Claire Thompson
Chickens are widely featured in folklore, religion, literature, and popular culture. They are also one of the most common and widespread domesticated animals in the world, with a global population of over 26.5 billion. The terms used to refer to these birds can vary depending on their age, sex, and purpose. For instance, a “chicken” is a broad term for the species, while hen and rooster refer specifically to adult females and males, respectively. Young female chickens are called pullets, while young males are called cockerels. Adult males can also be referred to as cocks, particularly outside the United States. These terms are important to understand, especially for those involved in poultry farming and research, as they help distinguish the roles, physical characteristics, and behaviours of these birds.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Term for male chicken | Rooster, cock, cockerel (young), capon (neutered) |
| Term for female chicken | Hen, biddy, pullet (young) |
| Term for baby chicken | Chick, peep, juvenile |
| Chicken species | Gallus gallus domesticus |
| Chicken breed | Red junglefowl |
| Chicken sexing methods | Auto-sexing, sex-linking, vent sexing, sexual dimorphism |
| Chicken weight at slaughter | Broiler: 2.27 kg (5 pounds), Roaster: 2.72-3.63 kg (6-8 pounds) |
| Chicken warning calls | Air or ground predator warning calls |
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What You'll Learn
- Male chickens are called roosters, cocks, or cockerels (if under 1 year old)
- Female chickens are called hens or pullets (if under 1 year old)
- Young chickens of either sex are called chicks
- Roosters have distinctive features, including saddle feathers and a sickle feather
- Hens cluck loudly after laying an egg and to call their chicks
Male chickens are called roosters, cocks, or cockerels (if under 1 year old)
Male chickens are called by several names, the most common being roosters, cocks, or cockerels. The term used often depends on the age and maturity of the male chicken.
Rooster is the most common term used to refer to adult male chickens. Roosters are known for their distinct appearance, including longer, more deeply fringed feathers, particularly in the neck hackle, saddle, and tail regions. They also have larger combs and wattles than hens, and their facial features are more vibrantly coloured. Roosters produce high sound pressure levels when crowing, which serves as a territorial signal to other males.
Cock is another term used interchangeably with rooster to refer to adult male chickens. The term cock is more commonly used outside of the United States.
Cockerel is the term used for young male chickens under one year old. Male chickens are considered cockerels until they hit puberty and begin mating, at which point they become roosters or cocks.
It is important to note that the terms rooster, cock, and cockerel refer specifically to male chickens. The term ""chicken"" is a general term for the species Gallus gallus domesticus, encompassing both male and female chickens of all ages.
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Female chickens are called hens or pullets (if under 1 year old)
Chickens are gregarious birds that live in flocks and incubate eggs and raise young communally. They are primarily kept for their meat and eggs, but they are also kept as pets. The chicken, or Gallus gallus domesticus, is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl, originally native to Southeast Asia.
When it comes to terminology, it's important to note that “chicken” refers to both male and female birds. The terms “hen” and “rooster” are used to refer to adult female and male chickens, respectively. “Roo” is a shortened version of "rooster", while “capon” refers to a neutered male chicken.
Now, let's focus on female chickens, which are called "hens" once they reach sexual maturity and begin laying eggs. Before this stage, female chickens are called “pullets” during their teenage phase, which typically lasts from 4 to 17 weeks of age. However, the definition of "pullet" can vary, and some people use this term more broadly to refer to any female chicken under one year old.
Pullets, or teenage female chickens, are distinguished by their smaller size compared to male chickens, or “cockerels”. They also have longer primary flight feathers on their wings, while male chickens have bigger developing tail feathers. As pullets mature, they may be referred to as “point-of-lay” pullets, indicating they are about four to five months old and close to laying their first eggs.
It's worth noting that determining the sex of baby chicks can be challenging, and even experts can only achieve about 90% accuracy. Methods such as auto-sexing, sex-linking, and sexual dimorphism can be used to predict the sex of chicks based on characteristics like feather colour, growth rate, and behavioural changes as they mature.
