from their wild ancestors. Although some birds are still kept in small flocks in extensive systems, most birds available in the market today are reared in intensive commercial enterprises. Poultry is the second most widely eaten type of meat globally and, along with eggs, provides nutritionally beneficial food containing high-quality protein accompanied by a low proportion of fat. All poultry meat should be properly handled and sufficiently cooked in order to reduce the risk of food poisoning.

Poultry (disambiguation)

Poultry refers to domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, meat, feathers, or as pets.

Poultry may also refer to:

Poultry, London

Poultry is a short street in the City of London, the historic nucleus and modern financial centre of London. It is an eastern continuation of Cheapside, between Old Jewry and Mansion House Street, towards Bank junction.

Etymology

Poultry takes its name, like other roads nearby such as Milk Street and Bread Street, from the various produce once sold at Cheapside (meaning "market-place" in Old English). John Stow, writing at the end of the 16th century noted that "the poulterers are but lately departed from thence into other streets".

History

In the 15th and early 17th century, Poultry was noted for its taverns, but few were rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1666.

The church of St Mildred Poultry once stood on the north side of the street. Rebuilt after the Great Fire to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren, it was demolished in 1872 and its site sold and used to build the Gresham Life Assurance office. In 1891, Henry B. Wheatley wrote that, with the removal of the church,

The street gave its name to a prison, Poultry Compter, once located there. It was a brick building with fifteen wards, one of which was set aside specifically for Jews. It was closed in the early 19th century, and its prisoners transferred to the new White Cross Street Compter.