Definitions 101

One of the most frequently asked questions regarding my backyard flock is "how do you get eggs without a rooster?" A rooster is not necessary for a hen to produce eggs. A rooster is ONLY needed if you want fertilized eggs. As stated previously, roosters are not generally suitable for the urban chicken because of their lovely crow which has come to be one of the symbols of farm life. The rooster does not just alert the rising of the sun; he crows throughout the day:)

According to backyardchickens.com:
A hen is born with all the eggs she will ever have, and nature tricks her into laying them wheather a rooster is around or not. The eggs are equally tasty, nutritious, and abundant, regardless of whether a rooster is present. Hens don't seem to miss a rooster at all as long as they have hen friends to chum around with.  Of course, none of their eggs can ever become chicks, but many chicken breeds don't care to be mothers anyway. It's fun to watch roosters escort and care for their hens, however, if you can have roosters.


Some breeds of chickens are more prone to what is called becoming "broody." This refers to a hen who wants to set on her eggs. When hens are in this state they hardly eat or drink. They also do not lay many eggs. It is not a trait that you really want unless you have fertilized eggs for her to set on and you want baby chicks. I will post our experience with a broody hen in the future:)


Definitions:


Chick-a baby chicken


Chicken-any domestic fowl (male or female)


Flock- 3 or more chickens


Pullet- a female chicken less that one year old


Hen-an female chicken at least one year old

A chick becomes a pullet when most of the feathers come in.


Sexing-it is not what you think:)
you want to order sexed chicks--sexing determines the chicks gender. Otherwise you end up with luck of the draw. Sexing will allow you to order all females.


A baby male is a cockerel and an adult is a rooster.


Below is a diagram of chicken anatomy. My favorite part is the wattle. The feathery fluff on the backside is called the vent. The ear lobe can reveal what color a hens eggs will be: white lobe=white eggs, reddish lobe=brown eggs. Even hens have small spurs, but they are not used for fighting like in the rooster.

Original Artwork by Thomas Brown

general notes on definitions from Keep Chickens by Barbara Kilarski