Frequently Asked Questions

"Fancy feathering" refers to unusual feathering that some varieties of chickens have. There are different types of fancy feathering. Crestedness, for example, is when a chicken has a crest or puff of feathers on the head. Rumplessness refers to a chicken that naturally (not from plucking or molting) has no tail. Araucanas are rumpless. Tuftedness refers to feathers up near the ears. They grow out of a fleshy nub called the peduncle. Note that tuftedness is a fatal gene; that means that chickens that get two copies of the gene typically die in the egg before they hatch. Since tuftedness...

Chickens have a much higher body temperature than humans do. Normal chicken body temperature ranges from about 105 to 107 degrees Fahrenheit. Just as with humans, it can vary a little depending on time of day, wither the chicken is stressed, or whether she's eaten recently. Only take the temperature of adult chickens, not baby chicks. If your chicken seems ill and you want to check her temperature, you can do it by yourself, but it's really much easier with assistance: one person can hold your hen still, while the other can use the thermometer. Please get assistance if possible....

Candling is the process of shining a bright light into an egg to have a look at the contents. It used to be done with a candle in a dark room, but now high intensity light can be used in a darkened box. For instance, here is Brinsea's egg candler: Commercially, eggs are candled to make sure they are free of blood or meat spots. This is why, incidentally, white eggs used to be the most popular type of commercial egg. It's not just a matter of finding a high production, breed, but also of easy examination to make sure...

The bloom, cuticle, or cuticula is a natural protective covering of an that helps keep bacteria from invading the porous shell. It also helps to regulate the loss of moisture from the egg. It is a thin coating and will be removed if you wash the egg.

Bedding or litter is the material added to the coop floor and nest box in order to absorb odor and droppings and provide a soft surface for your chickens to walk on. The most common material that works well is wood shavings. There are other materials that can be used, though. Please read about good choices in the related questions below.

A spur is a horny growth on a chicken's legs, right above the toes. In most breeds, roosters are the only ones who grow spurs. Roosters use their spurs as weapons. Rooster spur Older hens can sometimes grow spurs, too. In baby chicks, you can usually see small spur buds in both males and females.

A bantam chicken is a smaller version of a regular chicken. Bantam chickens are typically one-fourth to one-fifth the size of standard chicken breeds.

The Latin name for chicken is Gallus gallus domesticus. In fact, all breeds of chicken, no matter how schmancy, are the same species!