Glossary

ABA - American Bantam Association

Abdomen - area between keel and pubic bones
Abdominal capacity - distance between two pubic bones (width) and between pubic
bones and tip of the keel (depth)
Acquired immunity – immunity to a disease from maternal side by transmission of
immunity through egg yolk
Active immunity – immunity to a disease developed by exposure to disease or by
receiving a vaccine for the disease
Acute disease– disease that is sharp or severe in onset and effect on the animal
AET - online record keeping system for agricultural experiences
Air cell - air space between the two shell membranes, usually at large end of egg
Air chilling - less efficient alternative chilling method preferred in Europe and
Canada
Air sacs – structures that replace diaphragm increase buoyancy in avian respiratory
system
Albumen – protein source for developing embryo
Allantois – embryonic membrane that plays a role in albumen metabolism and
calcium absorption of developing chick. Also, location of excretory
product storage during incubation
Alternating current - Alternating current (AC) is current in which position of
positive and negative current is changed on the wires. This change of
current happened about 50 or 60 times in a second. This is also called
frequency (Hz) of alternating current like 50 Hz or 60 Hz. Frequency of
electric motors must match with the frequency of current for their
appropriate functioning.
Ambient temperature– temperature of surrounding environment
Amino acid – building block of proteins composed of an amine portion (NH2) a
carboxylic acid portion (COOH) and a functional side chain. There are 20
naturally occurring amino acids which can be broken into two groups -
non-essential and essential amino acids
Ammonia – nitrogen gas produced by the bacterial breakdown of protein in fecal
matter.
Amnion - a sac surrounding embryo filled with amniotic fluid which protects
developing embryo from shock and provides a medium for the developing
embryo to exercise their muscles
Ampere: Ampere (I) is the rate at which current is caused to flow through a
resistance of one ohm by a pressure of one volt.
Anatomy - structure systems of an animal (skeletal, muscular, digestive, etc.)
199
200 Glossary

Anthelmintic - medication given to treat a bird with internal parasites

Antibiotic - a chemical produced by a microorganism or fungi and used to destroy
or inhibit the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms
Antibodies – chemical substances, in circulating fluids, colostrums, and milk, that
contributes to immunity against disease or infection
Antibody - a natural substance in the blood that recognizes and destroys foreign
invaders and that causes an immune response to vaccination or infection
Antigen - a foreign protein in blood that differs from natural body proteins which
stimulates the natural production of antibodies
APA - American Poultry Association
Artificial incubator –used to hatch large numbers of offspring at the same time
maximizing hatchability through precise control of hatching environment
to encourage embryonic growth.
As hatched - description of a group of chicks that have not been sorted
Ascites - accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity
Aves - a class of animals composed of birds
Avian - pertaining to birds
Aviary - a large enclosure for holding birds in confinement
Aviculture - the science of birds
Axial feather - short wing feather located between primary and secondary flight
feathers
Back-up Pac Man - pulls gizzards missed by automated machine on production line
Back-up Killer - checks for chickens missed by the auto-killer and manually kills
them
Bacteria – a class of single-celled ubiquitous organism which can be pathogenic
Bagger - places product into plastic bags
Banding - putting a tag or band with identification on it to the wing or leg of a bird
Bantam - a chicken breed that is one third to one half the size of a standard breed.
Banti - a non-technical term sometimes used to mean 'bantam'
Barbicels - tiny hooks that hold a feather's web together
Barring - alternate markings of two distinct colors on a feather
Bay - light golden brown in color
Beak - hard protruding mouth part of a bird consisting of an upper and a lower part
Beak conditioning- trimming of the beak
Beard - feathers bunched together under the beak of some breeds of chickens;
coarse hairs protruding from the breast of turkeys
Bedding - material scattered on the floor of a poultry house to absorb moisture and
manure (also called litter)
Biddy - a non-technical term for a laying hen that is over one year of age
Bill - the 'beak' of waterfowl
Glossary 201

Billing out - act of chickens using their beaks to scoop feed out of a feeder and onto
floor
Biosecurity – Procedures Designed to minimize disease transmission from outside
and inside a production unit
Blade - lower, smooth part of a single comb
Bleaching - disappearance of color from vent, face and shanks of yellow-skinned
chickens
Blood spot - blood in an egg
Bloom - the moist protective coating on a freshly laid eggs that partially seals the
pores of the egg shell to prevent penetration by bacteria (called cuticle)
Blowout - when there is vent damage, typically caused by laying a very large egg
(also referred to as a prolapse)
Blue - slate gray feather color
Bone Popper - disjoints thigh bones
Booted - having feathers on the shanks (legs) and toes
Box Labeler - produces labels for boxes containing finished product and places on
box
Box Maker - constructs self-locking boxes for holding finished product
Branded product – a product identified with the company name
Breast blister - enlarged, discolored area on breast or keel bone seen in heavy birds
Breast Bin - places breasts into bin for deboning; takes product out of bin for
placement back on production line
Breast Cutter - debones breast portions
Breast Machine Operator - loads front-halves into automatic machine for cutting
Breast Puller/Inspector - pulls and inspects breast filets for bone, cartilage
Breed - a group of chickens having a distinctive body shape and the same general
features; also a term used when group male and female birds for mating
Broiler - a chicken of either sex produced and used for meat purposes
Brood - to care for a batch of chicks
Brooder - a devise used to provide warmth to young chicks
Broodiness - tendency of a hen ‘sit tight in a nest; to behave as if she were in an
attempt to naturally incubating an eggs
Brooding- raising young poultry under environmentally controlled conditions for
first few weeks of life
Broody - a hen that is sitting on eggs with the intent of hatching them
Buff - orange-yellow color in feathers that is not shiny or brassy
Candle - to examine contents of an intact egg with the use of a light
Candler - light used to examine contents of an egg without breaking it open
Candling - using a candler to check contents of an egg
Cannibalism - when poultry eat the flesh of fellow flock mates
202 Glossary

