Chicken Keepers Search

A closer look at your flock

Learn the details.
Spot the difference.

Clear diagrams to learn from. Real photographs to compare. Small details that make a big difference at the coop.

6 topics · Labeled visuals · Trusted reading

FIELD NOTE 01 / Chicken anatomy

Put a name to the part.

Start with seven landmarks. Select a number on the hen or in the key to highlight the matching feature.

Teaching illustration of a complete left-facing brown hen with a visible comb, wattles, folded wing, tail and feet.
Teaching illustration · A hen in side profile. Comb shape, feathering and leg color vary between breeds.

THE VISUAL KEY

Select a number to match the picture and key.

From diagram to real life

Same landmarks. Different feathers.

REAL PHOTOGRAPH
Real Buff Orpington hen in side profile, facing right on grass.

Find the head, wing and tail

1 · Comb. 2 · Wattles beneath the beak. 3 · Folded wing. 4 · Tail. This Buff Orpington faces the opposite way from the diagram.

Photo: Pete Cooper · CC BY 2.0 · resized.

01

Start with position,
then compare appearance.

A fluffy breed can hide landmarks that are obvious in a diagram. The position of the comb and wattles is more useful than matching the hen’s color.

For legs and toes, use a photograph where grass and feathers do not hide the feet.

Explore breed differences →

FIELD NOTE 02 / Unusual eggs

What’s different about this egg?

Look at shape, surface and cracks separately. Compare the real photographs below, then open a photo for a closer look.

Teaching illustration of one intact brown egg beside an opened egg with a golden yolk and translucent white.
Teaching illustration · A simple starting point before comparing actual shell abnormalities below.

THE VISUAL KEY

Select a number to match the picture and key.

Real shell examples

Three different things to look for.

Compare shape and texture.
Use Enlarge for a closer look.

REAL PHOTOGRAPH
Two white eggs with clearly raised white deposits on their shells.

Raised calcium deposits

1 · Distinct lumps sit on top of the shell, instead of following its smooth curve.

REAL PHOTOGRAPH
A white slab-sided egg with a flattened area along one side.

A flattened side

1 · Follow the left outline. This area is flatter than the usual rounded curve.

REAL PHOTOGRAPH
A white egg with ridges and wrinkles across the shell.

Wrinkles & ridges

1 · Folds and ridges run across the shell, rather than forming isolated dots.

Side-by-side comparison

Some cracks hide in plain sight.

The same example in room light
and illuminated by candling.

REAL PHOTOGRAPH
A white egg in ordinary room light with faint cracks that are difficult to see.

1 · Ordinary light

At first glance the shell looks almost smooth. Look closely for the faint fracture lines.

REAL PHOTOGRAPH
The same egg backlit orange so branching shell cracks stand out clearly.

2 · Candled

Backlighting makes the branching cracks stand out. This comparison teaches visibility, not food safety.

Photos: C. S. Dunkley. From A Dozen Egg Abnormalities: How They Affect Egg Quality , Circular 1255, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, 2022; reviewed July 27, 2026. Reproduced for educational use under UGA’s reuse policy . Converted to WebP; photographed features unchanged.

Keep the question specific. Is the shape flattened, the surface raised, or the shell cracked? Note whether it is one egg or a repeated change, then use the full guide for possible causes.

FIELD NOTE 03 / Molt & feathers

From pin to feather.

A pale sleeve and an opening feather tip tell different parts of the regrowth story. Follow the three illustrated stages, then compare them with a real hen.

Three illustrated feathers: a closed pale pin feather, a partly opening brown feather and an opened contour feather.
Teaching illustration · Enlarged stages, not a timed sequence or a life-size comparison.

THE VISUAL KEY

Select a number to match the picture and key.

Spot the feature in a real photo

The pale “pins” are new feathers.

REAL PHOTOGRAPH
Real Orpington hen with pale narrow feather sheaths among dark head and neck feathers.

Pin feathers around a hen’s head

1 · Pale narrow sheaths around the head and neck. 2 · Open, overlapping neck feathers below them.

Photo: Rex at Dutch Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · resized; reference labels added separately.

02

Compare the covering,
not just the missing feathers.

The pale sheaths help distinguish new growth from an already opened feather. A bare patch by itself does not tell you why feathers were lost.

Use the diagram to understand the sheath and the real photograph to find it among other feathers.

Read the pin-feather explanation

FIELD NOTE 04 / Mites, lice & fleas

On the bird, or in the coop?

