Chickens were the first poultry, being domesticated in Thailand around 8000 years ago. Interestingly, the next domesticated poultry bird was the pigeon (actually the common or rock pigeon) which was domesticated in the Near East about 5000 years ago.

Guineafowl are some of my favourite birds, but though they are endemic to Africa, with four genera and eight species spread across the continent, it's only the Helmeted guineafowl, Numida meleagris that has been domesticated outside of Africa. It has been introduced in East Africa, South America, the West Indies, the United States, Britain, France and India where it is raised for meat, kept as a pet and sometimes used for eggs. Of the seventy-odd species of quail, ten have been domesticated. However, in commercial production it's the Coturnix (Japanese) quail that's most commonly encountered due to its larger size and more prolific egg-laying habits.

Turkeys were first domesticated by the indigenous peoples of Mexico about 2800 years ago, with a separate domestication event in the American southwest about 2200 years ago. They were first introduced to Europe in the middle of the 16th century CE.

Domesticated ducks are predominantly derived from the wild Mallard Anas platyrhynchos and were first domesticated in Southern China around 4000 years ago. Duck farming for both meat and eggs is a widespread and ancient industry in Southeast Asia. The exception to this is the Muscovy duck, which is a separate species, Cairina moschata (also known as Barbary Duck in culinary usage). They are native to the tropical Americas and had been domesticated by many native American peoples for centuries prior to the arrival of Columbus who took some back to Europe on his return voyage.

In Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, the original domesticated geese are derived from the greylag goose (Anser anser), these being domesticated around 5000 years ago in southeastern Europe or in Egypt. These geese were introduced to Northern Europe during the early Iron age. In eastern Asia, the original domesticated geese are derived from the swan goose (Anser cygnoides); these are commonly known as Chinese geese. Both have been widely introduced in more recent times, and modern flocks in both areas (and elsewhere, such as Australia and North America) may consist of either species or hybrids between them.