Cape - narrow feathers between a chicken's neck and back

Capon - a castrated male chicken (requires surgery, reproductive organs are internal
Capon - castrated male bird Cartilage Remover - checks deboned product for
cartilage and removes same
Caeca – two pouches where small and large intestine join, some fermentation of
feed occurs here
Cecum - a blind pouch at junction of small and large intestines that hosts
community of microorganisms that can ferment (digest) fiber
Carcass grading – using USDA standards to assign a degree of quality
Career Development Event - an activity in which FFA members demonstrate skills
in competition
Carrier - an apparently healthy bird that can transmit a disease to others; also refers
to a container to transport birds
Caruncle - brightly colored growths on throat region of turkeys and the face of
Muscovy ducks
Checker (shipping) - checks finished product against manifest/order
Chalazae - two white cords of tightly spun albumen (egg white) found on either
side of yolk and important in keeping yolk properly positioned within egg
Chick - young (baby) chicken
Chick tooth - a tiny, hard projection on beak of a newly hatched chick that was
used by the chick to break shell to hatch (also called an egg tooth)
Chicken tractor - a portable pen for chickens on pasture
Chiller Belt Operator - operates the movement of the production line for chickens
rehung after exiting the chiller
Chiller Hanger - rehangs chickens onto production line after exiting the chiller
Chook - an Australian term for chicken that has been used in the US for chickens in
a small flock
Chorion - a membrane the surrounds the yolk sac and amnion
Chronic disease–a disease continuing over a long period of time or having gradual
effect
Class - a group of chicken breeds that were originally developed in a particular
region of the world (e.g. American, Asiatic, Mediterranean)
Clean legged - having no feathers on the shanks or toes
Clean Up - sanitizes production line, production areas, and equipment
Cleaning Rack - sanitizes small equipment
Clipper - places metal clip on poly-bagged finished product to seal bags
Clinical disease– disease in which symptoms of the disease are expressed
Cloaca - portion of avian anatomy where intestinal, reproductive and urinary tracts
end
Glossary 203

Clubbed down - a condition where down feathers do not erupt from their feather
sheath resulting in a coil-like appearance
Cluck - sound a hen makes after laying an egg
Clutch –number of eggs a hen lays in a row
Clutch length-complete set of eggs produced or incubated at one time by a single
hen in consecutive days
Coat Service - launders coats used by plant personnel
Cone Loader - places product onto cones for deboning
Cooler - maintains refrigerated equipment used to store product at specific
temperatures
Coccidia - protozoan intestinal parasite
Coccidiosis - a parasitic infection (coccidia) in intestinal tract of poultry
Coccidiostat - a drug used to keep poultry from getting coccidiosis
Cock - mature male chicken, over a year of age
Cockerel - young male chicken, usually under a year old
Coliform - any bacteria resembling Escherichia coli
Comb - the fleshy red outgrowth on the top of a chicken's head
Comb dubbing-removing comb or parts of comb, (and wattles in game chickens)
Condition - typically refers to a chicken's state of health and cleanliness
Conduction – transfer of heat through a medium, warmth is passed to cooler
particles by direct contact
Conformation - refers to body structure of poultry
Conjunctiva - mucus membrane covering eyeball
Conjunctivitis - infection of conjunctiva
Contagious - disease that is easily passed from one bird to another
Contract grower -a farmer that grows chickens under contract with broiler company
Convection – flow of heat through air or water
Cool house brooding- raising poultry under controlled cool house conditions with
warm areas provided for chicks to find as needed
Coop - house or cage in which poultry are housed
Coverts - feathers that cover primary and secondary wing feathers
Crest - ball of feathers on the heads of some breeds of chickens and geese
Crop - enlarged part of digestive tract, serves as a temporary storage space of food
Cropper - removes the crop by hand when missed by automated machinery
Cross ventilation (natural ventilation) – Using natural or mechanically induced air
flow across the width of a house to exchange air in a poultry house
Crossbred - the offspring of parents from different varieties or breeds
Crumbles - a poultry feed that has been pelleted and then the pellets broken up
Cuckoo - a course and irregular barring pattern in feathers
204 Glossary

