Chickens

Incubation

Keeping eggs warm and turned for $21$ days until hatching.

Embryo

An unborn organism in the early stages of development.

Pip

The very first break a chick makes in the eggshell.

Egg Tooth

A small, sharp bump on the beak used solely to crack the eggshell.

Down

The soft, fluffy first layer of feathers on a baby chick.

Hen

A female adult chicken that lays eggs.

Rooster

A male adult chicken that fertilizes eggs and protects the flock.

Yolk

The yellow center of the egg that supplies food and nutrients to the embryo.

Albumen

The clear egg white that cushions the yolk and provides water and protein.

Air Cell

A pocket of air at the broad end of the egg that allows the chick to take its first breath.

Shell

The hard, protective outer covering of the egg made of calcium carbonate.

Pullet

A young female chicken under one year old.

Cockerel

A young male chicken under one year old.