White Leghorn
Pure White Eggs
Some of the terms used in the poultry industry are not in common usage – or they have different meanings from everyday usage.
Below we have listed the meaning of a number of commonly used poultry terms.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Auto Sexing | A pure breed that has distinct colour difference between male & female chicks when hatched |
| Bantam | Miniature fowl to large fowl standard but quarter of the weight |
| Barring | Alternative stripes of light and dark across the feather |
| Breed | A group of birds conforming to a true consistent standard |
| Cock | A male bird after the first moult |
| Cockerel | A young male bird of the current seasons breeding |
| Comb | Fleshy protuberance on top of a fowls head. This will vary considerably dependent on type of fowl |
| Condition | State of birds general health |
| Hackle | The neck feathers of a fowl and saddle plumage of a male consisting of long, narrow pointed feathers |
| Hard Feathered | Close tight feathering as found on game birds |
| Hybrid | A first cross between pure breeds to produce a consistent coloured off spring normally with specific benefits i.e. sex linked chicks, increased egg production etc. |
| Lacing | An edging round a feather differing in colour of the ground i.e. Seabright, Wyndotte etc. |
| P.O.L. | “Point of Lay” a bird that is approaching or just starting its first laying period |
| Pullet | A female fowl of the current seasons breeding |
| Quill | Hollow stem of feather |
| Sex Linked | A chick that shows distinct sexual difference when hatched . i.e. males silver, females brown/red. |
| Trio | A male and two females |
| True Bantam | Miniature fowl with no large fowl equivalent (Ko Shamo, Barbue d’uncle) |
| Wattles | The fleshy appendages at each side of the base of the beak more developed in male birds |