Cull - to remove a bird from flock because of productivity, age or health

Culling- to remove from a flock due to undesirable traits
Culture - incubating a sample from a diseased bird to look for presence of bacteria
Current - Current is the flow of electricity in a circuit it is measured in amperes.
Cushion - mass of feathers that gives a round effect seen in female cochins
Cut Up - fabricates whole chicken into bone-in parts
Cuticle - moist protective coating on a freshly laid eggs that partially seals pores of
egg shell to prevent penetration by bacteria (also called the bloom)
Cygnet - young (baby) swan
De-caking – removing wet litter material from a house
Defect - any characteristic that makes a chicken less than perfect
Deboner - removes bones from product
Depopulate - to destroy an entire flock
Dewlap - the flap of skin below the beak of turkeys and some geese
Digestibility – ability to breakdown nutrients chemically and physically in
gastrointestinal tract preparatory to absorption
Direct cause of disease– exposure to, or contact with, pathogens or other substances
that cause a decrease in animal health
Direct current - Direct current (DC) is current in which position of positive and
negative current did not changed on the wires. One wire is always
positive; the other, negative.
Disease – state of being other than complete health
Disinfect - kill bacteria through chemical means
Disqualification-a defect/deformity serious enough to bar a bird from poultry show
Down - a layer of feathers found under the tough exterior feathers
Drake - an adult male duck
Drake - male duck
Drawhand - pulls viscera by hand when missed by automated machinery, before
inspection
Dressed - cleaned in preparation for eating (feathers and guts removed)
Droppings - another term for chicken manure
Dry bulb temperature– actual temperature of air measured by ordinary thermometer
Dry-bulb thermometer - used to determine the temperature in a room or incubator
Drumstick Cutter - separates the leg and thigh portions
Dual-purpose chicken – Chicken used for both meat and egg production. Currently,
commonly used in backyard flocks
Dual-purpose chicken – used for both meat and eggs
Dub - to surgically remove a bird's comb and wattles close to the head
Duck – female duck
Glossary 205

Duck foot - a disqualification of chickens where hind toe is carried too far forward
and touches third toe or is carried too far back and touches ground
Duckling - a young (baby) duck
Dump Operator - transfers birds from cages onto conveyor belt for movement to
livehang
Dumps Meat - places product from totes and other bulk temporary storage onto
specific production lines
Duodenal loop - upper part of small intestine (also referred to as the duodenum)
Dust bath - the habit of chickens to splash around in soft soil to clean their feathers
and discourage external parasites
Ear lobes - flesh patch of bare skin located below ears of birds
Ectoparasite - an external parasite
Egg Person - removes eggs from spent hens undergoing processing
Eggshell – complex calcium carbonate structure that covers egg, protective
function.
Egg tooth - a tiny, hard projection on the beak of a newly hatched chick that was
used by chick to break shell to hatch (also called a chick tooth)
Electrical stunning – using electric current to make an animal unconscious or
insensible
Electrolytes - a mineral solution used to treat dehydration
Embryo – developing chick, from soon after fertilization to hatch
Embryo - developing chick in an egg
Embryology - the study of the formation and development of embryos
Encephalitis - inflammation of the brain
Endoparasite - an internal parasite
Enteric - affecting the intestines
Enteritis - inflammation of the intestines
Entrepreneurship - the process of getting into and operating one's own business
Esophagus – muscular membranous tube for the passage of food from the pharynx
to the stomach.
Esophagus - portion of digestive tract that moves from the mouth to the stomach
Essential amino acids– these amino acids not produced by body, but are necessary
for cell function, therefore it is essential that they are included in
appropriate quantities in feedstuffs
Estrogen –female hormone that promotes development of female reproductive tract.
Etiology - causes of a disease
Evaporation - changing a liquid into vapor
Exsanguination – death occurs because of loss of blood
Exudate - fluid associated with an inflammation or swelling
Exudative diathesis - accumulation of fluid (exudate) under skin or around heart
206 Glossary

Faking - the dishonest practice of concealing a defect or disqualification from a

potential buyer or a show judge
Fat Cutter - removes fat pads from trimmed product
Fat Puller - removes fat from product by hand
Fat Remover - removes fat from product by hand
Fat soluble vitamin – essential, fat-based vitamins absorbed and stored in the body
that occur in nature in association with lipids
Fat Scraper - removes fat from product by hand
Feather-legged - a description of those breeds of chickens with feathers growing
down their shanks
Fecal - pertaining to the feces
Feces - droppings/manure
Feed conversion ratio-amount of feed needed to produce 1 pound of meat gain or
dozen eggs produced
Feed efficiency-measurement of feed intake per pound of weight gained.
Feeding Jumbo Pack - places tray packed product on line to be wrapped with
protective plastic rap
Feeding Spiral - places product onto line to be frozen in spiral freezer
Feeding Weldotron - places product onto line to be put into tray packs
Feet Insp/Grade - inspects, then grades feet portions
Feet Packer - places inspected/graded feet into boxes
Feral - wild, untamed
Fertile - an egg that is fertilized and thus capable of having a chick develop (under
the right environmental conditions)
Fertility - percentage of eggs that are fertile
FFA - a national organization for students enrolled in agriculture education that
promotes leadership, growth and career success
Film Changer - reloads stretch wrap plastic for Weldotron
Finger Cutter - cuts breast/filet portion into strips for "chicken fingers"
Flank Cutter - removes fat from the flank of breast portion
Floor Sweeper - keeps plant floor clean
Finish - the amount of fat under the skin of a meat bird
Flight feathers - large primary and secondary feathers of the wings
Flock - a group of birds
Flock - a group of birds living together
Fluff - downy feathers
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) – hormone produced by the pituitary gland that
promotes growth of ovarian follicles in the female and sperm in the male
Glossary 207

