Difference between Chicken and Hen
It is relatively common for there to be a bit of confusion around the terms chicken and hen. Not because two different types of animals are confused, but because it is really confusing to know when a chicken becomes a rooster or a hen. Roosters, hens and chickens are domestic birds belonging to the Gallus Gallus species . These birds are native to Asia, although they are currently found all over the world. The birds of this species are raised by man because, in addition to producing eggs suitable for human consumption, their meat is one of the best sources of protein (of animal origin) that exists.
Chicken |
Hen |
|
|---|---|---|
| brief introduction | It is a bird domesticated by humans. It is the almost adult form of either a rooster or a hen. Meat for human consumption actually comes from chickens, not roosters or hens, traditionally. | It is the female specimen of this species. Chickens are the ones who lay eggs. If a chicken is allowed to become a hen, it is mainly because it was used as a breeding stock or as an egg producer. |
| General characteristics | From birth, a chick or chick is, in fact, a chicken. The chicks are of medium size, they have juvenile feathers, which change for adult feathers around two months of age. | Hens are larger than chickens but smaller than roosters. Their colors are much less striking than those of the males. They are of gregarious habits and cannot fly too much. |
| Crest | In a chicken the crest (the one on its head and under the beak) is very small. | Instead, the crest on a hen is larger than that of a chicken. Even so, this is much smaller than that found in a rooster. It is almost always red or in reddish tones. |
| Colour | They are usually white, although this characteristic may vary slightly depending on the breed. | They can have various colors: yellow, cream, beige, black, white. However, they are never too flashy. |
| sexual dimorphism | In a chicken it is difficult to differentiate the female from the male. This is because chickens reach sexual maturity until about four months of age. Up to this age, male and female chickens are practically the same, although this characteristic depends on the breed. | On the other hand, a hen is very easy to differentiate from a rooster. Chickens are usually stockier and shorter than a rooster. They are small, their legs are much smaller and more stylized and their colors are much less striking. In addition, they have smaller tails than those of roosters. As a main feature, chickens lay eggs. |
| Human consumption | Young-age chicken is used for human consumption. This is because their meat is better when they are still young. Most farm chickens barely reach two to three months of age before they are slaughtered. | Although the consumption of chicken meat is not very common, it is not non-existent either. In many countries there are dishes whose main ingredient is chicken meat, which usually has a stronger flavor than regular chicken. |
