Chicken vs Hen vs Pullet vs Cock vs Cockerel vs Rooster vs Capon
Chicken, hen, pullet, cock, cockerel, rooster and capon, probably no other bird has so many different names as a hen and so it becomes very confusing when you hear these words. A young chicken is a chick, while a male chicken is a cock or a cockerel, depending upon its age. A female chicken is called a pullet or a hen. The age at which a pullet becomes a hen and a cockerel becomes a cock is different in different breeds. Generally, a chicken is a pullet or a cockerel if it is less than one year of age, according to poultry producers.
After the age of one, a chicken is called a hen or a cock. Female chicken is called hen when it begins egg production while a male chicken is called a Rooster when it becomes sexually mature. When a Rooster is castrated for various reasons, it is called a Capon.
Now that we know that the main difference between a hen and a cock is that they are female and male chickens, let us see how to differentiate between the two. People who are new to poultry business have a hard time telling the difference between their hens and cockerels or roosters.
Comb and Wattle
Comb is a tuft of flesh on a chicken’s head. Rooster has a bigger and brighter comb than hens. Their combs are red, while a hen’s comb is smaller and pale in comparison. Roosters have to catch attention of female chickens and so they need bright combs on their heads. Wattle is flesh on the chin of a chicken. Like comb, wattle on a rooster is brighter and bigger than that of a hen.
Colors and size
The feathers of roosters are brighter in color, and in general, rooster’s are bigger than hen’s that are shorter and thicker.
Tail feathers
The tail feathers of a rooster are brighter and longer than that of hens. Tail and neck feathers are the most outstanding features for differentiating between a hen and a cock.
Crowing
Cocks crow while hens do not. This is a way to protect one’s territory and show dominance over others in the group. If you have chickens and one of them starts to crow while growing up, you can tell that it is a cock.
Sociability
Roosters are aggressive and domineering while hens are timid and afraid. Roosters are friendlier with humans but more aggressive around other roosters.
Egg
If you are unable to differentiate between your hens and roosters, wait till they lay eggs. This is the final proof of being a female. If a chicken starts to lay eggs, it is a hen while if it never lays eggs, it is a cock.