Glossary of Terms

Core Raising & Breeding Terms

Aviculture: The practice of keeping, breeding, and caring for birds in captivity.
Clutch: The total number of eggs laid in one nesting attempt.
Incubation: The process of sitting on eggs to keep them warm until they hatch, which can be done by a parent or a machine (incubator).
Brooding: Caring for and keeping newly hatched chicks warm, as they cannot yet maintain their own body temperature.
Hand-raising: The practice of humans feeding and raising a chick from a young age instead of its parents.
Weaning: The transition period where a young bird begins eating on its own but may still require occasional hand-feedings.
Egg Binding: A dangerous condition where a female bird is unable to pass an egg.
DNA Sexing
Crop
Incubate
Nest Box
Bonded Pair
Premature fledging
Replacement clutch
Roost (n)
Roost (v)
Species

Hatchling: A bird that has just emerged from its shell.
Nestling: A young bird that has not yet left the nest.
Fledgling: A young bird that has left the nest and is learning to fly but still depends on its parents for food.
Juvenile: An independent young bird that has its first set of non-downy feathers but is not yet sexually mature.
Molt: The annual process of shedding old feathers and growing new ones.
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