FOWL FACTS

Let's explore some random poultry facts ... from a possible bird brain!

- BILL GRAVES

I was raised on a California coastal farm that was an actual commercial chicken farm. My grandfather housed about 20,000 laying hens and sold eggs to an early egg

wholesaler. By the time I reached my teen years many decades ago, I had raised lots of baby chicks, gathered thousands of eggs and thought I knew all there was to know about chickens. Turns out, and the truth is, I’m still learning about chickens, eggs, and other poultry.

For this article, I’ve decided to take on some of the facts I’ve accumulated and will try to put them forward. Before I do so, I must give a bit of a disclaimer. As most will agree when talking species, there are always exceptions to the rule and some disagreements may result. Anyway, here goes!

JUST THE FACTS 

Just to get things started, we should start with some basic terminology. You can fact-check this if you want, but this is outside the realm of argument. Baby chickens are called chicks. They grow into either cockerels or pullets. Cockerels turn into roosters at maturity, and pullets become hens.

However, exactly when a pullet becomes a hen could be up for debate. A “started” pullet means they no longer need a brooder light for warmth but have not laid their first egg. In some parts of the country, pullets remain pullets until they lay their first egg, but others say a pullet is a pullet for a full year.