Glossary of Poultry Terms

GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS

• Barring: Bars or stripes extending across a feather.

• Bean: A hard, bean-shaped protuberance growing in the tip of the upper mandible of a waterfowl.

• Beak: The projecting mouth parts of chickens and turkeys,consisting of upper and lower mandibles.

• Beard : In chickens, a group of feathers pendant from the throat, on Houdans and some varieties of Polish. In turkeys, a tuft of coarse, bristly hairs projecting from the upper part of breast.

• Bill: The projecting mouth parts of water fowl, consisting of upper and lower mandible.

• Blade : The rear part of a single comb, usually extending beyond the crown of the head ; should be smooth and free from serrations.

• Bow-Legged: A deformity in which the legs are too far apart at the hock and are bent inward laterally below the knees.

• Brassiness: Having the color of brass, metallic yellow.

• Breed: A race of domestic fowls which maintains distinctive characteristics of shape, growth, temperament, and shell-color of eggs produced. Breed is a broader term than variety. Breed includes varieties, as, for example, the Barred, White, and Buff varieties of the Plymouth Rock breed.

• Breeder: A broad, general term that designates the poultry raiser who produces fowls for any special purpose with the object of improving their value or in conformity with an agreed standard of excellence.

• Buff: A medium shade of orange color having a rich, golden cast. A color term used in describing the plumage of all Standard buff varieties of poultry, that is not so intense as to show a reddish cast, or so pale as to appear brassy or light yellow. (The term orange, used in this definition, refers to the primary color of the spectrum.)

• Buttercup Comb: A comb set firmly on the center of skull, with a single leader from base of beak to a deep cup-shaped crown formed by a complete circle of regular points. Note : The cavity within the circle of points should be deep; the texture of comb, fine and smooth.

• Cape: The short feathers on the back underneath the hackle, collectively shaped like a cape.

• Capon : An unsexed male, readily distinguished by the undeveloped comb and wattles ; the profusion of long, narrow hackle and saddle feathers, and low tail.

• Carriage : The attitude, bearing, or style of a bird.

• Caruncles : Small, fleshy protuberances —as on the head of a turkey or Muscovy duck.

• Carunculated : Having caruncles.

• Cavernous: Applied to the hollow, protruding nostrils of some breeds.

• Chickens : (a) Used as a general term to designate all domestic fowls, except turkeys, ducks, and geese; (b) cpecifically, domestic fowls under one year old.

• Chicks : Young of the domestic hen while in the downy stage.

• Cock : A male fowl one year old or more.

• Cockerel : A male fowl less than one year old.

• Comb : The fleshy protuberance growing on top of a fowl's head. The Standard varieties of combs are : Single, rose, pea, Vshaped, strawberry, cushion, and buttercup, all others being modification of these.

• Condition : The state of a fowl in regard to health, and in regard to state and cleanliness of plumage, head, and legs.

• Coverts: See tail, flight, and wing-coverts.

• Creaminess : Having the color of cream ; light yellow.

• Crest: A crown or tuft of feathers on the head of a fowl.

• Crop: The receptacle in which a fowl's food is accumulated before it passes to the gizzard.

• Drake: A male of the duck family.

• Drooping Wing : A wing carried loosely folded against the body with wing points carried below the horizontal.

• Dubbing : Cutting off the comb, wattles, or ear-lobes, so as to leave the head smooth.

• Duck : A female of the duck family.

• Duckling : The young of the duck family in the downy stage of plumage.

• Duck-Footed: The fourth, or hind toe, carried forward.

• Ear-Lobes: The formation of bare skin just below the ears.

• Ear-lobes of different breeds vary in color, being red, white, purple, cream, etc. ; they also vary greatly in size and shape.

• Enamel: The quality of white found in the ear-lobes of Mediterranean varieties.

• Excrescences: A disfiguring, abnormal or superfluous out growth.

• Face : The bare skin on the head of a fowl around and below the eyes.

• Faking: An attempt on the part of an exhibitor to deceive the judge.

• Fancier: A breeder of poultry who seeks to produce chickens, turkeys, ducks, or geese in conformity with an ideal or prescribed standard.

• Fawn : A soft, grayish tan.