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Young chickens of either sex are called chicks
There are many different terms used to refer to chickens, which can be confusing, especially for beginners. “Hen” and “rooster” are terms used to refer to adult female and male chickens, respectively. “Roo” is short for "rooster", while “capon” refers to a neutered male chicken.
Young chickens of either sex are called "chicks" or "peeps". However, it can be challenging to determine whether a young chick will grow up to be a rooster or a hen. Historically, it took several weeks to distinguish between male and female chicks, and the Western world did not know how to tell them apart until the 1930s when they learned from the Japanese.
There are several methods to determine the sex of a chick, but even experts are only about 90% accurate. One method is to examine the chick's cloaca (vent opening and sex parts) immediately after hatching. Another method is auto-sexing, which is based on the colour, pattern, or distinguishing characteristics of the chick's down feathers. This method only works on breeds that exhibit different colourations for males and females. For example, male chicks may have a light-coloured dot on their heads, while females may have a different dorsal stripe pattern.
As chicks mature, sexual dimorphism can be used to identify their sex based on observable changes in behaviour or appearance. Male and female chicks can also be distinguished by examining the development of their combs and wattles. Combs and wattles on male chicks typically grow sooner, larger, and turn bright red earlier (around 6 to 8 weeks of age). Female chicks' combs and wattles usually develop later (around 10 weeks or older) and become more enlarged before they start laying eggs. Additionally, differences in feathers can be an indicator, as male chicks tend to have even-length wing feathers, while female chicks have irregular or alternating feather lengths.
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Roosters have distinctive features, including saddle feathers and a sickle feather
Roosters and hens are adult male and female chickens, respectively. The terms "rooster" and "cock" are interchangeable, with the former being preferred in the United States and the latter in the rest of the world. Young male chickens, on the other hand, are called "cockerels".
Roosters have several distinctive features that set them apart from hens. One of the most notable is the presence of saddle feathers and a sickle feather. Saddle feathers are long feathers that cover the rooster's rump and the base of its tail. While hens also have feathers in this area, they are typically shorter and less noticeable. The sickle feather, on the other hand, is a long, dramatic, arced feather that sticks out from the rooster's tail. These feathers are some of the last adult feathers to develop and are often preened off or damaged, which can make them less noticeable.
In addition to the saddle and sickle feathers, roosters have other distinctive features. Their hackle feathers, or neck feathers, are typically longer and pointier than those of hens. Roosters also tend to have larger combs and wattles, and their facial features—including their combs, wattles, earlobes, and faces—are often more vibrant in colour. As roosters age, they may also develop spurs on their shanks, which continue to grow longer over time.
While these physical characteristics can be used to distinguish between roosters and hens in most breeds, there are some exceptions. Certain breeds, such as Silkies, Golden Campines, Sebrights, and Ameraucanas, are considered "hen-feathered," meaning that the physical differences between the sexes are minimal. In these breeds, other methods, such as auto-sexing or vent sexing, may be necessary to determine the sex of a chicken.
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Hens cluck loudly after laying an egg and to call their chicks
The terms "rooster" and "hen" refer to male and female chickens, respectively. "Hen" is used to refer specifically to adult female chickens, while "rooster" is used for adult male chickens. Young female chickens are called "pullets", while young males are called "cockerels".
Hens cluck loudly after laying an egg to attract the opposite sex. The sound of a hen clucking after laying an egg indicates to a rooster that it is time to mate, and the eggs laid the next day are likely to be fertilized and hatch into chicks.
Clucking is also an important form of communication between mother hens and their chicks. Before the chicks are born, mother hens cluck softly to their unhatched chicks, enabling them to recognize their mother's voice. Towards the final hours of the hatch, the chicks begin to cluck back to their mother. After the chicks hatch, mother hens continue to use clucking as a way to call their chicks and keep them safe.
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Frequently asked questions
A male chicken is called a rooster, cock, or cockerel if it is under a year old.
A female chicken is called a hen. Young female chickens are called pullets.
A baby chicken is called a chick.
