bantam: small chicken – often with the same feather patterns as standard-size breeds
barring: contrasting stripes running across the feather
breed: a group of animals that resemble one another (either through selection and breeding or adaptation to the environment) and that, when mated, reproduce the same type
broiler: a young chicken of a heavy breed used for roasting
broody: interested in sitting on eggs to incubate them – in reference to hens
capon: castrated cockerel
chick: baby chicken
clean legged: lower legs and feet lacking feathers
cockerel: young male chicken
comb: fleshy growth on the head of a chicken – often red and more pronounced in males (see Page 59)
crest: feathers growing out of the head
feather footed: legs and feet covered with feathers
fryer: a young chicken suitable for frying
hackle: long, slender neck feathers
hen: mature female
lacing: contrasting feather edge color
penciling: narrow concentric to perpendicular markings on a feather
pullet: young female that has not yet begun to lay eggs
rooster: male with his sexual parts in working order
spangle: round or V-shaped feather tip of a contrasting color
spur: horn-like projection on the back of the leg above the claws; pronounced on roosters
stewing hen: large female no longer able to lay eggs and too tough to broil or fry
wattle: loose fold of bare skin on the cheek and neck – often red and more pronounced in roosters