Fomite - inanimate objects such as shipping crates, feed sacks, clothing, shoes and
tiers that may harbor disease-causing organisms and thus able to transmit
disease
Foot candle - a measurement of light intensity
Forage - to scratch the ground in search of food; also refers to the crops in a pasture
Fork Lift Operator - operates fork lift machinery
Forced air ventilation–using fans to mechanically force air into and out of house
Forced-air incubator - an incubator that has a fan to circulate warm air
Fowl - domesticated birds raised for food or other similar purpose; also refers to a
hen at the end of its productive life (a stewing hen)
Free-range - a term that does not have a legal definition but is typically used to
refer to providing a flock with outdoor access
Fresh product – has never been below 26 oF
Frizzle - a feather that curls rather than laying flat
Frozen product – has been held below 0oF.
Fryer - a young meat-type chicken
FSIS – (Federal Safety and Inspection Service)
Fungi – group of plants without chlorophyll that reproduce by spores, includes
molds which can cause animal health problems
Further processed product –food item produced by forming meat and adding a
covering Gaggle - group of geese
Gander - male goose
Gas CAS stunning – using gas to use of CO2 or other inert gasses to replace oxygen
to make an animal in sensible unconscious
Germinal disc - the site of fertilization, if it occurs, in an egg
Germinal disc (spot) – Site of fertilization on the ovum
Germs - disease causing organisms
Giblets - the parts of a chicken carcass that consist of the heart, gizzard and liver
Gizzard - a portion of avian digestive tract with thick muscular walls that crushes
and grinds food
Gizzard Inspect - inspects gizzards
Gizzard Peeler - manually peels gizzards missed by automated machine on
production line
Gizzard Puller - pulls gizzards missed by automated machine on production line
Gobbler - an adult male turkey (also referred to as a 'tom')
Goose - a type of waterfowl; the female of the species is also referred to as a goose
(male is a gander)
Goose – female goose
Gosling - a young (baby) goose
Gosling – young goose
208 Glossary

Grade - to sort according to quality

Grading - inspects product for defects and sorts accordingly
Grit - small pebbles eaten by birds and used by the gizzard to grind up feed
Guinea cock - an adult male guinea fowl
Guinea cockerel - a young male guinea fowl under one year of age
Guinea hen - an adult female guinea fowl
Guinea pullet - a female guinea fowl under one year of age
Hang back Rack - hangs product for USDA inspection
Hanger - hangs product onto shackle line
HACCP – (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), plan for monitoring food
safety by setting potential points of cross contamination
Hackles - feathers over the back of a chicken which are pointed in males and
rounded in females
Heart/Liver Trimmer - separates and trims the heart and liver from eviscerated
package
House Inspector - inspects product on evisceration line for defects prior to
placement on chiller line
Hard chilled product – has been held from 0 oF to 26 oF
Hard scald – a higher water temperature removes the waxy cuticle of epidermis
Hatch - the process by which the chick comes out of the egg
Hatch of Fertile – measure of hatchery efficiency. The percentage of chicks hatched
from the total number of fertile eggs set
Hatchability - the percentage of fertile eggs that hatch when incubated
Hatchability – measure of breeder and hatchery efficiency. Percentage of total eggs
set or fertile eggs set that hatch
Hatchery - a place where eggs are incubated and chicks hatched
Health – state of being where physiological homeostasis is maintained, absence of
disease
Heat increment – Energy used up in the consumption, digestion, and metabolism of
a feed
Helminthes - a category of parasitic worms
Hen - adult female poultry including chicken, turkey, duck, pigeon, pheasant, etc.
Hen feathered- the characteristic of some breeds of chickens where the male has
rounded feathers (rather than pointed) like those of a female
Heritability –ability of measurable traits to be transferred from parents to offspring.
Heritage Breed - older breeds of large fowl poultry less commonly raised in
modern agriculture
Hock - the 'knee' joint of a bird
Home meal replacement products –poultry and food products Designed to be a
complete meal
Glossary 209

Homeostasis – maintenance of physiological stability even though environmental

conditions may change
Homeothermic animal – animal utilize or dissipate energy to maintain body
temperature
Horizontal transmission - disease passed from mother to offspring via the egg
Horsepower: One horsepower (hp) is equivalent to 746 watts.
Host - an animal that has a parasite or an infectious agent living on or in it
Hover - canopy type brooding system
Humidity - amount of water in environment (measured with wet bulb thermometer)
Hybrid - offspring of parents from different breeds (also referred to as crossbred);
the artificial crossing of two different species
Hybrid vigor (heterosis) – tendency of crossbred offspring to outperform their
parents
Ice Machine Operator - maintains the machinery that produces ice
Ice Room Operator - maintains the proper production of ice for the plant
Inspector USDA inspector - monitors, oversees production operation for operations
regulations
Inventory Control - accounts for product pack materials needed for daily operations
Immunity – resistance to an infectious agent or antigen
Immunity - resistance to disease (active immunity develops when an individual has
had the disease or been vaccinated; passive immunity is passed from
mother to chick through the egg)
Impaction - blockage of a part of the digestive tract, typically the crop or cloaca
Inbred - offspring of closely related parents
Incubate - to apply the required conditions (heat and humidity) to eggs to allow
embryos to develop and chicks to hatch out
Incubation period - the time it takes for an egg to hatch once incubation starts;
Incubator - a piece of equipment especially designed to incubate eggs
Infectious - capable of invading living tissue and multiplying to cause a disease
Infectious disease– caused by living organisms, which invade and multiply in or on
body and result in damage to the body
Infertile - an egg that is not fertilized and therefore will not hatch
Infertility - the inability to reproduce (can be with either the male or female and can
be a temporary or permanent condition)
Infundibulum –portion of oviduct that receives yolk, site of fertilization.
Ingest - to eat
Inner/Outer shell membrane – membrane immediately beneath shell which helps
regulate air exchange, protective function
Insensible heat loss– heat loss that does not increase surrounding environment
temperature
210 Glossary

