Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Down:
The new, soft feathers on a baby chick before it grows its feathers. It is also
the fluffy layer of feathers underneath the main feathers on an adult bird.
Dual-purpose breed:
A breed raised to provide both meat and eggs
Dust bath:
Birds “bathe” or roll around in fine dirt or sand to help remove external
parasites from their bodies.
Earlobes:
Skin below a chicken's ears that can vary in color and shape depending
on the breed
Egg tooth:
The very tip of the chick's beak that pierces the egg when the chick is
ready to hatch. It falls off within the first week of hatching after it is no longer
needed.
Exterior albument:
The narrow fluid layer next to the shell membrane in an egg
Fertilized egg:
An egg containing an embryo that will produce a baby chick
Flighty:
Unstable behavior
Flock:
A group of chickens
Free-range:
Chickens that are not caged
Frizzled:
Feathers that curl on a bird and give the appearance of a fuzzy, fluffy look
Fryer:
A chicken, typically smaller, bred for meat. Another name for broiler, this is
the type of chicken found mostly in grocery stores.
Germinal disk or blastoderm:
The small circular spot on the surface of the yolk. It
is the point where sperm enters the egg.
Gizzard:
The part of the chicken's digestive system that contains the grit used to
breakdown the food
Hackles:
The feathers located on a chicken's back between the shoulder and neck
Heavy breed:
A breed in which the female weighs more than 5 ½ pounds
Hen:
A female chicken after her first molt
Hock:
The joint between the thigh and shank on a chicken
Hybrid:
A crossbreed
Incubation:
The stage of a chicken's life cycle when the fertilized egg is in an artifi-
cial incubator or under a hen as it matures 21 days to hatch
Keel:
The blade of a chicken's breastbone.
