Chicken Terms / Definitions / Phrases
– A –
A rotten or otherwise inedible egg. Or an egg in which the embryo died during early incubation.
The age at which a pullet starts laying eggs. Lightweight breeds generally begin laying at 18 to 22 weeks of age, while heavier breeds start around 24 to 26 weeks.
The air space that develops at the rounded end of an egg, inside the shell between the inner and outer membranes.
The egg white.
A colorless gas that develops in a coop where litter retains too much moisture. High levels of ammonia increase respiratory disease susceptibility.
A deworming preparation used for poultry.
Chicks that remain unsorted by gender at the time of hatch (straight run).
Sex-link characteristics occurring naturally within a pure breed, as compared to a sex-link hybrid cross.
– B –
A small chicken about one-fourth to one-fifth as heavy as a standard large-size chicken, generally weighing 2 pounds or less.
Adjusting the length of mismatched halves of a chicken’s beak so the bird can properly eat and preen.
A dense clump of small feathers attached under a chicken’s beak and associated with a muff, typical of Belgian Bearded D’Anvers and other bearded breeds.
A prominent forehead projecting out over the eyes, a feature typical of Brahmas.
The habit of a chicken or duck that wastes feed by using its beak or bill to scoop feed out onto the ground.
A collection of management precautions designed to keep a flock safe from infectious disease.
An alternative name for a pinfeather, so called because developing pinfeathers are filled with blood.
A harmless small, dark spot of blood that appears inside the shell of less than 1% of eggs laid.
The thin, moist protective coating on a freshly laid egg that prevents bacteria from entering and minimizes moisture evaporation. Also called cuticle.
To discourage a hen from being broody so she will resume laying eggs.
A blister resulting from excess pressure on a chicken’s breastbone, often occurring in heavy-breed males and broilers.
Usually a form of Cornish Cross that has the best feed conversion for its age and weight, typically butchered at 4 to 7 weeks of age.
An artificial substitute for a mother hen, consisting of protective surroundings, feed, water, and a heat source.
A bare area on a broody hen’s breast where she has removed feathers so body warmth and moisture transfer directly to eggs.
The instinctual tendency for a hen to incubate a nest of eggs until they hatch.
An abscess on the bottom of a chicken’s foot causing limping or resting on hocks.
– C –
Birds not confined to cages, though they may still be kept within indoor housing.
To shine a bright light through an egg’s shell to examine interior quality or embryo development.
A chicken’s habit of pecking and eating another chicken’s flesh or feathers.
A portable coop or pen easily moved across grass or dirt to provide fresh grazing while fertilizing the ground.
Wire mesh fencing woven in a honeycomb pattern. Good for confining chickens, but not predator-resistant.
Description of a chicken that has no feathers growing on its legs or feet.
The opening just inside a bird’s vent where digestive, excretory, and reproductive tracts exit.
All the eggs a hen produces during one laying cycle, or a group of eggs that hatch together.
An intestinal disease caused by microscopic coccidia parasites, impairing nutrient absorption.
A male chicken less than one year of age.
A pouch at the base of a chicken’s neck on the right side that holds and softens food after eating.
A crop jammed with food or tough fiber to the point that nothing can pass through to the gizzard.
A condition where the upper and lower beak halves grow in opposite directions (also called scissor beak).
To remove a chicken from a flock due to health issues, undesirable traits, or poor production.
– D –
A physical trait that renders a chicken less than ideal compared to the breed standard.
To administer medication to control internal parasitic worms in poultry.
An abrasive organic powder made from fossilized diatoms used as a natural pest control.
A chicken breed raised for both egg production and meat (such as Plymouth Rocks or Orpingtons).
Loose soil, sand, or wood ash that chickens roll in to clean feathers and smother external parasites.
– E –
A life-threatening condition where an egg is stuck inside the hen’s oviduct or vent.
A small, sharp tip on a newly hatched chick’s beak used to pip out of the eggshell.
A mixture of minerals added to water to help hydrated birds recover from heat or shipping stress.
– F –
The stage when a chick loses its down and grows its first complete set of adult feathers.
Eggs laid by hens housed with a rooster that can develop into chicks if properly incubated.
Allowing poultry to forage freely outdoors in pasture or large outdoor areas.
Freezing of comb, wattles, or toes caused by cold temperatures combined with moisture in the coop.
– G –
The muscular stomach of a chicken that uses swallowed grit to grind up whole seeds and grains.
Small stones or coarse granite swallowed by poultry to grind food inside the gizzard.
– H –
The long, pointed neck feathers of a chicken (especially prominent in roosters).
A specialized facility where fertile eggs are incubated, hatched, and shipped to customer farms.
Traditional breeds recognized for natural mating abilities, longevity, cold hardiness, and dual-purpose utility.
The joint between a chicken’s thigh and shank, corresponding to the human ankle.
– L –
A rubbery mass of tissue, pus, and egg material resulting from a bacterial infection in a hen’s oviduct.
Absorbent bedding material (such as pine shavings or straw) spread on the coop floor.
– M –
A highly contagious viral disease affecting the nerves and immune system of chickens, often causing paralysis.
The annual process where chickens shed old feathers and grow a fresh new coat of plumage.
– N –
A federal-state cooperative program certifying hatcheries as disease-free (e.g. Pullorum-Typhoid clean).
A dark, quiet box provided inside the coop for hens to comfortably lay eggs.
– P –
A condition in young chicks where wet droppings dry and block the vent opening.
The social hierarchy established within a flock to determine dominance and resource access.
A young female chicken that is less than one year old and under point-of-lay.
– R –
An elevated bar or perch where chickens sleep at night off the ground.
– S –
Chicks that have been sorted by gender at hatch (male or female).
An unsexed mix of chicks as they hatch out naturally (approx. 50% male, 50% female).
