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Poultry Trivia Questions and Answers

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Related Questions & Answers:   Other Domestic Animals    Pet Rodents    Pet Birds   

1. From which area of the world did most domestic chickens originate?


Answer: Asia

Interesting Information:
Most domestic chicken breeds originated in the southern and southeast parts of Asia, except for the Clade breed which came from the Americas, Africa and the Indian sub-continent. By the 5th century BC, this breed had made it way from India to Greece, and, from there, to the rest of Europe. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: A Poultry Task
 
Some incorrect choices:
Europe, Sweden, Russia

2. Where is the oil gland on a chicken?


Answer: At the base of the tail, underneath the bird's tail coverts

Interesting Information:
The oil gland is also known as the Uropygial gland. Chickens use it to preen their feathers. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: 4-H Poultry Knowledge
 
Some incorrect choices:
At the end of the tail, underneath the main tail feathers, On the bird's neck, underneath the hackle feathers, On the keel bone of the bird

3. What are baby turkeys called?


Answer: Poults

Interesting Information:
Cheepers are baby quails, keets are baby guineas, and cygnets are baby swans. A male turkey is called a tom or a gobbler, and a female turkey is a hen. The wild turkey is the only poultry native to North America, and modern domesticated turkeys are descended from them. While wild turkeys can fly, domesticated turkeys cannot. Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: Those Cute Fluffy Turkeys!
 
Some incorrect choices:
Cheepers, Cygnets, Keets

4. This breed, developed recently in Malaysia, is the smallest breed of chicken (the smallest class cockerel weighs less than 350 grams)


Answer: Serama

Interesting Information:
Seramas are divided into 3 classes: class A cockerels weigh up to 350 grams, class B up to 500g, and class C up to 600g. Serama chicks are about the size of a 9 volt battery when hatched, and adult A class cocks are about as tall as a soda can. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Chicken Oddities
 
Some incorrect choices:
Japanese, Malay, Sumatra

5. Incubation is the process of artificially hatching eggs. Which ancient people invented artificial incubation?


Answer: Ancient Egyptians

Interesting Information:
The Egyptians used large oven like structures powered by burning camel dung. (Source: Incubation, By K.Thear 1987) Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Incubation and Eggs.
 
Some incorrect choices:
Ancient Greeks, Ancient Romans, Arabs

6. How many different colour varieties of Leghorn, an Italian fowl that spread from the port of Leghorn, are there?


Answer: 12

Interesting Information:
The Leghorn is the most numerous fowl in the world. It is reknowned for its laying ability. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: European Chickens
 
Some incorrect choices:
6, 3, 9

7. What breed of chicken was the Australorp developed from?


Answer: Black Orpington

Interesting Information:
The Australorp was developed about 1910 from Black Orpingtons imported from England. The Australorp is known as the 'Boomerang Breed' for this reason as lots of Australorps were shipped back to Britain. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Poultry Miscellanea
 
Some incorrect choices:
White Leghorn, Australian Langshan, Rhode Island Red

8. What do you call a female chicken under one year of age?


Answer: a pullet

Interesting Information:
A male chicken under one year of age is called a cockerel. Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: Chickens
 
Some incorrect choices:
a hen, a cockerel, Sunday dinner

9. The ferruginous partridge, found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand, has a head described as 'rufous'. What colour head does it have?


Answer: Reddish-brown

Interesting Information:
This really very pretty bird is about 27 to 32 cm (11-13 in) in length, and weighs between 191-230g (6.7-8.1oz). Apart from its head being rufous (red), its breast and belly also have reddish-brown plumage, while distinctive black and white upper feathers cover its back, sides of breast and legs. The brown wings have black spots. The male has two spurs and the female just one.

It forages by itself or with one other bird and eats seeds, fruits, grasses and insects. The usual clutch size is 8-10 eggs laid in a domed, terrestrial nest. Difficulty: Very Easy.

From Quiz: Phabulous Phasianoidea
 
Some incorrect choices:
Greeny-blue, Grey-blue, Purplish-white

10. How can you tell if an egg has been fertilized?


Answer: a white bullseye on the yolk

Interesting Information:
If there are roosters in a flock, chances are at least some of the eggs gathered will be fertilized. You can tell if an egg has been fertilized when you crack it open and examine the yolk. If there is a small white bullseye, then it is fertilized. These eggs can still be eaten as normal. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Chickens: All About Eggs
 
Some incorrect choices:
a really hard eggshell, a bloodspot on the yolk, the yolk will be dark orange

11. Calcium is an important part of a hen's diet. Why?


Answer: makes their eggs stronger

Interesting Information:
Calcium is an important nutrient for laying hens. Most layer feed is supplemented with calcium to keep their diet balanced. Calcium deficiency can lead to soft beaks and missing feathers as well as soft-shelled eggs. Hens can be fed oyster shell or crushed egg shells to boost their calcium levels. Difficulty: Very Easy.