Inspection – examination of a product to insure safety standards are met

Integumentary - pertaining to the skin
Intensity of lay - how well a hen is laying right now
Intranasal - in the nose
Intraocular - in the eye
Intravenous - injection into a vein
Iris - colored circle that surrounds the black center in the chicken's eye
Isthmus – portion of the oviduct that produces shell membranes
Isthmus - female reproductive tract part where inner and outer shell membranes are
added
Jack Operator - transports product and materials in-house using a floor jack
Jake - a young male turkey
Jejunum - a portion of the small intestine
Jenny - a young female turkey
Keet - a young (baby) guinea fowl
Keratin - key structural material of feathers (as well as wool, hooves, and human
skin, hair and nails)
Knife Line - debones down-graded product by hand
Knife Sharpener - keeps all cutting instruments sharpened
Knuckle Cutter - debones joint at the end of drumstick
Keel - the breast bone of birds
Kilowatt: Kilowatt (KW) is a measure of electric power. A kilowatt equals 1000
watt
Kilovolt-ampere: Kilovolt-ampere (KVA) is product of volts time’s amperes,
divided by 1000
Knob - protrusion from the skull
Lacing - border of contrast color around the entire web of a feather
Large intestine – portion of intestine that extends from the ileum to the anus,
actually very short in birds, water absorption occurs here.
Layer – chickens used for egg production, typically a strain of the white Leghorn
Layer - hen raised for egg production
Lead Person - hourly assistant to the Department Supervisor; able to perform all
jobs in the department
Leghorn – breed of chicken used to create the birds commonly used for commercial
table egg production
Leg Cutter - separates the leg from the thigh portions
Lid Closer - places covers on boxes of finished product
Lifting Racks - places tray pack racks on carts to be transferred to coolers
Glossary 211

Limiting amino acid – amino acid in a diet that is the most deficient (without
supplement) in a complete ration
Line Relief - replaces production line workers temporarily
Line Service - replaces production line workers temporarily
Line Workers - performs tasks specific to the production line
Line Feeder - places product onto the production line
Litter – bedding material used in poultry houses to dilute fecal material and provide
cushioning for birds feet and breast; typically pine wood shavings or rice
hulls
Litter - material scattered on the floor of a poultry house to absorb moisture and
manure (also called bedding)
Live Hanger - hangs live birds by their feet onto shackle line
Liver Cutter - removes liver from evisceration package
Liver Puller - automated equipment to separate liver from evisceration package
Loader Operator - operates the forklift to place live birds at the live hang area
Lopped comb - a comb that falls to one side
Lung Gunner - cleans lung from carcass cavity using a vacuum gun
Luteinizing hormone (LH) – gonadotrophic hormone produced by the pituitary
gland that causes ovulation in female and testosterone secretion in male
Machine Operator - oversees the operation of specific machinery
Main Scale - checks weight, specifications, labeling on boxes of finished product
coming off the production line
Master Scale - checks weight, specifications, labeling on boxes of finished product
coming off the production line
Meat Puller - shreds meat from bone on cooked product
Mill Operator - operates a feed mill
Mill Operator, Assist. - assists in the operation of a feed mill
Move and Chain Truck - moves the truck holding live birds from the cooling area,
to the scale, bucks the chains separating the truck from the trailer
Magnum – albumen secreting portion of the oviduct
Mandible - upper or lower bony portion of the beak
Marination – soaking in infusion of flavoring to improve taste
Mechanical transmission - disease causing agents carried on a surface (such as
shoes, tiers, shovels, etc.)
Meckel’s Diverticulum – is a protuberance on wall of lower part of intestine that is
present at hatch, place where yolk residue was absorbed into the body
Membrane - a thin, soft, pliable layer
Metabolism - physical and chemical processes that produce and maintain a living
body
212 Glossary

Minerals – set of inorganic elements necessary for life, constituents of bones and
teeth, also important for enzyme function, immunity and oxygen transport
Mite - a type of external parasite
Molt (Moult) - a part of the hen's reproductive cycle when she stops laying and
loses her body feathers
Molting – systematic shedding of the feathers
Monogastric animal – animals with a single stomach
Morbidity – being affected by a disease, an animal that is showing clinical signs of
disease
Mortality – animal that has died
Mossy - indistinct, irregular, or messy-looking markings that break up or destroy
the intended color pattern on feathers
Mottled - plumage where a percentage of feathers are tipped with white; a
discoloration of egg yolk caused by damage to the yolk membrane
Mounting - when the rooster mates with a hen
Muff - fluffy feathers on face of chickens (tufts are feathers protrudes from face)
Necrotic - pertaining to dead tissue
Nematode - a roundworm
Nest egg - artificial egg placed in a nest to encourage hens to lay there
Nest run - ungraded eggs
Net Weight Checker - checks the weight on traypacks and boxed finished product
Necropsy - a postmortem (after death) examination of an animal
Neural - pertaining to the nerves
New York Dressed – a bird processed with only feathers and blood removed;
entrails intact Non-essential amino acids– amino acids are produced by the
body, that do not necessarily have to be included in feedstuffs
Noninfectious disease
NPIP - National Poultry Improvement Plan
Offal - washes offal screens, moves offal trailers in a specific area
Open and Cut - vents cloaca (sic) for evisceration
Opener - vents cloaca (sic) for evisceration
Oyster Cutter - removes piece of meat between the thigh and the back of chicken
Ocular - pertaining to the eye
Oil sac - large oil gland on the back of birds at base of the tail and used by bird to
preen or condition feathers (also called the uropygial or preen gland)
Ohm: The ohm is the amount of resistance that will permit current to flow at the
rate of one ampere under a pressure of one volt.
Organic - a legalized regulated term related to production of food products
according to pre-set standards
Osteomyelitis - inflammation of the bone marrow
Glossary 213

