All the different breeds of chickens that exist today can trace their origins back to the Red Jungle Fowl of East Asia. Through generations of genetic selection, specialized breeds have been developed for meat (broilers) and eggs (layers). There are also dual-purpose breeds that are reasonably good in both meat and egg production, but not as good as the breeds specialized for those specific purposes.
- Bantam = A chicken breed that is 1/3 to 1/2 the size of a standard breed. There are several breeds which have both standard and bantam sizes. There are also bantam-only breeds
- Bantie = A non-technical term sometimes used to mean 'bantam'
- Biddy = A non-technical term for a laying hen that is over one year of age
- Broody = A hen that is sitting on eggs (hers or someone else's) with the intent of hatching them.
- Capon = castrated male chicken (requires a surgery since the reproductive organs are internal)
- Chick = young (baby) chicken
- Chicken = singular; Chickens = plural
- Chicken tractor = A portable cage for chickens on pasture. The chickens are allowed to scratch for bugs and weeds and to fertilize the area with their manure, and then they are moved to fresh pasture.
- Chook = An Australian term for chicken. It has been used in the U.S. for chickens in a small flock.
- Clutch = A group of eggs
- Cock/Rooster = adult male chicken
- Cockerel = immature male chicken
- Cull = to remove a chicken from the flock because of productivity, age, health or personality issues (i.e., overly aggressive or timid).
- Dubbing = removal of the comb and wattles
- Hen = adult female chicken
- Mounting = The term for when the rooster mates with a hen.
- Peep = A term for chick sometimes used by small flock owners.
- Pullet = immature female chicken
There are different types of combs including:
|The most common is the single comb|
Other combs include the pea comb and the strawberry comb.
A common question is "How can you tell the difference between a male and female chicken?" There are distinct differences in adult chickens (known as sexual dimorphism) related to comb and wattle size, size of spurs, and type and shape of feathers.
It is much harder to sex young chicks, especially at hatch.