From Quiz: Chickens: Basic Care and Facts
 
Some incorrect choices:
helps them live longer, keeps their feathers clean, makes their chicks hatch sooner

12. Which term was given to chickens in Egypt of the 15th century?


Answer: Bird that gives birth every day

Interesting Information:
What a lovely evocative description of the hen. Chickens appeared in Egypt from the 15th century BC onwards, having arrived in that land from Syria and Babylonia according to ancient chronicles. Its ability to lay one life giving egg a day, either for rearing or consumption, is really quite miraculous when you think about it. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: A Poultry Task
 
Some incorrect choices:
Cleopatra dove, Bird of the Nile, Bird of the Pyramids

13. Why, traditionally, were game bird cockerels and cocks dubbed - i.e. had their combs and wattles removed?


Answer: Because they were used for fighting birds, and it would cause the bird to bleed to death had he still had his comb for the opponent to rip open

Interesting Information:
These breeds were used for cock fighting in England less than 100 years ago. It is now illegal to have cock fights in both England and in the United States. The tradition of dubbing has carried on into modern times as a breed standard. Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: 4-H Poultry Knowledge
 
Some incorrect choices:
Because it makes them look nicer, To prevent infection, They are dubbed for shows and nothing else

14. What color are turkey eggs?


Answer: Tan with brown specks

Interesting Information:
Turkey hens will lay eggs without a mate, however, the eggs will not be fertile and they will not hatch. Most people say that there is no difference in taste between a turkey egg and a chicken egg, but most turkey eggs are used to produce more birds. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Those Cute Fluffy Turkeys!
 
Some incorrect choices:
White, Blue, Blue with white specks

15. Which breed of chicken, developed in France in the early 20th century, is most renowned for its deep chocolate-brown eggs?


Answer: Marans

Interesting Information:
Marans were first shown in Paris in 1929 and has recently gained popularity in the U.S. for their unique eggs. True French Marans may have some feathering on their legs, while English-bred Marans have clean legs. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Chicken Oddities
 
Some incorrect choices:
Crevecoeur, Faverolles, Houdan

16. Which tribe of Native Americans tells the tale of an enormous female turkey that brought them corn and taught them to cultivate the grain?


Answer: Navajo

Interesting Information:
The Navajo viewed turkeys as sacred. Another Navajo legend tells the tale of a turkey rescuing their ancestors from a flood. Wild turkeys were an important part of Native American history. It was a meat staple of many tribes, with some exceptions. The Cheyenne would not eat it for fear it would make them cowardly. The Apache considered turkeys timid and would not even use the feathers. Sioux women were sure that turkeys caused illness and tried to gain favor with them through special dances. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Gobbling Good Turkey Tidbits I
 
Some incorrect choices:
Apache, Cheyenne, Sioux

17. How long does a chicken egg have to be incubated for before it hatches?


Answer: 21 days

Interesting Information:
On average, if the temperature is correct a chicken egg will hatch in 21 days. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Incubation and Eggs.
 
Some incorrect choices:
18 Days, 24 Days, 22 Days

18. What colour eggs does the Aracauna, a Spanish fowl lay?


Answer: Green

Interesting Information:
The Aracauna is the only breed that lays green eggs (Ameraracaunas lay blue ones). Some people believe they are low in fats. Scientific research has shown this is a load of nonsense! Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: European Chickens
 
Some incorrect choices:
White, Brown, Cream

19. What breed was produced, in part, from a cross between a Dominique and a black Java?


Answer: a barred Plymouth rock

Interesting Information:
They were cross-bred in the mid 1800s. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Chickens
 
Some incorrect choices:
a new breed, a Sumatra, a new coffee drink

20. The red-billed partridge (Arborophila rubrirostris) is endemic to the highland forest of Sumatra, in which region?


Answer: South-East Asia

Interesting Information:
The red-billed partridge is diurnal and omnivorous and its average weight is around 600-700g (about 21-24oz). It is the only species of the genus Arborophila that has a completely red beak (which gives it its rubrirostris designation). It has a 'not at risk' status and has been reintroduced to other parts of Indonesia where it is also endemic. Difficulty: Very Easy.