Osteoporosis - thinning and weakening of bones

Ova - female germ cells that become eggs
Ovarian follicle – Growth on surface of ovary that contains developing ovum or
yolk (germinal disc in birds)
Ovary - a part of female avian reproductive tract which holds the female genetic
material and collects the yolk material normally associated with eggs
Oviduct - a part of female avian reproductive tract where egg white (albumen),
shell membranes, shell and cuticle are added to form a complete egg
Oviduct – avian female reproductive tract
Oviposition - the laying of an egg
Ovulation – rupture of ovarian follicles
Ovulation - release of a yolk from the ovary
Ovum - the female germ cells in the ovary (plural = ova)
Packer - places finished product into bags/boxes
Parasite – an organism that lives at the expense of a host organism. Generally must
live on or in the host
Passive immunity – immunity conferred to an animal through preformed antibodies
received from an outside source. Commonly passed from mother to
offspring
Pasting - loose droppings sticking to the vent area
Pathogen - disease-producing organism
Pathogen – microbial organism that causes disease
Pathogen Reduction Act - sets limits for the number of harmful organisms on food
products
Pathogenic - able to cause disease
Pathogenicity –capability of an organism to produce disease
Pathogenicity - degree to which an organism is able to cause a disease
Pathology - study of damage caused by disease
Paw Operator - removes feet (only) from shank
Peachick - a young (baby) peafowl
Peacock - an adult make peafowl
Peahen - an adult female peafowl
Pecking order - the social rank of individuals within a flock
Peep - a term for chick sometimes used by small flock owners
Pellets - a form of feed where the contents are compressed into bite-sized morsels
Pendulous crop - a crop that is impacted and enlarged and hangs down in an
abnormal manner
Penicled - crosswise lines or bars on feathers that form a pattern
Perch - a place where chickens can get off the floor (also called a roost)
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Perch - area above the ground where birds will sit, primarily for sleeping at night
(also called roosts)
Perosis - malformation of the hock joint
Persistency of lay - ability of a hen to lay eggs steadily over a long period of time
pH - a number that indicates acidity or alkalinity (7 is neutral, above 7 is alkaline
and below 7 is acid)
Photorefractory- terminating reproduction prior to inclement conditions in autumn
and winter
Photostimulation- providing the proper light stimulus to cue puberty
Picking Room Operator - maintains machinery used to scald birds and pick feathers
Pickup Chickens - picks up live birds that escaped during cage dumping operation
in the live and area
Pick out - vent damage caused by other chickens' pecking
Picker – machine with rubber projections used to remove feathers
Pigeon milk - a cottage-cheese looking crop substance produced by both male and
female pigeon to feed young from hatch till about 10 days of age
Pigmentation - color of a chicken's beak, shanks and vent
Pin bones - pubic bones
Pin feathers - a developing feather on a bird
Pinning - removes feathers missed by the picking machine
Pip - when a chick breaks through the shell
Pipping - breaking through the shell prior to hatch
Placement - working for someone else
Plumage - total set of feathers covering a bird
Polybagger - places clips to close bags of finished product
Portioning –packaging in individual serving sizes
Post - to conduct a postmortem (after death) examination
Poult - young (baby) turkey or pheasant
Poultry - a term for domestic fowl raised for meat, eggs, feathers, work or
entertainment
Predisposing cause of disease– any condition or state of health that confers a
tendency and/or susceptibility to disease
Preen gland - an oil sack on the back and near the base of the tail of birds providing
oil used in preening (also called the oil or uropygial gland)
Preening - to straighten and clean feathers, typically with oil
Presenter - readies eviscerated package for USDA inspection
Presenter Trainee - readies eviscerated package for USDA inspection
Product Sorter - separates product according to grade and type
Production - processing plant worker
Glossary 215

Prolapse - when there is vent damage, typically caused by laying an very large egg
(also referred to as a blowout)
Protozoa – single-celled organisms that reproduce by fission, may be pathogenic
Proventriculus - true stomach of birds where pepsin and acid are produced
Pterylae – skin tracts in the skin from which feathers originate
Pubic bones - two bones that end in front of the vent of birds
Pullet - immature female bird (used with several species of birds, but most
commonly with chickens)
Pullet - young hen usually less than a year old
Purebred - offspring from a hen and rooster of the same breed
QC/QA - responsible for overseeing quality control and quality assurance of
product
Radiation – exchange of heat between two objects that are not touching
Rack Off - transfers tray pack product from freezer to weigh/price/label area
Rales - any abnormal sounds coming from the airways of birds
Ration - a combination of feed ingredients formulated to meet a bird's nutritional
requirements
Ratite - a type of domestic bird that does not have a keel bone and includes
ostriches, emus and rheas
Recorder - monitors information about plant production
Refrigeration - maintains machinery used for cooling product
Rehanger - transfers product from the picking line to the evisceration line
Relative humidity– amount of moisture in the air compared to what the air can
"hold" at that temperature
Renal - pertaining to the kidneys
Render - process by which slaughter by-product are treated to convert them into
protein products for use in animal feeds
Reprecessor - fixes product on production line before continuing on production line
Restrict feeding-managed controlling of feeding
Rigor mortis - stiffness following death
Roach back - deformed, hunched back (a disqualification when showing poultry)
Roaster - a meat-type chicken raised to a size that makes them suitable for roasting
Rolling Barrels - transports condemnation barrels
Roost - a place where chickens can get off the floor (also called a perch)
Rooster - adult male chicken (also referred to as a cock)
Rooster-mature male chicken
Rumpless - genetic trait in some chicken breeds where they have no tail
Saddle - a part of a bird's back just before the tail
216 Glossary

