No, I don’t mean “what is this chicken saying?” That’s a story for another day, but we will get to that!
Maybe you have had your flock awhile and have all the chicken terms down pat. But, if you are new to this or just thinking about raising chickens, the chicken speak might be throwing you for a loop.
My first exposure to a new-to-me chicken tender language was from a family member. Had I seen a backyard chicken prior to his flock? Yes. Did I necessarily know what he was talking about? Nope, not really. In context of the conversation I could figure it out. But, chicken terms weren’t exactly in my wheelhouse of knowledge at the time. After my brother started his flock, another family member moved out to the country and started their own backyard party of chicks. I was the last to get on board, but now there are 3 of us speaking chicken.
Friends, today I am going to give you a head start on chicken speak! Here are a handful of chicken definitions just for you:
Chick -newly hatched!
Pullet – female under a year old
Cockerel -male under a year old
Bloom – a thin coating on a fresh egg protecting it from bacteria
Broody -a hen that has decided to sit on and hatch a clutch of eggs
Clutch -12-15 eggs gathered for hatching
Vent -the opening in a chicken where waste and eggs are released
I will admit, I did NOT know what bloom meant the first time I heard it! And I certainly did not know what a vent on a chicken meant. I hope you find the linked list of definitions super helpful-I think it’s great, especially for beginners.
We will learn more about actual chicken language another time. That’s a real thing, I promise.
Happy Tendering!
.png)
