Freshen Up on Chicken Terminology
Feb 08, 2021
By Sherry Klaus, MannaPro
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.
Chicken Development
Chicken Environment
Feather Types/Terms
Chicken Health
Chicken Feed Types
Chicken Anatomy
Stop by your local Co-op for all your poultry needs! Find your nearest local Co-op here.
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.
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 regrowth |
| 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, the condition causes them to twist their neck, stare upwards, and have trouble standing and is 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 chick’s vent is covered in feces and becomes clogged |
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 chicken’s head |
| Vent | An opening in chickens where waste and eggs are expelled |
| Crest | The feathers protruding from the top of a chicken’s head |
Stop by your local Co-op for all your poultry needs! Find your nearest local Co-op here.