Ducks amongst other poultry
Poultry is the category of domesticated birds kept for meat, eggs, and feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae (fowl), especially the order Galliformes (which includes chickens and turkeys) and the family Anatidae (in order Anseriformes), commonly known as "waterfowl" (e.g. domestic ducks and domestic geese). Poultry also include other meat birds such as pigeons or doves or game birds like pheasants. The term also refers to the flesh of such birds.
Examples of types of poultry
| Bird |
Wild ancestor |
Domestication |
Uses |
| Chicken |
Red Junglefowl |
India, c. 3000 BC |
meat, eggs, ornamental |
| Duck |
Mallard |
various |
meat, feathers, eggs |
| Goose |
Greylag Goose/Swan Goose |
various |
meat, feathers, eggs |
| Peacock |
various |
various |
meat, feathers, ornamental, landscaping |
| Swan |
Wild Swan |
various |
feathers, eggs, landscaping |
| Turkey |
Wild Turkey |
Mexico |
meat |
Cuts of poultry
The meatiest parts of a bird are the flight muscles on its chest, called breast meat, and the walking muscles on the first and second segments of its legs, called the thigh and drumstick respectively.
White meat has less oxygen-carrying myoglobin than the walking muscles, or dark meat, and is thus lighter in color. Dark meat tends to come from muscles more heavily exercised, which therefore also have more fat stored in them. This accounts for both dark meat's reputation as being unhealthier, and yet better-tasting.
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