Chicken Vocabulary

shank feather

The shank can be

found on a chicken’s

leg.

Chickens are

covered with
many layers of

feathers instead

of hair or fur.

©Holly Hawley 2o16

©Holly Hawley 2o16

Chicken

Facts

A decodable book

Chickens are a domestic

bird usually found on

farms. They are the most
popular bird in the world.

They are found on

nearly every continent.
Chickens are raised for

meat or eggs.

©Holly Hawley 2o16

©Holly Hawley 2o16

Chickens are omnivores

and will eat insects, seeds,

grains, fruit, and

vegetables. They have a

gizzard in their stomach

that has tiny stones to help
grind their food since they

don’t have teeth to chew.

A chicken can live as long as

10 years. Males are larger

with more colorful feathers

to attract females. Males

are called roosters. Females

are called hens. A female
can start laying eggs when

she is 6 months old.

©Holly Hawley 2o16

©Holly Hawley 2o16

A female chicken can lay

eggs even if a rooster is
not present. If a farm has
roosters, the eggs can be

fertilized which can be

incubated. It takes 21 days
for a chick to complete its

development inside an egg.

Chickens have many

natural enemies like

raccoons, raptors (birds
of prey) like hawks and

owls, skunks, foxes,

bobcats, and opossums.

When the sun sets, they will

roost, or sit, off the ground.

©Holly Hawley 2o16

©Holly Hawley 2o16

Chickens can be raised on
large farms inside climate

controlled barns. Some

chickens are free range and

can go wherever they
please. Even people in
cities can have a few

chickens in their backyards!

Eggs can come in a

variety of colors. Most of

the eggs are white and

brown. Some can be green,

blue, and even pink. Some

colored eggs can often

have speckles.

©Holly Hawley 2o16

©Holly Hawley 2o16