This post may contain affiliate links.
Many people raise chickens as an economic and domestic activity. Chicken rearing provides many benefits to farmers, including the production of meat and eggs.
For this reason, numerous chicken terminology are used in chicken farming today. If you are rearing chickens at home for commercial or domestic use or a beginner who wants to start keeping your chickens, we’ve put together a list of important terms to know.
This list is prepared for you and contains all the terminologies you will encounter when managing your chicken farm. Here’s a comprehensive list of important terminology to help you better manage your flock – from A-Z.
A
Afterfeather: Also called after shafts, these are small feathers that branch out from the main feather. They help protect chickens from weather and physical injuries.
B
Blastoderm: This is the fertilized nucleus that develops into a chick within an egg. If unfertilized, it’s called a blastodisc, which means no chick will develop.
Breed: A group of chickens that share the same physical traits, like color, size, or comb type, and consistently pass these traits to their offspring.
Brooding: Providing young chicks with extra care, including warmth and specialized feed, during their early stages of life.
Broody: A condition where a hen’s hormones cause her to sit on her eggs until they hatch, caring for her chicks afterward.
Brooder: A heated area or structure used to care for young chicks, offering them a stable environment.
Broiler: Chickens specifically raised for meat production, usually ready within 6 to 8 weeks.
Beak Trimming: The practice of trimming a chicken’s beak to prevent harmful behaviors like pecking or cannibalism.
C
Comb: The fleshy growth found on top of a chicken’s head, typically larger and redder in males.
Cloaca: An opening at the lower part of a chicken’s abdomen that serves multiple functions, including reproduction, digestion, and excretion.
Crop: An organ located near the chicken’s chest that stores food before it moves to the stomach.
Crossbred: Chickens with parents from different genotypes, often bred for desired traits.
Cannibalism: When chickens attack or eat other chickens in the flock, often due to stress or overcrowding.
Culling: Removing sick or unproductive chickens from the flock to maintain health and productivity.
Chalazae: The twisted, stringy part of the egg that holds the yolk in place.
Cockerel: A male chicken from hatching up to about six months old.
D
Dubbing: Trimming a chicken’s comb, often done within the first few days of hatching to improve health and growth.
F
Feather Vane: The part of the feather extending from the shaft, providing protection and insulation.
Fertile Egg: An egg where a female ovum has joined with male sperm, capable of developing into a chick.
H
Hatchability: The percentage of eggs that successfully hatch into chicks.
Hen: A mature female chicken that lays eggs.
L
Layer: A hen specifically raised for egg production.
Layer Cycle: The period when hens lay eggs until they molt, marking the end of their most productive time.
Liveability: The percentage of chickens that survive in your flock until sale or harvest.
M
Molting: The process of shedding old feathers to grow new ones, often influenced by hormones or stress.
P
Prolapse: A condition where a hen’s vent is pushed out during egg-laying, often due to large eggs or strain.
Pullet: A young female chicken that has just started laying eggs.
Purebred: Chickens with consistent characteristics passed down from generation to generation, maintaining the same traits.
Pipped Egg: An egg with a crack created by a chick starting to hatch.
R
Rooster: An adult male chicken, often acting as the flock’s protector.
S
Salpingitis: A bacterial infection affecting a hen’s oviduct, commonly caused by E. coli or Salmonella.
Sexing: The practice of sorting chickens by gender, usually to manage breeding.
Spent Hen: An older hen that no longer lays eggs regularly and is often used for meat.
Y
Yolk: The yellow center of an egg, rich in nutrients like proteins, fats, and vitamins.