• Feather:A growth formed of a discernible quill and a vane (called "web") upon each side. Quality of feather depends upon size and texture. Smooth, hard texture of feather is secured when the barbs in the web are hooked completely together. When the hooklets on the barbs or ribs of the web are reduced in number or size, the web is more split, stringy, transparent or curling. Note: When the quill is not discernible to the eye, it is "down."

• Feather-Legged : Term used to designate those breeds having feathers on shanks and toes.

• Flights: See Primaries.

• Flight-Coverts : The short, moderately stiff feathers located at the base of the wing primaries, or flight feathers, and partly covering their quills.

• Fluff: The soft feathers about thighs and posterior part of fowl, also the soft, downy part of a feather.

• Fowl : Generally, a term applied to all poultry ; specifically, applied to designate mature domestic cocks and hens.

• Foreign Color : Any color that differs from the basic color prescribed by the Standard for the specimen under consideration.

• Fowls: Plural of fowl.

• Frosting: A marginal edging or tracing of color on feather of laced, spangled, and penciled varieties.

• Gipsy Color : Very dark purple.

• Ground Color : The ground color is the predominating or basic color of the web of a feather.

• Hackle: The neck plumage of males formed of the hackle feathers.

• Hackle Feathers : The long, narrow feathers growing on the neck of males.

• Handling: (Applied to Games) Refers to the development and firmness of muscle.

• Hardness of Feather : A term used in describing the plumage of Games. Hardness of feather depends on the closeness of webbing and the amount of fluff in the feather; consequently in a hard feathered specimen, the feather will be webbed closely and will possess verv little fluff.

• Head : That part of a fowl composed of skull and face, to which the comb, crest, beak, wattles, and ear-lobes are attached.

• Hen : Any domestic female fowl one year old or more.

• Hen-Feathered: A male bird that resembles a hen in feather structure and color markings.

• Hock: The joint between the thigh and the shank.

• Iridescent : A prismatic play of color.

• Keel : In ducks, the deep, pendant fold of skin suspended from the entire under side of the body, including the breast and abdomen. Tn geese, the word "abdomen" is used to distinguish the posterior portion of the underbody from the keel, hence the keel in geese is the loose, pendant fold of skin suspended from the under part of the body in front of the legs.

• Keel-Bone: Breast bone or sternum.

• Key-Feather : Short feather growing between primaries and secondaries ; usually more pronounced in turkeys.

• Knee- Joint: See "Hock."

• Knock-Kneed : A deformity in which the legs come too near together at the hocks and are bent outward laterally below the hocks.

• Laced-Lacing: A feather edged or bordered with a band of color, different from the ground color of feather.

• Leaf-Comb : A combination of two small single combs, having serrated, leaflike edges ; the original Houdan comb, now replaced in America by the V-shaped comb.

• Leg: Includes thigh, lower thigh, and shank.

• Leg-Feathers : Feathers growing on the thighs, lower thighs, or shanks.

• Lesser Sickles: See "Sickles."

• Lopped Comb : A comb falling over to one side. See "General Disqualifications."

• Luster : The special brightness of plumage that gives brilliancy to the surface color.

• Mealy: Applied to the plumage of buff or red varieties if the ground color is stippled with a lighter color. (See "Stipple"; also.)

• Mossy.: Irregular dark markings appearing in feathers and destroying the desirable contrast of color.

• Mottled: (1. A Standard requirement.) (a) Feathers marked at the end with a broad white tip. (b) Feathers with a neat, clear, sharply-defined, white tip (as in Anconas). (2. A defect.) The surface spotted with colors or shades that differ from that required by this Standard.

• Muffs: The cluster of feathers covering the sides of the face below the eyes, extending from the beard to the ear-lobes. Found only on bearded varieties.

• Nostrils: Openings beginning at base of beak and extending into the head.

• Pair : A male and female of one variety.

• Parti- Coloured : Fowls having feathers of two or more colours or shades of colour. For examples, Silver-Laced Wyandottes, Blue Andalusians.

• Pea-Comb : A triple comb of medium length, resembling three straight single combs placed parallel with one another and joined at base, each having short but distinctly divided serrations, the serrations of the two outer rows being lower and smaller than those of the middle row, and those of each row being somewhat larger and thicker at the middle than at the front and rear of the comb.

• Pen: (Exhibition.) A male and four females of the same variety. An association sponsoring a show may prescribe in its rules a greater or lesser number of females.