From Quiz: Phabulous Phasianoidea
 
Some incorrect choices:
Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa , Eastern Europe

21. Which breed of chicken is coveted for its dark, chocolate brown eggs?


Answer: marans

Interesting Information:
Marans chickens are popular among chicken keepers because they add a really dark brown color to the egg basket. Marans are a little more expensive than the typical breed and come in a couple of different varieties, such as the black copper and silver cuckoo. The breed originates in France. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Chickens: All About Eggs
 
Some incorrect choices:
silkie, speckled Sussex, leghorn

22. How do roosters court their ladies?


Answer: by dancing

Interesting Information:
When feeling romantic, roosters will do a little shuffling dance with one wing lowered. If the hen is receptive and feels dominated, she will crouch for him. Roosters will mate multiple hens per day. Difficulty: Average.

From Quiz: Chickens: Basic Care and Facts
 
Some incorrect choices:
by singing, by flying around them in circles, by lying down and stretching their legs

23. By what name are chickens in the deep south of the US called?


Answer: Yardbirds

Interesting Information:
This has no connection with the term, many centuries later, given to prisoners cooling their heels in jails, but the fact that most domestic chicken were once kept in enclosed open air yards at the back of houses - complete with a small coop in which they slept, laid and incubated eggs. This was shut at night to protect them from various predators. During the day they scratched around their yard, squabbling with one another periodically, rearing their offspring, or batting their chookie eyelashes at the rooster, if the household possessed one. Alas, this is not the case today, with the high demand for quality, evenly-sized eggs, and the majority of chickens are kept in row upon row of very small cages instead on battery farms. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: A Poultry Task
 
Some incorrect choices:
Leghorns, Bantams, Rhode Island Reds

24. On a Cochin chicken, what is the cushion?


Answer: A large round group of feathers that covers the tail

Interesting Information:
A cushion can also be found to be large enough to make the chicken look like a basketball. The Cochin is a breed which originated in China. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: 4-H Poultry Knowledge
 
Some incorrect choices:
A type of comb that is round and smooth, When you put a small pillow on top of a chicken, causing it to lie down, A special marking on a chicken's feathers that almost looks like a penciled pattern

25. Once the turkey eggs have been laid, about how long does it take for them to hatch?


Answer: 28 days

Interesting Information:
If the eggs are being incubated, it is best to stop turning them on Day 25. When the eggs are no longer turned, a humidity sponge is added; at this time eggs require constant temperature and humidity. Natural incubation tends to produce turkeys that are stronger; however, it is likely that more babies will be lost when the hen steps on them or they get chilled. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Those Cute Fluffy Turkeys!
 
Some incorrect choices:
20 days, 24 days, 32 days

26. Why do chickens need grit?


Answer: For digestion and egg production

Interesting Information:
Chickens need both soluble and insoluble grit. Insoluble grit goes into the gizzard to help break food down, soluble grit provides the bird with calcium for strong bones and good egg shells. Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: Poultry 101
 
Some incorrect choices:
To keep their beaks in shape, Chickens don't need grit, To aid with moulting

27. This breed of chicken was first officially documented in 1352 and has become naturalized in parts of Slovenia and Austria, though it has been near extinction several times. It bears a characteristic crest of feathers pointing back from its comb.


Answer: Styrian Hen or Stajerka

Interesting Information:
Turmoil surrounding both World Wars in Europe and shifting borders contributed to this breed's downfall. Devout enthusiasts have maintained and restored some breeding stock, but their numbers remain low. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Chicken Oddities
 
Some incorrect choices:
Lakenvelder, La Fleche, Polish

28. The Founding Fathers of America choose the bald eagle as a national symbol for our new country. Which statesman, however, thought that the turkey was a much better choice?


Answer: Benjamin Franklin

Interesting Information:
Franklin was greatly disappointed when his candidate was not chosen. Although, the turkey was "vain and silly", Ben felt it was a better choice over the eagle, which he considered "a coward". He stated in a letter to his daughter, "I wish the bald eagle had not been chosen as the representative of our country! The turkey is a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America." Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Gobbling Good Turkey Tidbits I
 
Some incorrect choices:
John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington

29. At what temperature in degrees Celsius is the ideal temperature for chicken eggs be incubated at?


Answer: 37.5 Degrees C

Interesting Information:
The perfect temperature for incubation at the centre of the egg is 37.5 Degrees Celsius. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Incubation and Eggs.
 
