[See Also: The Word List, and Things To Do with the list]

The air pocket between the two shell membranes found in the large end of the egg.

The white of the egg. There are two kinds; a thick white mostly next to the yolk, and a thin white mostly next to the shell. The white is actually formed in four (alternating) layers.

An organ in the embryo of birds which develops into part of the umbilical cord and unites with the chorion, forming the placenta. This membrane supplies oxygen to the embryo and stores waste material.

A thin membranous fluid-filled sac surrounding the embryo.

The fluid that fills the amnion in which the embryo floats.

The practice of keeping and raising birds.

A miniature breed, sometimes with a full sized counterpart. There are bantam ducks as well as chickens.

The small round bump on the end of a duck's bill. Also called the nail.

The collective name for a flock of domestic ducks.

The part of the duck or goose that forms the mouth and nose - like the beak of a chicken; with waterfowl it is called a bill.

The name given to an embryo in the very early stages of development. Also called blastoderm.

The front of the bird.

A distinct sub-type of a domestic animal whose babies will look just like itself when mated with another of the same breed (i.e. it will breed true).

A group of baby birds. A broody hen is one who wants to sit on a nest and hatch and raise her babies. A brooder is a device designed to help look after newly hatched birds.

Colour or markings that allow an animal to blend in with its surroundings so predators won't find it.

To try to see inside a 'live' egg using a light to determine the condition of the embryo.

The twisted coils of very thick white that anchor the yolk and embryo in place within the egg.

Any baby bird. The proper name for a baby chicken.

A bunch of eggs to be incubated.

The name for an adult male bird. The proper name for an adult male chicken.

A young male bird. The proper name for a young male chicken.

The tuft of feathers on the top of the duck's head (some have a very prominent crest).

The place where the food first goes when it is swallowed.

An inferior bird (one who is deformed or does not measure up to its standard). The act of removing inferior birds from the flock.

The tipping (bottom's up) of ducks to reach weeds growing under the surface of the water. Not all kinds of duck do this.

A live or artificial duck used to lure wild ducks nearby. Used by hunters when trying to get the ducks close enough to shoot. This was the original purpose of the tiny Call Duck.

To loose moisture or to dry out.

The flap of skin hanging down under the 'chin' of some breeds of goose.

The combination of foods eaten by an animal.

To clean in order to kill germs.

The soft fluffy 'feathers' found next to the skin of adult birds (under the other feathers). The soft fluffy covering on baby birds.

A cool 'wind' that chills.

The proper name for a male duck.

A kind of waterfowl. Also the proper name for a female duck.

The proper name for a baby duck.

The female reproductive cell (ovum) surrounded by a protective calcium shell and, if fertilized by the male reproductive cell (sperm) and properly incubated, capable of developing into a new individual.

The temporary horny cap on the duckling's upper bill which serves for pipping (breaking through) the shell. The egg tooth falls off after the duckling hatches.

A baby animal before it is hatched or born. A fertilized egg in the early stages of development prior to hatching.

The study of the formation and development of plant and animal embryos.

Water (or other fluid) turning from liquid to gas (vapour).

What we call the food given to animals.

A fertile egg is one that will develop into a baby bird given the right conditions.

The union of a male and female sex cell.

The collective name for a group of birds (usually chickens).

The act of searching for one's own food. Ducks will forage for weeds and small insects.

A bird that is willing to hatch and raise someone else's eggs and babies as her own. Some kinds of chicken are very good at this. Quite often, once a bird goes broody, it is possible to put anyone's eggs beneath her. They don't seem to be able to tell the difference.

The name given to birds in general, but usually to edible varieties.

To clean an incubator with strong chemicals to kill all germs. ====

The proper collective name for a group of geese.

The proper name for a male goose.

The cells within the reproductive organs that will develop to form the zygotes, ova and sperm.

The disc of cells attached to the yolk, formed by multiple division of the fertilized ovum. It will develop into the duckling.

The bird's version of a stomach. Since birds don't have teeth, they swallow small pebbles and other hard objects which sit in the gizzard and help to grind up food.

