National Poultry Day: History, Facts & Insights

This is an in-depth look at all the must-know facts about National Poultry Day (2024) 🗓️ that no one tells you about. National Poultry Day is observed on March 19th.

Among the information you’ll find below: the history of National Poultry Day, activities to do on and how to observe this holiday, as well as amusing facts you might want to know about National Poultry Day.

📅 What day is National Poultry Day 2024?

In 2024, National Poultry Day is on Sunday, March 19th. It is the 3rd Sunday in March; in 2024, it is Tuesday. There are until the next observance. You also can learn all the cool details and facts about March 19, 2023, that you might not be aware of.

When we found out that March 19 is recognized as National Chicken Day, a day to celebrate our nation’s fondness for poultry, we became suspicious of any wrongdoing. We quickly tried to find a way to pay tribute to poultry in a fair manner, as we are admittedly partial towards chickens. In this situation, we may have to improvise and go with the flow.

📜 National Poultry Day History

Poultry is a term that comes from the Latin word “pullus,” meaning “small animal.” Nowadays, it refers to birds that have been domesticated for their meat, eggs, and sometimes feathers. The first birds kept by humans were likely for entertainment purposes, specifically for cockfighting, which was practiced in Southeast Asia and China around 10,000 years ago. Ancient societies depicted roosters fighting in their artwork.

In Europe, evidence of large-scale chicken consumption was found in the first century B.C. However, experts believe that chickens were domesticated for food at least 100 years earlier in an ancient Israeli city. The exact origin of someone roasting chicken over a fire remains unknown, but it was certainly not the last time it happened.

Chickens have held a special status in various human communities throughout history. They were worshipped for their fighting abilities and were believed to possess mystical powers in some cultures. While cockfighting still occurs illegally, it has been banned in all fifty states since 2008. This is a positive development as cockfighting is considered cruel.

In 2004, scientists mapped the genome of the chicken, making it the first domesticated animal and bird to have its genetic information fully understood. Surprisingly, it was discovered that chickens are descendants of dinosaurs. It’s fascinating to imagine what a cockfight between ancient roosters would have been like.

On National Birds Day, we not only recognize poultry for its culinary value but also for its role as pets. Chickens can make great companions, whether they are regular laying hens or rare and colorful heritage breeds. They are also excellent at keeping mice away and maintaining a healthy and insect-free garden.

While this celebration has mainly focused on chickens, it is important to remember that poultry encompasses other bird species as well. In the future, we hope to include a wider variety of poultry in our National Poultry Day festivities.

✅ National Poultry Day Facts

🔖 Fire tinder
Bird feathers become highly flammable when they are dry, making them ideal for quickly igniting a campfire with just a small spark.

🔖 Fishing lures
For a long time, people who enjoy fly fishing have been using vibrant feathers from birds to create attractive lures that are highly effective in catching valuable fish such as mackerel, bass, and trout.

🔖 Quill pens
In the past, people would take feathers and slice them at an angle using a razor. These feather tips were then immersed in ink to create writing instruments, since pens as we know them today did not exist yet.

👍 Why Is National Poultry Day Important

If you don’t consume meat, the next best thing about chickens is that they make excellent pets. Chickens are gregarious animals who enjoy strutting about to see what the rest of the flock is up to. They like being held and can even be taught a few tricks if a tasty mealworm reward is involved. Chickens are less expensive and easier to care for than other domestic pets, but they require at least two or three other birds to be well-adjusted. Laying hens will pay for their care in daily fresh eggs if your municipality does not discriminate against poultry as pets and you have room for a large coop.

Hens pay extra attention to the rooster parading about the barnyard with a colorful, nice-looking, healthy comb. A healthy crown and wattle are extremely beneficial to a rooster wanting to score in the barnyard. A beautiful comb and wattle are also beneficial to us because chicken combs, particularly rooster combs, are high in hyaluronic acid, or H/A, a naturally occurring body fluid that lubricates and cushions bone joints and plumps up skin cells.
For decades, H/A has been utilized to treat arthritic joint pain and promote the recovery of sporting injuries. For years, H/A has been injected into the knees of professional and college athletes, as well as racehorses, as a bio-lubricant that allows bones to move more easily. Hyaluronic acid is also available as a supplement and is a popular ingredient in high-end cosmetics and natural skincare products.

Chicken jokes are a peculiar rite of passage found somewhere between kindergarten and first grade. We’re not sure why other types of birds haven’t been targeted for stupid jokes and puns. Chickens’ feathers may not be ruffled as easily as other poultry’s by foul jokes. We suspect it has something to do with the fact that a chicken is in almost every pot in America, or at the very least on the grill or in the oven.

🙂 How To Observe National Poultry Day

⚡ Purchase farm-fresh eggs
If you don’t have your own group of egg-laying chickens at home, venture outside the city limits and visit a nearby cooperative or family farm to purchase a dozen eggs that were just laid. Once you experience the contrasting flavors of freshly harvested eggs versus those from the grocery store, you won’t want to go back to buying commercially-produced ones.

⚡ Try a bird of a different feather
Pheasant, duck, quail, goose, and game hens are types of birds that are not commonly eaten in America, but are popular in other countries. If these birds seem too unfamiliar, you could try a capon instead. A capon is a castrated rooster that is raised on a special diet, resulting in meat that is incredibly tender, juicy, and flavorful compared to regular chickens. In the early 1800s, capons were considered a luxury and a sought-after choice for fancy holiday meals among wealthy families. Although capons are harder to find nowadays, once you taste one, you’ll never say that anything else “tastes like chicken” again.

⚡ Roast a Turducken
If you’re unsure about what to serve for dinner on National Poultry Day, you might want to think about trying a Turducken. This dish involves taking a boneless chicken and stuffing it into a boneless duck, then placing that inside a boneless turkey. The whole thing is then roasted for almost an entire day. While the practice of stuffing one animal inside another has been around since the Middle Ages, the term “Turducken” was actually trademarked by the famous Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme in 1986.

📅 When is National Poultry Day?

See all 🔗 March holidays, including 🔗 Food & Beverage and other 🔗 Cooking holidays.

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