Some incorrect choices:
36.5 Degrees C, 37 Degrees C, 38 Degrees C

30. The Barbu Danverrs Bantam is from which north European country?


Answer: Belgium

Interesting Information:
Barbu Danverrs are called Belgian Bantams by fanciers. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: European Chickens
 
Some incorrect choices:
France, Germany, Denmark

31. What is the scientific name for the red junglefowl?


Answer: Gallus gallus

Interesting Information:
Gallus bankiva is the green junglefowl. Gallus domesticus is the modern domestic chicken, while Gallus jungula doesn't exist. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Poultry Miscellanea
 
Some incorrect choices:
Gallus bankiva, Gallus domesticus, Gallus jungula

32. What is the name of the medical condition when a hen suddenly stops producing eggs and her abdomen becomes distended?


Answer: egg-bound

Interesting Information:
This is usually caused by a bad diet and filthy living conditions. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Chickens
 
Some incorrect choices:
old age, coccidiosis, obesity

33. Unlikely to roost in a pear tree, which member of the Phasianidae family gets it common name ultimately from the Ancient Greek word 'pérdix'?


Answer: Partridge

Interesting Information:
With a wide distribution, the partridge is endemic throughout parts of Europe, Asia and Africa. These medium-sized game birds nest and live predominantly on the ground. Some of the species have attractive plumage, but most exhibit grey, green and brown feathers.

In mythology, Perdix was the nephew of Daedalus. He was skilled in invention and this skill caused Daedalus to become jealous. Daedalus threw him down from the temple of Athena onto the Acropolis, intending to kill him. The goddess broke his fall and changed him into a partridge named for him - perdix. Difficulty: Very Easy.

From Quiz: Phabulous Phasianoidea
 
Some incorrect choices:
Ptarmigan, Quail, Francolin

34. What is the name for the part of a chicken's anatomy where the egg comes out?


Answer: vent

Interesting Information:
The vent is the opening where both eggs and waste come out. Internally, though, there are two ducts. This keeps the eggs separate from waste, and it comes out clean. The vent should be kept clean and free of clinging waste. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Chickens: All About Eggs
 
Some incorrect choices:
duct, bowl, pillbox

35. How does a rooster initiate courting of a hen?


Answer: He dances in a circle around her

Interesting Information:
How sweet. During his dance of romance for the required time around the hen of his choice, our dapper rooster will also periodically lower the wing closest to her, as if beckoning her to his manly side. This initiates a mating surge in the hen, and she begins to respond to the twinkle-toed lad. That's all he needs. Before you can say Foghorn Leghorn, he gets on with the job in hand. There you go, lads. Why not take up ballroom dancing as a hobby? You could meet the love of your life. Difficulty: Easy.

From Quiz: A Poultry Task
 
Some incorrect choices:
He crows in her ear, He brings her gifts of corn, He brings her a worm

36. What is a dual-purpose breed?


Answer: A breed of chicken that can be used for both meat and egg production, but are not completely great at either

Interesting Information:
There are quite a few breeds that are dual purpose, but there are also a lot of breeds that can't be used for meat as they either grow too slowly or don't grow enough meet to satisfy the consumer. Egg producers generally use a Leghorn for their production as they lay white eggs and they lay consistently. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: 4-H Poultry Knowledge
 
Some incorrect choices:
A breed used for show and eggs, A breed used for show and meat, A breed that is bad at both egg laying and meat production

37. How can you tell if a baby turkey is happy?


Answer: It will be fairly quiet.

Interesting Information:
If the baby turkey is cold or ill they will cheep. You may think that the only noise an adult turkey will make is the gobble, but turkeys have sounds that are associated with contentment, movement, distress, alarm, and bringing attention to themselves. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Those Cute Fluffy Turkeys!
 
Some incorrect choices:
It will cheep a lot., It will dance around!, It will stay by its mother.

38. What is the name given to an infected abscess sometimes found on the bottom of a chicken's foot?


Answer: Bumblefoot

Interesting Information:
Bumblefoot usually presents itself as swelling on the bottom of the foot, often with a distinctive black 'core'. It is a bacterial infection which usually requires antibiotic treatment. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Poultry 101
 
Some incorrect choices:
Bruised sole, Hot foot, Tender foot

39. Why should round eggs not be incubated?


Answer: The air sac is likely to be displaced, when the chicken starts to hatch it won't be able to breathe.

Interesting Information:
As the chicken will start pipping where the air sac should be, it won't be able to breathe as there is no air. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: Incubation and Eggs.
 
Some incorrect choices:
The chicken doesn't know were to start pipping., The shell is likely to be weak., All of the above.

40. What country does the Poland fowl come from?


Answer: None of these

Interesting Information:
The Poland refers to the fact that the bird has a 'pol' or crest of feathers on its head. It's from England. Difficulty: Hard.

From Quiz: European Chickens
 
Some incorrect choices:
Poland, France, Germany
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