Poultry refers to domesticated birds that people raise for their meat or eggs. Chickens are the most common type of poultry, but the word also includes turkeys, ducks, geese, and guinea fowl. When you eat chicken nuggets, turkey at Thanksgiving, or scrambled eggs for breakfast, you're eating poultry or poultry products.

Humans have raised poultry for thousands of years because these birds are relatively easy to care for and provide reliable food. A small backyard flock of chickens can produce fresh eggs daily, while larger farms raise thousands of birds to supply grocery stores and restaurants. Different breeds serve different purposes: some chickens are excellent egg layers, producing an egg almost every day, while others grow quickly and provide more meat.

When you see poultry on a menu or in a recipe, you know you're dealing with bird meat rather than beef, pork, or fish. People who keep backyard chickens or other birds for eggs and meat are engaged in poultry farming or raising poultry.