Glossary

A

Albumen
The white part of an egg. The white consists of water and proteins.

Ark
An apex shaped, portable poultry house and run.

Autosexing
The ability of being able to identify the sex of chicks at day old by their colour and markings. Possible with barred and gold colours.

B

Bantam
A true bantam is a breed that does not have any large fowl counterparts of the same breed.

Bouquet
term used to describe a group of pheasants.

Broiler
A young bird raised for table purposes

Brooder
Is typically a container with an artificial heat source for rearing chicks for the first 2 or 3 weeks after hatching.

Broody hen
A female bird that in its natural instinct has started to sit tightly on eggs with the intention of hatching them.

C

Candling
The process of checking the fertility of incubated eggs on the 7th and 18th days by using a strong light held under the egg to see from above if it is fertile. Candling can also be used to check for blood or meat spots, cracks and freshness.
Capon
A physically or chemically castrated male bird and a male bird that has been fattened for the table.

Chalazae
Coil of albumen that connects the yolk to the ends of the egg.

China eggs, (nest egg, pot egg)
Ceramic eggs are used to encourage hens to lay in the required place and to allow broodies to settle before introducing hatching eggs.

Clears
Eggs that are infertile when candled after 7 days of incubation.

Cock
Male chicken over 18 months of age.

Cockerel
Male chicken under 18 months of age.

Comb
The fleshy part on top of the head of male and female chickens. The comb allows the bird to cool its blood when it is hot and also acts as a secondary sexual feature to show off and attract females.

Cross breeding
The hybridisation between two different breeds or varieties of poultry. This will often result in hybrid vigour where, because of the introduction of blood from other breeds the offspring are especially strong, hardy and vigorous.

Cull
To kill unwanted birds because of ill health or unsuitability for breeding, laying or table use.

Cuticle
The final layer of an egg shell that is put on prior to laying to act as a disease barrier.

D

Day old
A term used to describe a chick that is no more than 72 hours old

Debeaking
Involves clipping off part of the upper beak to prevent birds from feather pecking.
In time the beak will grow back.

Down
A soft fine covering of hair on young chicks that is replaced gradually over 3 to 4 weeks with feather, the wing feathers being the first to appear.
Drake
Male duck

Dual purpose
Breeds of poultry that are suitable for both egg production and table uses.

Dust bath
Created by birds when they flush fine dry soil through their feathers to help remove lice and mites

Duck
Female

E

Evisceration
The removal of the internal organs of a bird when preparing it for the table.

F

Flock
term used to describe a group of chickens or geese and ducks (in flight)

Fount
A drinker that uses a vacuum effect to suspend water within a container while attached to a trough. As the water level in the trough drops below the exit hole of the water container, air passes up into the container releasing the vacuum effect allowing water to flow out until the exit hole is below the water level.

Free range
Birds that roam freely outside with room to dust bathe and stretch wings, legislation states that each bird must have at least 4m2 of ground for the term to be applied.
Up to 2500 hens can be kept free range on one hectare.

G

Gander
Male goose

Gang
term used to describe a group of turkeys

Gaggle
term used to describe a group of geese on the ground.

Gizzard
A tough leathery pouch that acts as a muscle to grind food with the aid of grit.

Grit
Insoluble granite or flint grit, consumed by the birds to aid digestion in the gizzard.
Different grades, for use by chicks to Turkeys are available.

H

Hen
Female chicken, pheasant, partridge, quail and turkey

Hopper
A feeder that holds a reserve of feed above the trough.

Hock
The knee joint

I

In-breeding
The mating together of closely related birds.
In time this will result in a loss of vigour and feather quality.

Incubator
An artificial means of incubating and hatching eggs.

 

M

Mash
Finely ground feed consisting of wheat, maize, peas, beans, soyabeans and added vitamins and minerals.
Mash can be fed wet as a paste or dry.

Moult
The act of moulting occurs once a year and is necessary to renew the feathers. Ideally chicks should be hatched as early as February so that the moulting occurs outside the breeding season, (Mar-Aug). Moulting can take up to three months to finish.

P

Paddling
term used to describe a group of chickens or geese and ducks (in flight).

Pelleted feed
The conversion of finely ground ingredients (mash) in to pellets using a binding agent. Pellets are less messy than mash but are consumed more quickly.

Point Of Lay (POL)
A bird that is soon to be laying, generally sold from 17 weeks of age. A POL bird may not lay for several weeks from the purchase date but this can be dependant on the breed.

Poult
A young bird of undetermined sex.

Primaries
The 10 feathers that lead to the tip of the wing. It is these feathers that ae clipped back to prevent flightiness.

Pure breed
A Breed of poultry that has been kept pure by not crossbreeding with other breeds or varieties.

S

Set (setting eggs)
The act of placing eggs in an incubator.

Spur
A pointed horny growth on the inside of the leg near the foot and can be found on both male and female birds but are far more prominent on the male.

Stag
Male turkey

T

Trio
Three birds consisting of  1 male and two females.

U

Utility
Birds that are bred purely for their egg laying ability or their table value, not birds that are bred for exhibition purposes.

W

Wattles
Two fleshy growths that hang below the beak and head of male and female chickens. They are most prominent on males and they are a useful way for birds to cool their blood when they are hot as chickens can not sweat.