How Much Does a Chicken Weigh

Chickens have been around for thousands of years now, and thanks to the diversity in their habitat and as well as human intervention, their species now number up to more than five hundred. Chickens have been a part of our staple diet nowadays thanks to billions of them being produced per year, but how much does a chicken weigh?

Chickens vary in size and weight depending on the species, the average weight of backyard chickens is around 5.7 pounds or about 2.5 kilograms. The Jersey Giant is one of the heaviest and the Serama Bantam is one of the lightest. Environment, diet, and stress levels will also contribute to a chicken’s weight.

Chickens are actually interesting because of their appearance and characteristics and how big and small a chicken can be. Find out more below on how big the biggest chicken breed can grow and how small the tiniest chicken breed can be. Find out more about a chick’s average weight too.

How Much Does a Chicken Weigh?

A chicken’s weight could vary greatly depending on their breed and whether or not they have been raised in an industrial farm or a real farm. Here is an idea of how much the other well-known breeds of chicken weigh:

Breed	Average Hen Weight	Average Rooster Weight
Jersey Giant	11 pounds	13 pounds
Orpington	6.8 pounds	9 pounds
Ixworth	6.6 pounds	8.6 pounds
Winnebago	6.6 pounds	8.4 pounds
Orloff	6.6 pounds	7.9 pounds
Plymouth Rock	6.5 pounds	7.5 pounds
Marans	6.2 pounds	8.4 pounds
Australorp	6 pounds	8.2 pounds
Iowa Blue	6 pounds	7.1 pounds
Barnevelder	5.7 pounds	7.3 pounds
Cornish	5.5 pounds	8.6 pounds
Catalana	5.5 pounds	7.7 pounds
Welsummer	5.1 pounds	6.6 pounds
Bresse	5.1 pounds	6.2 pounds
Leghorn	4.9 pounds	5.7 pounds
California Gray	4.4 pounds	5.5 pounds
Ancona	4.2 pounds	6 pounds
Cubalaya	3.5 pounds	5.3 pounds
Silkie	2.5 pounds	3 pounds
Serama Bantam	2.2 pounds	2.4 pounds

To reach a chicken’s optimum weight it needs to eat correctly, how much to feed chickens, explains not only how much but what to feed a chicken.

How Much Does a Chick Weigh?

Chicks can actually grow quite a few grams over a week, especially nowadays that they have been bred to grow like that. so, how much does a chick weigh? Here is a table of how much a chick can grow over the course of four weeks:

Week	Weight
First Week	36-50 grams
Second Week	65-85 grams
Third Week	97-130 grams
Fourth Week	157-200 grams

Just like a full-grown chicken’s weight, the chick’s average weight will also depend on its breed.

How Chickens Have Changed Over Time

The chickens that were roaming the jungles thousands of years ago have drastically changed thanks to human manipulation. Both the chicken’s weight and their appearance are significantly different now compared to what they were back then. With an altered living environment and a specifically-selected diet, the chickens now are bigger and produce more eggs.

Natural selection is also one of the causes why chickens could have changed their appearance and their weight. If a chicken grew in an environment with abundant food, they tend to be a lot bigger than their cousins that grew in a habitat with little food available. The climate could also be one of the key factors that affected how big or small chickens have gotten.

Another thing that has changed drastically regarding the chickens is how fast they can grow these days. Chickens raised in industrial farms can grow rapidly and even gain more weight than a regular chicken growing in a jungle or farm. Today, the chickens that you can find in your local supermarkets are actually twice as big as the ones being sold back in the 1950s.

What is the Biggest Chicken in the World

The biggest known chicken in the world is known as the Jersey Giant. These chickens were originally bred to become a turkey alternative for thanksgiving. A female Jersey Giant could weigh up to around 11 pounds, while the male ones could weigh a staggering 13-15 pounds.

They stand at the height of around 20 to 26 inches. Jersey Giants are raised both for their meat and as well as their eggs.

What is the Smallest Chicken in the World

The world’s smallest and lightest chicken breed is named the Serama Bantam and was developed in Malaysia. These chickens are so small that they only weigh around 6oz or about 170 grams. Their height can’t even reach 10 inches tall.

Serama chickens are usually raised as pets, but they are also fantastic egg-layers, though their eggs are a little bit on the smaller size.

Final Words

There you have it; we answered how much does a chicken weigh and found out the average weight of the chicken that you should know about. However, take note that weight can vary according to different factors.