Backyard Poultry Glossary: Chicken Terms from A to Z

A

Air cell

The air space between the two shell membranes, usually at the large end of the egg (Kentucky). USDA FSIS: an egg is laid at 105°F with no air cell; it forms as the egg cools.

Albumen

The egg white (Kentucky). USDA: a cloudy white is a sign the egg is very fresh.

Axial feather

The wing feather that separates the primary from the secondary flight feathers (Poultry Extension). Molting hens drop primaries from the axial feather outward; see molting.

B

Bantam

A chicken one-third to one-half the size of a standard breed (Kentucky). Wisconsin Extension calls it the general term for more than 350 kinds of true-breeding miniature chickens. See the breed directory.

Bloom (cuticle)

The moist coating on a freshly laid egg that partly seals the shell's pores (Kentucky). Penn State: it loses effectiveness over time and is damaged or removed by brushing, washing or rough handling. See egg handling and washing.

Breed, variety, class

A breed is a group sharing physical features, such as body shape, that it passes on when bred true; a variety is a subdivision of a breed; a class is a group of breeds with common characteristics (Wisconsin). See also Standard of Perfection.

Broiler

A meat-type chicken (Kentucky).

Brooder

A device that keeps young chicks warm (Kentucky). Maine Extension starts at 95°F at chick level, then lowers it 5 degrees a week to 70°F. See chick care, week by week.

Broody

A hen sitting on eggs with the intent of hatching them (Kentucky). Chicken eggs take 21 days (Kentucky). See broody hens.

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C

Candling

Using light to check the inside of an egg (USDA FSIS; Kentucky). Candling days for hatching eggs are in the broody hens timeline.

Capon

A castrated male chicken; this takes surgery because the reproductive organs are internal (Kentucky).

Chalazae

The twisted, cord-like strands of egg white that anchor the yolk in the center of the white (USDA FSIS). Pronounced kah-LAY-zuh.

Chick

A young (baby) chicken (Kentucky).

Cloaca

The chamber where the intestinal, reproductive and urinary tracts end (Kentucky). It opens to the outside at the vent.

Coccidiosis

A disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Eimeria, common in small flocks; heavy infections can bring diarrhea and blood in the droppings (Penn State). Maine Extension: chicks vaccinated against it at the hatchery do not need a coccidiostat in their feed.

Cock (rooster)

An adult male chicken (Kentucky).

Cockerel

An immature male chicken (Kentucky).

Comb

The fleshy red outgrowth on top of the head, larger in males (Kentucky; Poultry Extension). Illinois Extension describes eight shapes: single, rose, pea, buttercup, cushion, strawberry, V-shaped and Silkie. Cold-weather comb care: winter care.

Crop

An enlarged part of the digestive tract that stores food temporarily (Kentucky).

Cushion

The hen's back; on a male the same area is the saddle (WSU 4-H guide).

D

Dubbing

Surgically removing a bird's comb and wattles close to the head (Kentucky).

Dust bath

Chickens splashing in soft soil to clean their feathers and discourage external parasites (Kentucky). See mite treatment options.

E

Earlobe

Specialized bare skin below the ear opening, red or white depending on breed (Poultry Extension). The rule of thumb linking earlobe and shell color has exceptions: Wisconsin names the Dorking and Lamona as red-earlobed breeds that lay white eggs. See the egg color chart.

F

Flight feathers (primaries, secondaries)

The large primary and secondary feathers of the wing (Kentucky), separated by the axial feather.

Flock

A group of birds living together (Kentucky). Keeping it healthy: flock biosecurity.

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G

Gizzard

The thick, muscular part of the digestive tract that crushes and grinds food (Kentucky).

Grades (AA, A, B)

USDA egg grades: AA, thick, firm whites and high, round yolks; A, "reasonably" firm whites; B, thinner whites and wider, flatter yolks (USDA FSIS).

Grit

Small pebbles that lodge in the folds of the gizzard and help it grind feed (Alabama; Kentucky). See feeding laying hens.

H

Hackles

Neck feathers: pointed at the tips in males, rounded in females (Poultry Extension; Kentucky). The WSU 4-H guide calls them hackles on the male and neck feathers on the female.

Hen

An adult female chicken (Kentucky).

Heritage chicken

The Livestock Conservancy's term for birds from an APA Standard breed that are naturally mated, have a long, productive outdoor life and grow at a moderate to slow rate.

Hock

The joint between the thigh and the shank, the equivalent of the human ankle (Poultry Extension).

K

Keel

The breastbone (Kentucky).

M

Marek's disease

A highly contagious disease caused by a herpesvirus; birds catch it by inhaling virus-laden feather dander, and early signs include sudden lameness. There is no cure; the vaccine is given at hatch or in the egg (Tennessee/Mississippi State, D185).

Molt

The part of the cycle when a hen stops laying and loses her body feathers (Kentucky). See molting.

O

Oviduct

The part of the hen's reproductive tract where the egg white (albumen), shell membranes and shell form (Kentucky).

Oyster shell

Dried, ground oyster shells from the seafood industry, fed for calcium; Alabama Extension notes eggshell is about 96 percent calcium carbonate. See feeding laying hens.

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P

Pecking order

The social rank of individuals within a flock (Kentucky).

Pin feathers

Developing feathers (Kentucky). See molting.

Pip

The chick breaking through the shell before it hatches; Kentucky's timeline: the chick pips the shell on day 20 and hatches on day 21.

Point of lay (POL)

A pullet about to start laying. UK poultry writer Terry Beebe calls it "a very vague description." Alabama Extension: most pullets lay their first egg at 20 to 25 weeks; Beebe gives 22 to 24 weeks, and 25 to 30 for some pure breeds. Texas A&M speaks of 16- to 18-week-old "ready-to-lay" pullets. Laying by age: how long hens lay.

Pullet

An immature female (Kentucky). Alabama: a young hen under 1 year old that has not started laying; Beebe keeps the label until one year of age.

R

Roost

A place where chickens can get off the floor, also called a perch (Kentucky). Space per bird: coop space calculator.

Rooster

An adult male chicken, also called a cock (Kentucky).

S

Saddle

The part of the back just before the tail (Kentucky); WSU describes saddle feathers as flowing from the back down each side. On a hen the area is the cushion.

Sex-link

A cross whose chicks can be sexed at hatch by down color or feather growth. In black sex-links both sexes hatch black, but males have a white spot on the head; in feather-sexed crosses wing-feather length differs for one to three days after hatch (Poultry Extension).

Sexed chicks

Day-old chicks sorted into male and female groups (Kentucky). Opposite: straight run.

Shank

The part of the leg between the foot and the hock (Kentucky); feathered in some breeds (Poultry Extension).

Sickles

The long, curved tail feathers of some roosters (Kentucky); hens do not have them (Poultry Extension).

Spurs

The sharp, horny growth on the back of the shank, typically larger in males (Kentucky); size is noted in older birds (Poultry Extension).

Standard of Perfection

The American Poultry Association's book of breed standards used for exhibition and judging (APA); Wisconsin says it describes more than 300 recognized breeds and varieties.

Straight run

Day-old chicks not sorted by sex, also called unsexed (Kentucky).

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V

Vent

The outside opening of the cloaca, through which the digestive, excretory and reproductive tracts empty (Kentucky). Feathers around it are a place to check for mites.

W

Wattles

The flaps of skin under the chin (Kentucky); red, soft and warm like the comb, and larger in males (Poultry Extension).

Y

Yolk

The round yellow mass carrying the hen's genetic material, and the rooster's if the egg is fertile (Kentucky). Its color depends on the hen's diet (USDA FSIS).

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