Salvage - removes salvageable parts from defective product identified during

inspection
Sanitize - to clean and disinfect in order to kill germs
Saw - operates saw to manually halve or quarter chicken
Saw KFC - operates saw to cut product into 8 pieces commonly used by Kentucky
Fried chicken
Saw Wing - operates saw to cut wing into 3 pieces
Scalding – using hot water to denatures expand feather follicles proteins to allow
easier picking
Scales - small, hard, overlapping plates that cover a chicken's shanks and toes
Scale and Bagger - weighs and places product into plastic bags
Scale Operator - weighs product prior to packing
Scapula Meat - remover removes meat from the back side of breast product
Scorer - marks areas on whole product for deboning
Scratch - the habit of chickens to scrape there claws against the ground to dig up
food items; also a term used for any whole grains fed to chickens
Selection pressure – amount of pressure applied to each specific selection criteria
Sensible heat loss– heat loss that does increase the temperature of surrounding
environment, includes conduction, convection and radiation
Sexed chicks - day-old chicks that are separated into separate groups of male and
female chicks
Sex-feather - curled feather on the tail of male ducks
Sex-linked - an inherited factor linked to the sex chromosomes and used in
developing specific crosses to make sexing day-old chicks easier
Sex-separate rearing - raising of either male or female chicks that have been sexed
at the hatchery
Shaft - part of feather where barbs are attached
Shank - the part of a bird's leg between the foot and the hock
Shell gland - portion of female avian reproductive tract where shell is added to egg
(also called the 'uterus')
Shipping - transfers finished, packages product onto trucks for delivery
Shrinkage- loss in weight
Sickles - long, curved tail feathers of some roosters
Side sprig - projection from the side of a single comb (a disqualification when
showing single-comb breeds of chickens)
Singeing – using flames to remove tiny feathers
Single phase - A single phase, alternating-current system is one having a single
circuit based on two wires. One is neutral and other is hot wire.
Skin Inspector - inspects skin to make sure no usable meat remains
Skin Puller - removes usable meat from skin
Glossary 217

Small intestine – narrow, winding, upper part of the intestine where digestion is
completed and nutrients are absorbed by the blood
Snood - flap of skin that hangs over the turkey's beak
Soft scald – a lower water temperature retains the outer layer of the epidermis
Spent (as in a spent hen) - a hen that is no longer laying eggs
Sperm - the male reproductive cells capable of fertilizing the ova from the female
Spike - round extension found at the end of a rose comb
Spiral Feeder - feeds product into a spiral feeder
Splayed legs - the legs are positioned such that the bird is unable to stand up (also
called 'spraddle legs')
Spur - sharp horny protrusion from the back of a bird's shank (typically larger in
males than in females)
Squab - a young (baby) pigeon that has not yet left the nest; also refers to pigeon
meat since pigeons are usually marketed before they leave the nest
Squeaker - a young pigeon still in the nest
Squirrel tail - tail that has more than a 90 degree angle
Stacker - transfers boxes of finished product onto pallets
Starve-out - a chick that has not eaten
Stigma – area one follicle wall that is void of blood vessels where ovulation occurs.
Stocking density- number of animals per unit of floor space
Straight-run (chicks) - day-old chicks that have not been sorted by sex (also called
unsexed)
Straight-run rearing - raising poultry that have not yet been sexed
Strain - a group of birds within a variety of a breed that has been bred by one
person or company for generations
Strip Cutter - separates tenderloins from breast
Stuffer - places giblets into wrap pack, then wrap pack into cavity
Stub - down on the shank or toe of a clean-legged chicken
Subclinical disease– no readily available disease symptoms exist
Syndrome - a group of symptoms that occur in combination in a particular disease
Synergistic - working in cooperation
Testes - male reproductive glands (located internally in birds)
Testicles – paired male sex organs that produce sperm
Thermoneutral – an environment in which temperature is stabilized with no heat
transfer
Three phase - A three phase alternating current system has three single phase
circuits based on four wires; one is neutral and three hot wires.
Thermoregulatory mechanisms – Mechanisms involved with thermoregulation
Thigh Breaker - disjoints thighs for deboning
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Thigh Cutter - scores and cuts the thigh bone joint

