What is selective breeding? Selective Breeding is a process in which people breed living things (such as plants and animals) for particular traits. It is usually done by a professional breeder and are typically domesticated.
Selective breeding in chickens has been going on for about a 1,000 years. The were first domesticated about 3,400 years ago. They all share the same common ancestor which is the jungle fowl (these chickens can still be found in forests in India and South-East Asia.) Because of selective breeding a hen lays an average of 300 eggs a year. To selectivley breed a chicken, a farmer will breed a hen that lays a lot of eggs with a male. For these processes chickens are often held in tight areas or free range areas.