Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Pox:
A virus in which wart-like bumps appear on the wattles and combs of chickens
Pullet:
A female chicken under 12 months of age
Purebred:
A breed of chicken whose parents are the same breed
Run:
An area of space for chickens to run, forage, and roam
Rooster:
An adult male chicken
Scalder:
A piece of equipment that submerges a dead animal, typically a bird or
fowl, with the intent to burn the feathers off the carcass
Sexing:
The process of determining the gender of a baby chick
Spangled:
A “V” marking at the tip of a feather on a chicken's coat
Splash:
A term used to describe the colors and markings on chicks' and chickens'
coats
Spur:
A stiff, sharp spine on the leg rear of a chicken's leg
Stress:
To a chicken, stress can be triggered by a number of things, including loud
noises, overcrowding, children, other animals, and bright light. Stress is harmful for
chickens because they are sensitive birds. Too much stress can cause illness, de-
creased egg production, and even death in some cases.
Thrush:
A condition in a chicken that affects the upper digestive tracts
Twisted legs:
A leg deformity in birds
Wattle:
The fleshy pieces of skin that hang down on either side of a chicken's beak.
It can be used in identifying a breed of chicken and is typically larger on males than
females.
Wheaton:
The color of a chicken's coat, referring to an array of browns and tans
Vent:
The opening in the rear of a chicken where eggs and bodily excretions pass
through
Yolk:
The yellow mass of materials found in an egg that surrounds and provides
nutrients to the developing embryo and consists of protein, lecithin, and cholesterol
Chickens and People
What came first: the chicken or the egg? There are several theories. Some scientists agree on
the theory that chicken eggs developed as dinosaurs evolved into birds, thus reptile eggs came
first. Others believe the chicken came first based on a protein found in both eggs and chick-
ens. But whatever the case, chickens originated in India and Thailand from the single Red