Thigh Deboner - removes the bones from thigh meat
Thigh Inspector - inspects boneless thigh meat for bone fragments, blood clots, etc..
Tow Motor Operator - pallet jack operator
Transfer - moves product from one line to another
Tray Pack - places product parts on trays to be over wrapped and weighed
Trimmer - removes defects from product with knife or scissors
Truck Driver - drives the trucks delivering product
Table egg industry – produces infertile eggs for the retail consumer
Toe clipping- removal of a bird's toes just behind the claw
Tom - an adult male turkey (also referred to as a 'gobbler')
Tom-mature male turkey
Top-dressing – adding layer of clean litter on top of used litter before a new flock
Torticollis - twisted or wry neck
Toxin - a poison produced by microorganisms
Trachea - the windpipe
Trap nest – equipment used to keep hens on nest until caretaker releases them,
allows egg production to be closely monitored and accurate production
records to be kept by hen.
Triglyceride – compound composed of glycerol and three fatty acids, energy source
Trio - a male with two females of the same species, breed and variety
True Fertility – measure of breeder flock or inseminating crew performance.
Indicates the number of eggs that are fertile at the point of oviposition
Tunnel ventilation–fans placed at opposite end of building from air inlets; negative
air pressure pulls air from outside through the building length wise in the
house and exhaust it through fans
Type - size and shape of a chicken that tells you what breed it is
Unloading Vehicle - unloads product and/or materials for use in processing plant.
USDA Helper - plant employee works with USDA Inspector on eviscerating line to
remove and/or trim defective product.
Unsexed - day-old chicks that have not been sorted by sex (also called straight-run)
Urates - uric acid (the avian form of pee)
Uremia - poisoning caused by accumulated wastes in body, typically due to kidney
failure
Uropygial gland (preen or oil gland) - large oil gland on the back and at the base of
the tail of birds providing oil for the birds to preen their feathers.
USDA – United States Department of Agriculture, government agency that
regulates a Agricultural and food products
Uterus - section of female avian reproductive tract where the shell is added to egg
(also known as the 'shell gland')
Glossary 219

Vaccine – a biological microorganism administered for prevention of an infectious

disease
Vagina - section of the female avian reproductive tract where bloom/cuticle is
added to egg just prior to being laid
Value-added product – further processed to maximize consumer appeal
Variety - subdivision of a breed, according to plumage color, comb type, etc.
Vas deferens – passageway for sperm from testicles to cloaca, in birds also used for
sperm maturation and storage
Vasoconstriction – narrowing of blood vessels, conserves body heat
Vasodilation – widening of blood vessels, used by animals to passively dissipate
body heat
Vector - means by which a disease is spread
Vent - common outside opening of cloaca in birds through which digestive,
excretory and reproductive tracts empty
Vent Cutter - opens the back end of bird to remove evisceration.
Viscera Puller Drawhand - eviscerates product by hand when missed by automated
machinery, before inspection.
Vaccination –introduction of a vaccine into body for purpose of inducing immunity
Ventriculus – also known as the gizzard, mechanical stomach in birds, grinding
mechanism for food digestion
Vertebrae - bones in the spinal column
Vertical Integration – control by a single company of most of all aspects of
production
Vertical transmission - disease transmitted from parent to offspring through
hatching eggs
Virulence – degree of pathogenicity
Virulence - level at which a disease-causing organism is able to cause a disease
Virus – complex protein material that is capable of causing disease which can be
reproduced only inside host cell
Viscera – internal organs
Vitamin – organic compound needed by the body in very small amounts, however,
critical for many physiological processes such as Ca absorption and blood
clotting
Vitelline membrane - thin membrane that surrounds the yolk
Volt - Volt (V) is the amount of electric pressure that will cause current to flow at
the rate of one ampere through a resistance of one ohm.
Voltage - Voltage is the electromotive force or pressure which causes electric
current to flow in an electric circuit. Its unit of measurement is volt.
Vulture hock - feather-legged breeds where the feathers grow off the
shank and touch the ground
220 Glossary

Warm house brooding - raising poultry under controlled warm house conditions
where the entire area is warmed to the same temperature
Wash Out - uses an offline antimicrobial treatment to clean product before placing
product on line.
Weighs Trucks - transfers a loaded truck to the scales for weighing; after unloading
birds, weighs truck again to determine weight of birds
Water chilling – chilled in two phases moving toward cleaner water cold water
submersion to reduce carcass temperature after inspection
Water soluble vitamin – essential, water-based vitamins not stored in the body and
must be replaced daily
Watt - Watt is the rate at which power is expended when a pressure of one volt
causes current to flow at the rate of one ampere.
Wattles - flap of skin under the chin of a chicken or turkey
Web - the network of interlocking parts that give a feather its smooth appearance; a
part of the feet of waterfowl
Wet bulb temperature– lowest temperature that can be obtained by evaporating
water into the air at a constant pressure
Wet-blub thermometer - a thermometer used to measure the amount of moisture or
water vapor in the air (humidity)
Windrowing – a long low ridge or line of poultry litter, hay, or similar crop
Designed to achieve the best conditions for drying or curing
Wing clipping - a procedure in which the primary wing feathers of one wing are cut
to prevent flight
Wing Cutter - separates wing portion from whole bird or front half
Wing Disjointer - separates the wing into 3 sections
Wing Hanger - transfers wing portions to the Wing Disjointer
Wing Scorer - transfers wing portions to the Wing Disjointer
Wing Tip Clipper - separates wing tip portion from whole bird or front half
Wing Tip Cutter - separates wing tip portion from whole bird or front half
Wing Weigher - weighs and labels boxes of finished product
Yield Checker - monitors the loss of meat from deboning operations
Wry tail - tail that lays to the left or right side and is not symmetrical with the body
line
Xanthophylls - yellow pigments found in leaves, grasses and green plants that are
added as pigment to avian skin as well as providing yellow color of egg
yolks
Yolk - round yellow mass upon which genetic material of female (and male if the
egg is fertilized) is located and that provides nutrients for the developing
embryo
Glossary 221

Yolk membrane – vitelline membrane, surrounds yolk, facilitative function,

contains enzymes which help break down and release nutrients from the
yolk for utilization by developing embryo
Yolk sac - membrane that surrounds yolk in the incubating egg
Zoning - laws regulating or restricting the use of land for a particular purpose such
as raising poultry
Zoonosis - a disease transmissible from an animal to a human (plural = zoonoses)