Chicken, like cattle, came to the Americas with the first European colonists. The birds are small and easy to transport, and they require little care. They eat virtually anything, reproduce quickly and offer a ready source of fresh meat and eggs.
There were poultry in the Jamestown settlement in 1607. Poultry shows, which began to be held around 1850, were important in the development of recognized breeds.
In the early 1900s, the poultry industry in the United States was little more than a sideline to farmers who raised fowl for personal consumption and sold some to bring their family a few extra dollars.
As the population grew, the demand for poultry products increased. Much of the poultry industry is concentrated in the southern part of the United States.
In 1926, the Federal Inspection Service (FPIS) was established to assist localities in their inspection programs. FPIS inspected live poultry at railroad terminal and poultry markets in and around New York City.
In 1990, United States surpassed France as the world’s leading single country exporter. Since then, U.S poultry meat exports have been increasing consistently. From 409,000 tons in 1988, they reached 986,000 tons in 1993 and 1.4 million tons in 1994.
Poultry industry in United States
