Copy of `AFS Poultry - Chicken terms`

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AFS Poultry - Chicken terms Category: Agriculture and Industry > Poultry farming Date & country: 20/01/2014, UK Words: 335

Peep
a term for chick sometimes used by small flock owners

Pellets
a form of feed where the contents are compressed into bite-sized morsels

Pathogen
disease-producing organism

Pathogenic
able to cause disease

Pathogenicity
the degree to which an organism is able to cause a disease

Pathology
the study of damage caused by disease

Oviduct
a part of the female avian reproductive tract where the egg white (albumen), shell membranes, shell and bloom (cuticle) are added to form a complete egg

Oviposition
the laying of an egg

Ovulation
the release of a yolk from the ovary

Ovum
the female germ cells in the ovary (plural = ova)

Pasting
loose droppings sticking to the vent area

Ovary
a part of the female avian reproductive tract which holds the female genetic material and collects the yolk material normally associated with eggs

Organic
a legalized regulated term related to production of food products according to pre-set standards

Osteomyelitis
inflammation of the bone marrow

Osteoporosis
thinning and weakening of the bones

Ova
female germ cells that become eggs

NPIP
National Poultry Improvement Plan

Ocular
pertaining to the eye

Oil sac
large oil gland on the back of birds at the base of the tail and used by the bird to preen or condition feathers (also called the uropygial or preen gland)

Nest run
ungraded eggs

Neural
pertaining to the nerves

Mounting
when the rooster mates with a hen

Muff
fluffy feathers on the face of chickens (tufts are feathers that protrude from the face)

Necropsy
a postmortem (after death) examination of an animal (equivalent to a human autopsy)

Necrotic
pertaining to dead tissue

Nematode
a roundworm

Nest egg
artificial egg placed in a nest to encourage hens to lay there

Mottled
plumage where a percentage of feathers are tipped with white; a discoloration of egg yolk caused by damage to the yolk membrane

Mossy
indistinct, irregular, or messy-looking markings that break up or destroy the intended color pattern on feathers

Molt (Moult)
a part of the hen's reproductive cycle when she stops laying and loses her body feathers

Morbidity
a health problem of a bird that typically requires it to be put down

Mortality
death due to disease or accident

Mite
a type of external parasite

Metabolism
the physical and chemical processes that produce and maintain a living body

Membrane
a thin, soft, pliable layer

Mandible
upper or lower bony portion of the beak

Mechanical transmission
disease causing agents carried on a surface (such as shoes, tires, shovels, etc.)

Magnum
the portion of the avian oviduct in which the thick white (albumen) is added

Keratin
key structural material of feathers (as well as wool, hooves, and human skin, hair and nails)

Knob
protrusion from the skull

Lacing
border of contrast color around the entire web of a feather

Litter
material scattered on the floor of a poultry house to absorb moisture and manure (also called bedding)

Lopped comb
a comb that falls to one side

Keet
a young (baby) guinea fowl

Keel
the breast bone of birds

Jake
a young male turkey

Jejunum
a portion of the small intestine

Isthmus
the part of the female reproductive tract where the inner and outer shell membranes are added

Intensity of lay
how well a hen is laying right now

Intranasal
in the nose

Intraocular
in the eye

Intravenous
injection into a vein

Iris
colored circle that surrounds the black center in the chicken's eye

Ingest
to eat

Infundibulum
The beginning of the oviduct that picks up the ovulated yolk when it is released from the ovary (also called the funnel)

Infertile
an egg that is not fertilized and therefore will not hatch

Infertility
the inability to reproduce (can be with either the male or female and can be a temporary or permanent condition)

Inbred
offspring of closely related parents

Incubate
to apply the required conditions (heat and humidity) to eggs to allow embryos to develop and chicks to hatch out

Incubation period
the time it takes for an egg to hatch once incubation starts; also refers to the time from exposure to a disease causing agent to the time when the first symptoms of the disease appear

Incubator
a piece of equipment especially designed to incubate eggs

Infectious
capable of invading living tissue and multiplying so as to cause a disease

Impaction
the blockage of a part of the digestive tract, typically the crop or cloaca

Hybrid
offspring of parents from different breeds (also referred to as crossbred); the artificial crossing of two different species

Immunity
resistance to disease (active immunity develops when an individual has had the disease or been vaccinated; passive immunity is passed from mother to chick through the egg)

Humidity
the amount of water in the environment (usually measured with a wet bulb thermometer)

Hover
canopy type brooding system

Host
an animal that has a parasite or an infectious agent living on or in it

Hatch
the process by which the chick comes out of the egg

Hatchability
the percentage of fertile eggs that hatch when incubated

Hatchery
a place where eggs are incubated and chicks hatched

Helminthes
a category of parasitic worms

Hen
adult female poultry including chicken, turkey, duck, pigeon, pheasant, etc.

Hock
the 'knee' joint of a bird

Horizontal transmission
disease passed from mother to offspring via the egg

Hackles
feathers over the back of a chicken which are pointed in males and rounded in females

Guinea cock
an adult male guinea fowl

Guinea cockerel
a young male guinea fowl under one year of age

Guinea hen
an adult female guinea fowl

Guinea pullet
a female guinea fowl under one year of age

Gizzard
a portion of the avian digestive tract with thick muscular walls that crushes and grinds food

Gobbler
an adult male turkey (also referred to as a 'tom')

Goose
a type of waterfowl; the female of the species is also referred to as a goose (the male is a gander)

Gosling
a young (baby) goose

Grade
to sort according to quality

Grit
small pebbles eaten by birds and used by the gizzard to grind up feed

Free-range
a term that does not have a legal definition but is typically used to refer to providing a flock with outdoor access

Frizzle
a feather that curls rather than laying flat

Fryer
a young meat-type chicken

Gander
a male goose

Germinal disc
the site of fertilization, if it occurs, in an egg

Germs
disease causing organisms

Giblets
the parts of a chicken carcass that consist of the heart, gizzard and liver.

Fowl
domesticated birds raised for food or other similar purpose; also refers to a hen at the end of its productive life (a stewing hen)

Fomite
inanimate objects such as shipping crates, feed sacks, clothing, shoes, and tires that may harbor disease-causing organisms and thus able to transmit the disease

Foot candle
a measurement of light intensity

Forage
to scratch the ground in search of food; also refers to the crops in a pasture

Forced-air incubator
an incubator that has a fan to circulate warm air

Fertility
percentage of eggs that are fertile

Finish
the amount of fat under the skin of a meat bird