A kind of waterfowl. The proper name for a female goose.

The proper name for a baby goose.

Small pebbles fed to birds to help them grind up their food.

An ancient kind of semi-domestic bird found in parts of Africa. Has been used as insect control and for meat.

To break out of the shell. The way birds are born.

The ability of eggs to hatch. Can be expressed as either the percentage of fertile eggs that hatched in a given setting or the percentage of total eggs that hatched.

The name given to a baby bird just after it has hatched.

A female bird. The proper name for a female chicken.

A measure of the amount of moisture in the air.

The process of learning to recognize 'mom'. If the natural mother is not around then the first persistent contact will become mom. In ducks the stage when imprinting can occur only lasts about 24 hours after hatching.

To provide a fertile egg with the conditions necessary for it to develop into a baby.

A container with the proper humidity and temperature to allow fertile eggs to hatch.

The fold of skin that sometimes hangs from the underbody of a duck or goose.

The name given to a baby guinea fowl.

A fleshy bump found on the forehead of some breeds of goose.

The serrations found on the bills of ducks and geese that look like teeth. They are used to help cut and rip grasses and weeds as well as to hold insects or fish.

The partner of an animal. The pair-bonding of birds.

A thin, soft pliable sheet or layer of tissue covering an organ.

All birds must get rid of old worn feathers and grow new ones from time to time. This is done all at once (in a few weeks) and is called moulting. All male ducks that come from the Mallard (all domestic ducks except the Muscovy) go through two moults every year. They moult once after the mating season and grow feathers which look like the females. Then they grow new flight feathers and moult once again into their mating colours.

A line of cells that mark the area where an embryo's spinal cord develops.

The primary female reproductive organ. The female sex cell and the yolk is formed in the ovary.

The tube down which the yolk passes. In the upper parts albumen is secreted onto the yolk, and in the lower parts, the membranes and shell are added. It opens into the vent.

The proper collective name for a group of ducks.

When referring to animals this always means a male and female.

The order of seniority defines who gets to boss who around. It also defines who has first choice at the food dish and who must wait for whom. In ducks and geese this rarely involves violence. It usually is decided by pushing and chasing.

The feathers that have not grown all the way out yet. They emerge from the skin encased in a hard coating. As the feather grows this coating breaks off.

The first crack in the egg made by the baby bird trying to get out.

The thousands of minute openings in the shell of the egg through which gases are exchanged.

To pull feathers from a bird.

The feathers of a bird.

The name given to a baby turkey.

The name for domestic birds. It usually includes just chickens and turkeys.

Birds that are covered with down and are able to move about and feed themselves very soon after hatching.

An animal that would kill and eat another.

How birds clean and comb their feathers. They use their bills or beaks to get dirt out of their feathers and to make them lie correctly. Ducks and geese also preen to spread oils on the feathers that will make them waterproof.

The large outermost feathers of the wing. They form part of the flight feathers.

A young bird that has not started to lay yet. The proper name for a young chicken.

An animal that will breed true when mated to another of its kind. An animal whose parents were of the same kind. A 'Thoroughbred' is not the same thing - it is the proper name for a breed of horse.

The long strong feathers of the wing. They used to be used to make pens for writing.

A bag-like part of an animal or plant, often containing some special fluid.

To incubate.

The male reproductive cell.

The offspring of two purebred animals of the same breed that differs from its parents in some obvious way - often in colour. This is an uncommon occurrence.

The male genital glands.

An instrument that measures temperature in degrees fahrenheit (F) or centigrade (C).

When referring to birds this always means two females and one male.

A distinct sub-type of a recognized breed. It is often distinguished from the others by colour.

The external opening of the digestive tract and the reproductive system.

Providing air.

The walking motion of most ducks.

Birds that have webbed feet and like to swim.

The yellow part of the egg. It provides the nutrients for the developing embryo. The embryo itself starts off as a germinal disc sitting on the surface of the yolk.

A membrane that surrounds the yolk and connects it to the embryo's body.