Last Updated on October 21, 2021 by Pauline G. Carter
If you are looking for answers on what a baby chicken is called, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will refer to the different names you can refer to your baby chickens by. Keep reading to find out all about this.
What Are Baby Chickens Called?
Deciding what to call a baby chicken as soon as they are hatched is hard especially as there is no clear distinction in their sex.
However, if you are looking for a gender-neutral baby chicken name, the right term will be chicks. Peeps is another name used to refer to baby chickens. The name originates from the “peeping” sound that newly hatched chickens make.
Usually, peeps refer to a group of newly hatched chickens, almost the way you would refer to a congregation of people. And while we are on this topic, chicks are absolutely cute!
What Is A Female Baby Chicken Called?
A female baby chicken that is yet to lay eggs is called a pullet until they start laying eggs. They can be called point of lay (a term that is used to differentiate sexually mature female chickens that are about to lay eggs.
What Is A Male Baby Chickens Called?
You can differentiate male baby chickens by their comb, wattle, and strut. The correct name for male baby chickens that are yet to help with fertilizing eggs is a cockerel. Once they have participated in their first fertilization, they can be called roosters.
What Is A Group Of Baby Chickens Called?
A group of baby chickens is referred to as a brood. Don’t confuse this with the broody, which refers to the mother hen trying to hatch her eggs. Usually, the brood consists of chicks that were hatched at the same time; they don’t necessarily have to be from the same mother hen.
In the past, chicken rearers used to refer to a group of baby chickens as a peep of chicks or chattering of peeps. Of course, the name has since been shortened to peeps. So you can refer to your group of chicks by the old fashion name (peeps) or the correct term, a brood.
At What Age Can I Tell If My Baby Chicken Is Male Or Female?
By 4 months, you can tell male and female chickens apart. Trying to determine the sex of baby chickens can be challenging and almost impossible if they have not reached sexual maturity.
Usually, male baby chickens are ready to be sexed at 6 weeks and continue to grow until 12 months. Before they fully attain sexual maturity, you should call them cockerels.
Once they are sexually mature, you can switch from calling them chicks to the right name for that stage “roosters.” At 12 months, the difference between male and female chickens becomes clear.
So, once you have identified the female chickens in your coop, you should refer to them as a pullet. This term holds until the female chickens are about to lay eggs and then you can call them a point of lay.
How To Tell Female And Male Baby Chickens Apart?
Telling baby chickens apart can be tricky but we will show you an easy way to get it done. Read this section carefully.
Combs And Wattles
The widely acclaimed way of telling chickens apart is to look at their comb and wattle. For clarity, the comb is the red fleshy crown atop the chicken’s head.
On the other hand, the wattle is the red flap skin that hangs just under the chicken’s beak. Now that we’ve gotten the definitions out of the way, let’s look at how to spot the differences.
Male chickens have more prominent combs that are prominently red unless they’ve been caponized (made infertile). The comb of male chickens is also positioned proudly while females droop slightly because they are smaller.
Legs And Posture
Another way to tell chickens apart is to examine their legs and posture. Male chickens have much thicker legs than hens. They (roosters) also strut with their chests puffed up and heads proudly raised high.
Feathers
Cockerels and roosters have feathers that are more pointed and sharp than those of their female counterparts. Female chickens on the other hand have softer feathers that can easily get damaged when the rooster tugs on them too hard during mating.
Conclusion
The general term for a baby chicken is chicks or peeps. However, as their sexual dimorphism becomes clear, you can refer to the baby chickens by a name in line with their gender and age.
For example, immature female chickens are called pullets while their male counterparts are called roosters. Leave us a comment detailing all you’d like to know about chickens in general