How Christian Fasting Changed Domestic Chickens

It is impossible to imagine the modern world without domestic chickens. Every day they produce billions of eggs, chicken is part of the diet of people around the world, chicken dishes are traditionally very popular. But how long is this tradition? And how did it happen that a wild Asian bird that lived in the jungle became a domestic hen? Recent studies show that this is largely due to the development of Christianity in Europe.

From the jungle to the chicken coop

The ancestors of modern chickens, the banking jungle hens, lived beautifully in the Asian jungle until they were domesticated about 6000 years ago. After that, they acquired a number of traits that are valuable to humans: they became less aggressive, more well-fed, and learned to lay eggs faster. However, until recently it was difficult to say when and why these features evolved.

Genetics and statistical research came to the rescue. An international team of scientists applied a statistical modeling technique to DNA data from ancient chicken bones to determine exactly when these signs began to increase in frequency in Europe. To their surprise, they discovered that this happened during the heyday of the Middle Ages, around 1000 AD.

These notable breeding changes in domestic chickens coincided with the growing urbanization and increased role of Christianity, which spread the post, during which four-legged animals were excluded from the menu. However, the ban of the Benedictine monastic order did not apply to chickens and eggs.

Not only post

But could medieval religious rules increase the demand for poultry and thereby influence the evolution of domestic hens?

Studies prove they could. The time when domestic hens gained modern traits coincides with an increase in the number of chicken bones in archaeological formations throughout Northern Europe. In the same period, there was a general increase in the popularity of Christian beliefs, related dietary features and urbanization, which allowed keeping pets in small rooms, just suitable for chickens.

In the course of several independent archaeological research, a significant increase in the number of chicken coops between the 9th and 12th centuries of our era, as well as the number of adult hens was recorded, which suggests the need to increase egg production. At the same time, scientists note that along with Christian dogmas, the growth of the popularity of chicken meat and eggs in the Middle Ages could be affected by the introduction of more effective agricultural methods and an improvement in climate.