• Penciling: Small markings or stripes on a feather. They may run straight across, as in the Penciled Hamburgs, in which case they frequently are called "Bars," or may follow the outline of the feather, taking a crescentic form, as. in the Dark Brahmas, Partridge Cochins, etc.

• Peppered-Peppering: Sprinkled with gray or black.

• Pinion Feathers : The feathers attached to the segment of the wing that is most remote from the body.

• Plumage: The feathers of a fowl.

• Poult : The young of the domestic turkey, properly applied until sex can be distinguished, when they are called cockerels and pullets.

• Poultry : Domestic fowls.

• Primaries: The longest feathers of the wing, growing between the pinions and secondaries, hidden when wing is folded ; otherwise known as flight feathers.

• Profile: A direct side view of a fowl. Applied to live specimens and to illustrations.

• Pullet: A female fowl less than a year old.

• Quill: The hollow, horny, basal part or stem of a feather.

• Rich: (As applied to color.) Sound, vivid, full.

• Rose-Comb : A solid, low comb, the upper surface covered with small, rounded points and free from hollow center. This comb terminates in a well-developed spike which may turn upward as on Hamburgs ; be nearly horizontal, as on Rose-Comb Leg horns ; or turn downward as on Wyandottes.

• Rump: The rear portion of the back of a duck or other fowl. Saddle : The rear part of the back of a male bird, extending to the tail and covered by the saddle feathers.

• Saddle-Feathers: The feathers growing out of the saddle.

• Scaly Legs: Incrustations or deposits upon and beneath the scales of a fowl's shanks or toes.

• Scoop Bill : A basin-like cavity in the center of bill of a waterfowl.

• Secondaries : The long, large quill feathers that grow be tween the first and second joints of the wing, nearest the body, that are visible when wing is folded.

• Serrated: Notched along the edge saw.

• Serration : A V-shaped notch between the Head of Duck, 'showing points Of a single Comb.

• Sex Feathers : A term used to designate the feathers characterizing the mature males of most breeds of ducks, and which correspond to the sickle feathers of a domestic cock. These two top tail feathers usually extend a little more than half the length of the tail when they take a turn upward and forward, making a pronounced curl, which gives a jaunty and attractive appearance.

• Shaft : The stem of a feather, especially the part filled with pith, which bears the barbs.

• Shafting : The shaft of the plume portion of a feather that is lighter or darker in color than the web of the feather.

• Shank : The portion of a fowl's leg below the hock, exclusive of the foot and toes.

• Shank-Feathering : The feathers growing on the outer side of the shank.

• Sickles : The long, curved feathers of the male's tail ; also properly applied to the prominent tail-coverts of males, which are called "lesser sickles."

• Side Sprig: A well-defined, pointed growth on the side of a single comb.

• Single Comb : A comb consisting of a single, fleshy, serrated formation, extending from the beak backward over the crown of the head.

• Slaty-Blue: A grayish blue, shades of which are required for the surface and under-color of Blue varieties ; also found in the under-color of Light Brahmas and Columbian varieties.

• Slip : A male on which the operation of caponizing has been incompletely performed ; readily distinguished from the capon by greater development of comb and wattles. (See "Capon.")

• Slipped Wing : A wing of a fowl not closely folded and not held up in proper position; a defect resulting from injury or from weakness of the muscles of the wing.

• Solid Color—Self Color: A uniform color, unmixed with any other color or shade of color.

• Spangle : A clearly defined marking of a distinctive color, located at the end of a spangled feather. (See page 67, figures 55, 58, and 61.)

• Spangled: Plumage made up of spangled feathers.

• Splashed Feather: A feather with colors scattered and irreg ularly intermixed.

• Split Comb : A single comb which is divided perpendicularly with two parts overlapping.

• Split Tail: A tail showing a decided gap between top main-tail feathers at their base, the result of subnormal feather development, disarrangement, or improper placement of quills of feathers.

• Split Wing : A wing so irregularly formed as to show a decided gap between primaries and secondaries.

• Spur: A horn-like protuberance, growing from the inner side of the shank of a fowl ; knob-like or pointed, according to the age of the fowl and the sex.

• Squirrel-Tail: A fowl's tail, any portion of which projects forward beyond a perpendicular line drawn through the juncture of tail and back.

