Chicken: The Universal Meat?

I've just realized that chicken is a meat that is eaten just about everywhere. It's frowned upon in many religions to eat certain types of meat, but from what I know, everyone still loves to eat chicken. I wonder how chicken is such a popular meat worldwide, and I wonder how chicken has become most widely spread. Chicken have been rasied in many countries around the world for generations. Perhaps their meat is so common because they don't require a lot of space and they grow fairly quickly. Any thoughts?