If you are just getting started raising chickens, you might be coming across numerous terms and jargon with which you are unfamiliar. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! See below for a great list of common chicken terms and their definitions. Feel free to click on the button at the bottom to download a copy to keep handy!
Chicken Development
| Term | Definition |
| Chick | Newly Hatched Chicken |
| Cockerel | Male that is under a year old |
| Pullet | Female that is under a year old |
| Juvenile | A young male or female bird |
| Cock | Male that is a year or older |
| Hen | Female that is a year or older |
| Rooster | A male chicken (includes cock and cockerel) |
| Bantam | Refers to small breeds of chicken (AKA Miniature Chicken) |
| Layer Breed | Breed of chicken that is raised primarily for egg collection |
| Dual Purpose Breed | Breed of chicken that is raised for both eggs and meat |
| Ornamental Breed | Breed of chicken that is raised primarily for show or exhibition |
| Production Breed | Breed of chicken that is raised for high egg production or meat production |
Chicken Environment
| Term | Definition |
| Nesting Box | A cubicle where a chicken can privately lay eggs |
| Bedding/Litter | A material used to cover the floor/ground in confined spaces |
| Hardware Cloth | A sturdy mesh product made of metal or plastic used generally on the coop to keep them contained |
| Chicken Wire | Light wire netting with a hexagonal mesh |
| Brooder | A type of heated enclosure for raising chicks |
| Roosting | A chicken or group of chickens resting, likely on an elevated perch |
| Chicken Tractor | A movable chicken coop lacking a floor allowing flock access to the earth beneath them |
| Coop | An enclosure where chickens are kept safe and secure |
| Run | A fenced or enclosed outdoor space for your chickens |
Feather Types/Terms
|
Term: |
Definition: |
| Molting | Loss of feathers due to change in season followed by re-growth |
|
Frizzle |
A genetically programmed ornamental feather type causing the curling of feathers |
|
Down |
Fine layer of feathers that covers young birds and is found under the tough exterior feathers of older birds |
|
Muff |
Short feathers on the sides of a chicken's face and below the chin area |
|
Saddle |
Feathers in front of the tail |
|
Sickle |
The pair of long curving feathers on a cock's tail |
|
Beard |
The elongated feathers below the beak area that created a puffy look to some birds |
|
Pin |
A developing feather seen on maturing birds as well as after molt |
Chicken Health
|
Term: |
Definition: |
|
Wry Neck |
Typically seen in chicks causing them to twist their neck, stare upwards and have trouble standing likely caused by a Vitamin E or selenium deficiency |
|
Amprolium |
Medication used as an aid to prevent and treat coccidiosis and can be found in some medicated chick feeds |
|
Mites |
Bugs that live on the skin of chickens |
|
Poultry Lice |
Insects that live only on chickens and their feathers |
|
Dust Bath |
Bathing in dirt or other substances to help remove external parasites and groom plumage |
|
Coccidiosis |
Intestinal disease that occurs when a microscopic parasitic organism attaches itself to the intestinal lining |
|
Avian Influenza |
A naturally occurring virus that effects chickens and other species of poultry |
|
Fowl Pox |
Viral disease in chickens and other species of poultry that causes lesions on skin (cutaneous form) and can affect respiratory tract and upper GI (diphtheritic form) |
|
Newcastle Disease |
An extremely contagious disease affecting birds, including domestic poultry |
|
Salmonella |
Intestinal bacteria that is typically heard about when discussing food poisoning |
|
Bumblefoot |
A bacterial infection and inflammatory reaction on the feet of birds |
|
Pasty Butt |
Describes the condition that occurs when a chicks vent is covered in feces and becomes clogged |
| Mycoplasma | Upper respiratory disease affecting backyard poultry |
| Conjunctivitis | Eye infection in chickens |
| Torticollis | Describes the abnormal head and neck position of a chicken infected with this disease; also known as wry neck, crookneck and stargazing |
| Paralysis | When a chicken is paralyzed, preventing them from moving normally |
| Helicopter Wings | Broken or twisted feathers, a sign of disease or sickness in chickens |
| Wry Neck | See "Torticollis" |
| Crookneck | See "Torticollis" |
| Stargazing | See "Torticollis" |
Chicken Feed Types
|
Term: |
Definition: |
|
Starter Grower Feed |
A feed formulated for growing chicks up to laying age or 16 weeks for hens |
|
Layer Feed |
A feed formulated for hens at laying age to support healthy and strong egg production |
|
All Flock Feed |
A feed specifically formulated for mixed flocks of poultry |
|
Gamebird Showbird Feed |
A feed with higher protein for to promote growth in gamebirds, showbirds and meatbirds |
|
Scratch |
Blended and whole unfortified grains that commonly includes corn |
|
Grit |
Crushed rock that helps break down food in the gizzard |
Chicken Anatomy
|
Term: |
Definition: |
|
Wattle |
Flesh under the beak of a chicken that is used as a heat regulating mechanism |
|
Crop |
Part of the digestive system on chickens that stores food before continuing on to be fully digested |
|
Cloaca |
An all-in-one urinating, defecating and mating mechanism located on the hind end of the chicken |
|
Spurs |
A sharp appendage that can grow on the legs of chickens |
|
Comb |
A featherless crest at the top of a chickens head |
|
Vent |
An opening in chickens where waste and eggs are expelled |
|
Crest |
The feathers protruding from the top of a chickens head |
Chicken Reproduction
|
Term: |
Definition: |
|
Broody |
A chicken that has decided to sit on and hatch a clutch of eggs |
|
Bloom |
A thin coating that covers an egg and prevents bacteria from effecting the egg |
|
Candle |
Shining a light on the backside of an egg to examine its contents |
|
Internal Pip |
During the hatching process, when the chick breaches the membrane into the aircell of the egg, it is called the internal pip |
|
External Pip |
During the hatching process, the chick's first small crack or hole in the shell is called the external pip |
|
Clutch |
A group of 12 to 15 eggs gathered for hatching |
|
Blastoderm |
A small white bullseye on the egg yolk indicating a fertile egg |
|
Blastodisc |
A small white disc on the egg yolk indicating an infertile egg |
|
Incubator |
A machine that maintains the perfect temperatures to hatch an egg |
Chicken Behavior
| Term | Definition |
| Tidbitting | When a rooster drops food or treats at the feet of hens, then dances around excitedly; it is a way to attract a mate |
| Zipping | When a baby chick picks at its shell, creating a ring around the shell that it can escape from |
Chicken Keeping
| Term | Definition |
| Culling | Identifying and removing non-laying or diseased birds |
| Biosecurity | Process for protecting backyard chickens from infectious diseases and spreading them |