• Station : Ideal pose, embodying Standard style; notably height and reach as applies to Games.

• Stern : The lower or under part of the posterior section of a fowl.

• Stipple : Verb, to execute in stipple, eg, to draw, paint or engrave by a series of dots instead of lines.

• Strain : A family of any variety of poultry that possesses, and reproduces with marked regularity, common individual characters which distinguish this from other families of the same variety.

• Strawberry Comb : Approaching in shape the outline and surface of a strawberry.

• Stripe: A stripe of color in the web of neck feathers of both sexes, and the saddle of males of some parti-colored varieties, that differs from the color of the edge of the same feather, or set of feathers. In most instances the stripe should extend through the web, running parallel with the outer edges of the feather and tapering to a point near the lower extremity of the feather.

• Striped Feather : A feather the surface of which shows a stripe. (See definition of "Stripe.")

• Stub : The quill portion of a short feather.

• Surface Color : The color of that portion of the plumage of a fowl that is visible when the feathers are in their natural position.

• Symmetry: Perfection of proportion; the harmony of all parts or sections of a fowl, viewed as a whole with regard to the Standard type of the breed it represents.

• Sweepstake Prize : A prize awarded to a specimen or group of specimens winning the highest honor in either a variety, breed, class, or combination of classes.

• Tail-Coverts : The curved feathers in front of and at the sides of the tail.

• Tail Feathers, Main : The stiff feathers of the tail.

• Thigh : That part of the leg above the shank.

• Thigh, Lower : The section between the hock and the joint next above.

• Thumb-Marks : A disfiguring depression which sometimes appears in the sides of a single comb.

• Ticking: (a,) The specks or small spots of black color on the tips of neck feathers of Rhode Island Red females, (b) Small specks of color on feathers that differ from the ground or body color.

• Tipped : A term applied to a feather, the web end of which differs in color from the main portion of the feather.

• Toe Feathering : The feathers on the toes of fowls required to have feathered shanks and toes.

• Trio : One male and two females of the same variety.

• Twisted Comb: An irregularly shaped single comb.

• Twisted Feather: Feather with quill or shaft twisted.

• Typical : Expressing a characteristic in color or form, representative of a breed or variety ; for example, typical shape, meaning the form singular to a breed.

• Under-Color : The color of the downy portion of feathers, not visible when the feathers are in natural position.

• Variety: A subdivision of a breed (see definition of "Breed"), a term used to distinguish fowls having the Standard shape and other characteristics of the breed to which they belong, but differing in color of plumage, shape of comb, etc., from other groups of the same breed.

• V-Shaped Comb : A comb formed of two well-defined, hornshaped sections.

• Vulture-Hock (Vulture-Feathered) : The stiff quill feathers growing on the thighs, extending backward, straight beyond the hock. To disqualify, they must be without a sufficient quantity of fluffy feathers to relieve the stiff appearance and to fill up the sharp angles, viewed in profile.

• Wattle : The pendant growths at the sides and base of beak.

• Web of Feather: The flat portion of a feather, made up of a series of barbs on either side of the shaft.

• Web of Feet : The flat skin between the toes.

• Web of Wings : The triangular skin attaching the three joints of the wing, visible when wing is extended.

• Wheaten : A color resembling that of wheat grain. A term used to describe the color of a variety of game fowl.

• Wing-Bar : The stripe or bar of color extending across the middle of the wing, formed by the color or marking of the wing coverts.

• Wing-Bay : The triangular section of the wing, below the wingbar, formed by the exposed portion of the secondaries when the wing is folded.

• Wing-Bow : The upper part of the wing, below the shoulder and wing-front and above the wing-bar.

• Wing-Coverts : The small, close feathers clothing the bend of the wing and covering the roots of the secondary quills.

• Wing-Fronts: The front edge of the wing at the shoulder. This section of the wing is sometimes called "wingbutts." The term wing-fronts is recommended, thus avoiding confusion.

• Wing-Points: The ends of the primaries.

• Wry Tail: Tail of fowl permanently carried to one side. (A Disqualification.)

Paraphrased from: The American standard of perfection, illustrated. A complete description of recognized varieties of fowls,as revised by [the Association at its 62d-67th annual meetings, 1937-42.] https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009169004