Poultry Terms
What do the terms straight run, pullet, hen, cockerel, stag, and cock mean?
These terms are related to poultry sexing and usually describe a bird’s gender, age, or whether the chicks have been sexed.
Poultry sexing and age terms
The terms straight run, pullet, hen, cockerel, stag, and cock are commonly used to describe poultry by sex and age.
Some terms refer to young birds, while others refer to mature birds.
Straight Run
Chicks sent as hatched. These chicks are not sexed.
Pullet
A female bird that is between 1 day and 12 months old.
Hen
A female bird that is over 1 year old.
Cockerel
A male bird that is between 1 day and 12 months old.
Stag
A juvenile male bird between 5 months and 11 months old.
Cock
A male bird that is over 1 year old.
Quick reference guide
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Straight Run | Chicks sent as hatched and not sexed |
| Pullet | Female bird between 1 day and 12 months old |
| Hen | Female bird over 1 year old |
| Cockerel | Male bird between 1 day and 12 months old |
| Stag | Juvenile male bird between 5 months and 11 months old |
| Cock | Male bird over 1 year old |
Straight run means not sexed
If chicks are listed as straight run, they are sent as hatched and have not been sexed. This means the order may include both males and females.
In simple terms, these poultry terms help describe whether a bird is male or female and whether it is young or mature.