Life
Why The Giant Chicken Is So Big
If you are a human with an internet connection — and you must be to be reading this article — you are no doubt already aware of The Gigantic Chicken of DOOM. There are so many questions to ask: Is the chicken real? Why is the giant chicken so big? How can I keep this unbelievably massive bird from haunting my dreams forever?
I can’t help you with that last one (you’ll just have to reconcile yourself to poultry induced nightmares for all eternity), but here’s the scoop on the first two: Yes, the giant chicken is real. Snopes traced the video back to a person named “Fitim Sejfijaj,” who posted it on a Facebook group called “Shepeztaria Dekorative” on March 17. The group appears to be dedicated to pictures and images of live poultry.
So why is this real chicken so unbelievably large? It may look like he was involved in some sort of chemical accident that transformed him into a colossal, crime-fighting superchicken, but actually — in the immortal words of Lady Gaga — he was born this way. OK, well, maybe not born this way — it’s safe to say he was smaller when he hatched from the egg, otherwise that would have been the largest chicken egg ever — but he was born to be a giant. That’s because he’s a Brahma chicken.
According to The Livestock Conservancy, Brahmas are a breed of large chickens that became popular in the United States and England in the mid-19th century. Sometimes called the “King of All Poultry,” Brahma chickens dwarf standard chickens; males can grow up to 18.25 pounds, though the norm is closer to between 10 and 12. Add to that bulk the voluminous feathering that covers their legs and feet, and you’ve got a bird that looks more like a kaiju than a Sunday roast.
Although this bird may look terrifying, The Livestock Conservancy’s description of Brahma chickens suggests that he might be a pretty chill dude. These birds have “calm and docile personalities” and, unsurprisingly, aren’t great at flying. So, really, he’s kind of like this guy:
Just imagine the giant chicken with roller skates on. That’ll curb the nightmares... er, right?
