ABA | (abbreviation) American Bantam Association |
AOSB | (abbreviation) any other standard breed |
APA | (abbreviation) American Poultry Association |
AAV | (abbreviation) Association of Avian Veterinarians |
As Hatched | description for an unsorted group of chicks |
Bantam | an ornamental variety of chicken that is smaller than the standard breed |
Bedding | a cushioning material (wood shavings, straw, or recycled paper) distributed around the coop floor and nest box to absorb moisture, manure, and odor (also known as litter) |
Billing Out | when poultry scoop feed out of the feeder and onto the floor with their beaks |
Biosecurity | refers to everything that’s done to keep diseases and the pathogens that cause or carry them – viruses, bacteria, funguses, parasites and other microorganisms – away from birds, property, and people |
Bloom | the outermost invisible membrane covering an egg’s shell that protects its contents from bacteria, often removed before sale by washing or wiping |
Booted | descriptor for chickens having feathers on the legs and toes |
Broiler | a young chicken raised for meat and mature after 42-49 days, often four to five pounds (also known as a fryer or meat bird) |
Brood | a group of chicks |
Brooding | the act of hens sitting on their fertilized or unfertilized eggs to incubate and hatch them |
Candle | the act of examining the contents of an egg with a light to determine whether it is fertilized |
Candler | a light used to candle |
Capon | a surgically castrated rooster |
Chick | a newly-hatched chicken (also known as a peep) |
Chicken | a bird commonly raised by people for its eggs and meat (a hen or rooster) |
Chicken Tractor | a moveable, floorless chicken coop used to move poultry around a pasture (also known as an ark) |
Clean Legged | chicken descriptor for having no feathers on the legs or toes |
Clubbed Down | a condition when down feathers cannot emerge from the sheath and cause a coiled appearance |
Clutch | a group of eggs laid in consecutive days that are incubated by a hen |
Cockerel | a young rooster |
Comb | the red, rubbery flesh or crest on top of gallinaceous birds (turkeys, pheasants, and domestic chickens) which may be used to determine an individual bird’s health |
Coop | a secure house for poultry |
Complete Feed | a nutritionally-balanced feed designed to maintain chicken health |
Crested Breed | chicken breeds with feathers on top of their heads (i.e. Polish or Sultan) |
Cull | to remove a bird from the flock |
Cygnet | a baby swan |
Down | a layer of fine feathers found under tough exterior feathers |
Droppings Tray | a removable collection unit placed under roosting poles for fecal droppings |
Dual Purpose | a hen bred for both egg-laying and meat, typically good-natured and cold-hardy |
Dub | to surgically remove a bird’s comb and wattles close to the head for aesthetic purposes |
Dust Bath | a hole in the ground created by a chicken’s digging in which they dirty themselves as a defense against mites and lice |
Dusting Powder | an artificial dust bath solution created for indoor chickens |
Feeder | a container designed to hold and deliver poultry feed |
Fertilized Egg | an egg resulting from the mating of hens and roosters that is capable of becoming a chick |
Finish | the quantity of fat under the skin of a broiler |
Flight Feathers | the large feathers found on the wing and tail |
Fluff | the soft feathers on a chicken’s rear |
Gander | a male goose |
Gobbler | an adult male turkey (also known as a tom) |
Gosling | a baby goose |
Grit | sand or crushed rock which is eaten by chickens, stored in their crop, and used for food digestion |
Hackles | feathers found around a chicken’s neck |
Hen | a female bird of any fowl species |
Hover | canopy type brooding system where reflectors are arranged in a concave shape to prevent chicks from straying away from the heat source |
Incubation | the 21 day process of hatching a fertilized egg by utilizing a constant heat source, frequent turning and humidity |
Layer | a hen raised for the purpose of egg production |
Layer Feed | a feed designed specifically for laying hens |
Litter | see bedding |
Molting | the annual process of feather shedding and regrowth during which hens will not lay eggs |
Mossy | descriptor for indistinct, irregular, or messy-looking markings that break up an established pattern |
Nest Box | a safe and secure box designed to encourage hen egg laying |
Nest Egg | an artificial egg put in a nest box to encourage the laying of eggs |
Nest Run | eggs packed at production facilities without being washed, sized, or candled (also known as ungraded) |
Non-Setter | a chicken or breed variety that will not incubate its eggs or care for its chicks |
NPIP | (abbreviation) National Poultry Improvement Plan |
Ornamental Breed | a chicken bred for its appearance or show |
Pastured Poultry | a sustainable farming method wherein chickens forage on pasture |
Pecking Order | the constructed social hierarchy of a flock formed through individuals pecking others of a lower rank |
Persistency Of Lay | the ability of a hen to lay eggs over a consistent amount of time |
Pip | when a chick breaks through the shell in the process of hatching |
Pin Feathers | developing bird feathers |
Poult | a baby turkey |
Poultry Show | APA-organized venues for poultry judging (chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and others) in accordance with breed standards |
Preening | when chickens self-groom and distribute oil from their glands to straighten and clean their feathers |
Production Breed | a variety of chicken bred specifically for its egg-laying capabilities |
Pullet | a young hen |
Roaster | chickens younger than 8 months raised for meat, weigh slightly more than boilers |
Roost | a pole or branch on which chickens will sleep (also known as a perch) |
Rooster | a male chicken |
Roosting Pole | a man-made pole constructed inside the coop to allow for the chickens to perch while sleeping |
Rumpless | a breed of chicken lacking tail feathers (i.e. Araucana) |
Run | an outdoor area, typically attached to the coop, where chickens have free roaming ability |
Saddle | feathers found on the lower back of a chicken |
Scratch | an instinctual behavior wherein chickens dig with their claws to find food or grit in the soil |
Setter | a chicken or breed variety that will incubate eggs and care for its chicks |
Sexing | the sex determination process of a baby chick |
Sex Link | a chicken variety whose sex is indicated the color of their newly-hatched feathers |
Shanks | the lower part of the leg of a chicken |
Sickles | a rooster’s tail feathers |
Spent Hen | a hen that no longer performs at peak egg production levels |
Spur | a protrusion on a rooster’s shanks, like an appendage, that can be used for fighting |
Started Pullet | a young hen between 15-22 weeks old that has already started laying eggs |
Starter Feed | feed designed for 2-3 week old baby chicks |
Straight Run | an order of chicks that are received “as hatched” and are unsexed (have an unknown quantity of males and females) |
Tin Hen | (slang) incubator |
Tufts | feathers that protrude from a chicken’s face |
Waterer | a container designed to hold and deliver water to chickens |
Wattles | the folded, red, rubbery flaps of skin found on a chicken’s neck |
Wheezer | (slang) a chicken’s rear |
Wormer | a medicinal treatment for intestinal worms |