Sophie Bennett
Chickens have several names depending on their age, sex, and purpose. A baby chick is not a hen or a rooster. Hen and rooster are terms used to refer to adult chickens only. Young chickens of both sexes are called chicks or juveniles. Young female chickens are called pullets, and young male chickens are called cockerels. Male chickens are also called cocks, derived from the Old French coc or coq, meaning male bird.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Pullet, Chick, Peep |
| Age | Less than 1 year old |
| Description | A young female chicken that is fully feathered but has not yet reached sexual maturity |
| Alternative names | Juvenile, Biddy (elderly female chicken) |
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What You'll Learn
A young female chicken is called a 'pullet'
Chickens are one of the most common domesticated animals in the world, with a global population of over 26.5 billion. They are primarily kept for their
Chickens have many different names depending on their age, sex, and purpose. A baby chick is not a hen or a rooster; "hen" and "rooster" refer to adult female and male chickens, respectively. "Chicken" refers to both males and females.
Baby chickens of either sex are called "chicks" or "peeps". Young female chickens are called "pullets", while young males are called "cockerels". Pullets are typically less than a year old and not yet mature enough to lay eggs. They are fully feathered and are between 14 days old and approximately 18 weeks old.
Once they reach sexual maturity, female chickens become hens and males become roosters. An elderly female chicken is called a "biddy", and an elderly male is called a "cock".
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'Pullet' is derived from the Old French word 'poulette'
A young female chicken is called a "pullet". The term is typically used to refer to a female chicken that is less than a year old and has not yet reached sexual maturity. Pullets are fully feathered and are usually between 14 days and 18 weeks old, or when they have started to lay eggs. Their combs and wattles will start to develop as they get closer to maturity.
The word "pullet" is derived from the Old French word "poulette", which is a diminutive form of "poule", or hen in French. In the Western world, it was only in the 1930s that people learned to tell male chicks from female chicks, thanks to knowledge acquired from the Japanese. Before that, there were no different terms for female and male baby chicks.
"Pullet" is not the only term used to refer to a young female chicken. Chicks or peeps are also used to refer to baby chickens of either sex. Once they grow feathers, they are called "pullets" or "cockerels" depending on their sex. Male chickens are called cockerels until they hit puberty and begin mating, at which point they become roosters.
Female chickens are sometimes called pullets for most of their first year, even after they begin laying eggs, as their eggs are initially not full size. "Pullet eggs" refer to small eggs laid by young female chickens.
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'Poulette' is a diminutive form of 'poule', or 'hen'
A young female chicken is called a "pullet". The term is used to refer to a female chicken that is fully feathered but has not yet reached sexual maturity. Pullets are typically less than a year old and are not mature enough to lay eggs. The term is derived from the Old French word "poulette", which is a diminutive form of "poule", or "hen" in English.
The term "hen" is used to refer to a female chicken that has reached sexual maturity. A hen is at least one year old and is capable of laying eggs. The word "hen" itself is derived from the Old English word "henn".
"Chick" is a general term used to refer to a baby chicken, typically from when it is hatched until it gets its first set of feathers, which usually happens between 14 and 21 days of age. Young chickens of both sexes are called "chicks" or juveniles. Male chicks are called cockerels.
Other terms used to refer to female chickens include layers or laying hens, which refer specifically to mature female chickens kept for egg production.
Chickens have a variety of names and terms used to refer to them at different stages of development and for different sexes. These terms can vary depending on the region and culture.
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'Pullet' is used for less than a year, until maturity
The term "pullet" is used to refer to a young female chicken that is typically under a year old and has not yet reached sexual maturity. The word is derived from the Old French "poulette", which is a diminutive form of "poule", or "hen". Pullets are fully feathered and are usually between 14 days of age and approximately 18 weeks old, or when they have started to lay eggs.
Before they reach this age, female chickens are referred to as chicks, which is a term used for baby chickens of either sex until they grow feathers, typically between 14 and 21 days old. Male baby chickens are also called chicks, but once they are older, they are referred to as cockerels.
Once a pullet reaches sexual maturity, it is then known as a hen. Hens are female chickens that are at least a year old and are capable of laying eggs. They are kept for egg production and are also known as layers or laying hens.
Chickens have a wide range of names and terms to refer to them at different stages of their lives and depending on their gender. They are one of the most common and widespread domesticated animals in the world, kept for their meat and eggs, as well as pets.
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'Hen' is for a mature female chicken, at least one year old
A hen is a female chicken. To be considered a hen, the chicken must be at least one year old. The term is used to refer to adult chickens only. A baby chick is not a hen.
When they are young, female chickens are called "pullets". Pullets are fully feathered but have not yet reached sexual maturity. They are typically less than a year old and not yet mature enough to lay eggs. Pullets can also refer to female chickens for their entire first year, even after they begin laying. This is because their eggs are not yet full size.
Male chickens are called "cockerels" when they are young. Young chickens of both sexes can be called "juveniles" or "chicks".
Once they hit puberty and begin to lay eggs, female chickens become hens. Roosters, on the other hand, are male chickens that have hit puberty and are mating.
Chickens are gregarious birds that live in flocks. They are social, inquisitive, and intelligent, and many people keep them as pets. They are primarily kept for their meat and eggs, and a hen bred for laying can produce over 300 eggs per year.
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Frequently asked questions
A young female chicken is called a "pullet".
"Pullet" refers to a young female chicken that is fully feathered but has not yet reached sexual maturity.
Some other names for a young female chicken include chick and peep.
A female chicken stops being called a "pullet" and becomes a hen once it reaches sexual maturity and begins to lay eggs.