Location matters. Use the map to orient yourself, then compare five documented real-photo examples below.

Teaching illustration of a healthy hen beside a wooden roost joint; no infestation is depicted.
Teaching illustration · The hen is healthy. The vent is beneath the tail and is not exposed in this side view.

THE VISUAL KEY

Select a number to match the picture and key.

Documented identification photographs

Five examples. Two places to inspect.

Original source circles and arrows
mark the features worth examining.

REAL PHOTOGRAPHON THE BIRD
Real close-up of chicken body lice and their eggs among white feathers; the original circle marks the cluster.

Body lice & attached eggs

Inside the original circle: pale lice and attached egg clusters among feather bases.

REAL PHOTOGRAPHON THE BIRD
Real close-up of northern fowl mites on a chicken in the vent region, indicated by an original black arrow.

Northern fowl mites

The original arrow points to mites among feathers in the vent region.

REAL PHOTOGRAPHIN THE COOP
Real photograph of red poultry mites clustered along a wooden perch in a chicken coop.

Poultry red mites

Look at the many tiny mites clustered along the roost’s surface and crevice.

REAL PHOTOGRAPHON THE BIRD
Real photograph of a chicken’s crusty legs and feet; an original circle marks scaly-leg changes.

Scaly-leg mite changes

The circle shows crusty, raised leg scales. These are changes caused by mites, not visible mites.

REAL PHOTOGRAPHON THE BIRD
Real chicken head photograph with original black arrows identifying sticktight fleas near the comb.

Sticktight fleas

The original arrows mark attached fleas around the comb and face.

Photos: Amy Murillo, UCR. Pests of Backyard Chickens , UC ANR, September 22, 2026. © Regents of the University of California. Used with permission. Original reference circles and arrows retained; no AI alteration.

Don’t confuse the organism with the damage. The scaly-leg photo shows changed scales; it does not show the microscopic mites themselves. Use the complete source guide for confirmation and next steps.

FIELD NOTE 05 / Predator clues

Read the scene before naming a suspect.

Photograph the entry point, disturbed ground and clear prints. A feather pile or damaged latch alone cannot tell you which animal visited.

Open the full Predator Identification guide →

Illustrated coop corner with a latch, disturbed soil, scattered feathers and a ruler near generic ground impressions.
Teaching illustration · Generic impressions are not species-identification tracks. Use real prints and the track key below.

THE VISUAL KEY

Select a number to match the picture and key.

A useful evidence photograph

Include the print and its size.

REAL PHOTOGRAPH
Documented raccoon prints in mud beside a ruler showing centimeters and inches.

Raccoon tracks with a ruler

1 · An impression with long toe marks. 2 · A ruler beside the prints preserves their scale.

Photo: Alex Abair · CC BY 4.0 · resized; reference labels added separately.

03

One close-up.
One wider view.

  1. Photograph a clear print straight down, with a ruler beside it.
  2. Take a wider photo showing the track trail and nearby entry point.
  3. Record toe count, visible claws, print dimensions and when you found it.

Soft ground changes print shape; an incomplete print can mislead.

Open the illustrated mammal track key (PDF)

FIELD NOTE 06 / Chick development

Watch the feathers change.

Compare feather coverage rather than guessing age from size alone. These illustrations explain the stages; the photographs show individual birds.

Three illustrated golden-brown chicks showing mostly down, developing wing feathers, and more complete juvenile feathering.
Teaching illustration · Schematic stages, not an exact-age chart or a test of readiness to move outdoors.

THE VISUAL KEY

Select a number to match the picture and key.

A real juvenile for comparison

Down and feathers can share the same bird.

REAL PHOTOGRAPH
A real Delaware chick with fluffy head down and defined overlapping wing feathers.

A photographed three-week-old Delaware chick

1 · Fluffy down remains on the head. 2 · More defined feathers cover the wing. The age is the photographer’s record of this bird, not a universal timetable.

Photo: Josh Larios from Seattle, US · CC BY-SA 2.0 · resized; reference labels added separately.

04

Keep a simple
growth photo diary.

Photograph the same chick from the side each week. Keep the lighting and distance similar, and record the hatch date separately.

Watch feather coverage and behavior alongside your brooder plan. Size or one wing photo cannot establish exact age or outdoor readiness.

Open the keeper toolkit →

REAL PHOTOGRAPH · CLOSER LOOK