In the United States, we eat a lot of meat, including beef, pork, and fish. But if theres one kind of meat to rule them all, it has to be chicken. According to the USDA, chicken is the most-consumed meat in the U. S. A grilled chicken sandwich, a roasted quarter, or fried tenders can be found almost anywhere, from the grocery store to your favorite restaurant. This shouldn’t be a surprise.
But as much as we love chicken, we tend not to love every part of the bird. Some parts of the chicken, like the liver and excess fat, for instance, are often thrown away, going to waste, while more-popular cuts of the meat, like the breast, are venerated. But why? And which cuts of chicken actually taste the best?.
We’ve taken a close look at some well-known chicken cuts and parts and ranked them from worst to best. You may be surprised at where some cuts end up on this list. If there are some cuts that you have yet to try, keep an open mind and head to your local grocery store or butcher shop. Going for a less common (and sometimes less expensive) cut of chicken may just change the way you look at poultry forever.
Jamie Oliver says that the last place goes to “arguably the most popular part of a chicken.” However, it’s also one of the least tasty and enjoyable parts. Its the chicken breast, and its probably what you grab when you head to the meat section of your local grocery store and dont know what else to pick up. It may be a favorite of gym bros who bow at the altar of high-protein, unseasoned poultry, but if you ask us, its a total waste of your money. If chicken breast is one thing, its dry. There are, of course, many things you can do to make chicken breasts taste better, but we need to face the fact that they just don’t taste that good.
Chicken breast is known for being a lower-fat meat (via Healthline), so the dietary fat-phobic food culture of the 90s might be to blame. Whatever the case may be, we now know that fat in meat is actually a good thing when it comes to adding flavor to a dish. Therefore, the chicken breast earns its last-place status.
Raising chickens can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Fresh eggs every morning, cute little chicks pecking around the coop, and the satisfaction of caring for a small flock of feathered friends. However, to properly care for backyard chickens, it’s important to have a basic understanding of their anatomy. Knowing the parts of a chicken can help you quickly spot any potential health issues or injuries.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover all the major external and internal parts of a chicken’s body. Whether you’re a beginner chicken keeper or a seasoned pro, read on to learn the names and functions of the various chicken body parts
External Anatomy of a Chicken
First, let’s talk about the parts of a chicken that you can see on the outside of their body.
Head
A chicken’s head contains several important parts:
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Comb: The red, fleshy growth on top of a chicken’s head. It helps regulate body temperature and can indicate health issues if discolored or abnormal in appearance.
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Wattles are the red skin flaps that hang down under a chicken’s chin. Also aid in temperature regulation.
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Earlobes are the small, fleshy bumps on the side of a chicken’s head that go where the ears are. Often a different color than the rest of the head.
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Beak: The hard, pointed mouthpart of a chicken. Since chickens don’t have teeth, they use their beak to peck, feed, groom, and more.
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Nostrils: The two holes located at the base of the beak through which chickens breathe.
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Eyes: Chickens have small, round eyes on either side of their head. Their eyesight is quite poor compared to humans.
Neck and Hackles
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Neck: The narrow part of a chicken’s body between the head and body. Allows range of motion for the head.
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Hackles: The long, narrow feathers that cover a chicken’s neck. Particularly pronounced in roosters.
Body
Moving down from the neck, a chicken’s body contains:
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The breast is the part of a chicken’s body in front of the neck and between the legs. Contains the chicken’s crop organ for food storage.
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Wings: Located on the upper back, a chicken’s wings provide balance and allow short flights. The long flight feathers are called primaries while the shorter feathers closest to the body are the secondaries and coverts.
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Thighs: The upper segments of a chicken’s legs to which the wings are attached.
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Legs: The lower limbs of a chicken used for walking and scratching. Contains the hock joint and ends in feet and toes.
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Tail: Projection of longer feathers arising from the rear of the body. Helps with balance and expressing emotions. Roosters tend to have longer, more arched tail feathers.
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Vent/Cloaca: The single posterior opening through which a chicken urinates, defecates, and lays eggs.
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Abdomen/Belly: The underside of a chicken’s body between breast and vent containing internal organs. Becomes larger and more distended in egg-laying hens.
Feet
A chicken stands on two yellow-skinned feet called:
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Toes: Chickens normally have four toes on each foot with nails protruding from the tips. Some breeds may have more or fewer toes.
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Scales: Tough, overlapping plates cover the lower part of a chicken’s legs and top of their toes.
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Pads: Thicker, cushiony skin on the bottom of chickens’ feet helps support their weight.
Internal Anatomy and Organs
The internal systems and organs inside a chicken’s body carry out important biological functions:
Skeletal System
- Bones: A chicken’s skeletal system provides structural support and protects internal organs. Key bones include the breastbone, wishbone, leg bones, wing bones, and vertebral column.
Muscular System
- Muscles: Chickens have skeletal muscles throughout their body attached to bones by tendons. These muscles allow for locomotion, digestion, respiration, and other motions.
Respiratory System
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Trachea: Windpipe that transports air from the chicken’s nostrils and mouth to the lungs.
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Lungs: The pair of organs where gas exchange occurs in the respiratory system.
Cardiovascular System
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Heart: Muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the circulatory system via rhythmic contractions. A chicken heart has 4 chambers.
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Arteries: Blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart to the lungs and body.
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Veins: Blood vessels that return blood to the heart from the lungs and body.
Digestive System
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Crop: Pouch along the esophagus where chickens store and soften food before digestion.
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Esophagus: Tube connecting a chicken’s mouth to their crop and stomach.
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Stomach: Muscular sac that further digests food from the crop and passes it to the gizzard.
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Gizzard: Powerful organ containing swallowed stones that grinds up food.
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Intestines: Long, coiled tubular organs where absorption of nutrients occurs.
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Cloaca: The chamber and opening where the digestive, urinary, and reproductive tracts empty.
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Vent: External opening of the cloaca for releasing digestive waste.
Immune System
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Thymus: Organ where T cells mature to mount immune responses against pathogens.
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Bursa of Fabricius: Site of B cell maturation crucial for antibody production and immunity.
Reproductive System
Female
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Ovary: Organ that produces female hormones and yolks for eggs.
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Oviduct: Passageway where egg white, membranes, and shell are deposited onto the yolk.
Male
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Testes: Paired organs in the male that generate sperm and testosterone.
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Vas deferens: Tubes that transport mature sperm from the testes.
Common Chicken Breeds
There are over 200 breeds of domestic chicken recognized by the American Poultry Association. Some common backyard chicken breeds include:
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Rhode Island Red: A dual-purpose breed raised for eggs and meat. Hardy and docile.
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Barred Plymouth Rock: A popular black and white hen used for both eggs and meat.
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Australorp: A gentle, productive breed that lays lots of large brown eggs.
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Silkie: Known for fluffy, hair-like feathers and charming personality. Lay small white eggs.
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Orpington: A British heritage breed and ideal backyard pet known for being big, fluffy, and friendly.
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Leghorn: Smaller breed that matures quickly and is a very reliable egg layer.
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Jersey Giant: A very large chicken breed bred mainly for meat production due to its huge size.
Signs of a Healthy Chicken
When you’re familiar with chicken anatomy and know what’s normal, you can more easily spot signs of illness or injury in your flock. Here are some signs of a healthy chicken:
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Active, alert, and sociable behavior
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Smooth, well-groomed feathers
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Bright red comb and wattles
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Clear, bright eyes
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Smooth, symmetrical gait
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Good appetite and drinking regularly
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Normal egg laying in hens
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Well-formed droppings
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Clean, odor-free vent area
Bone-in chicken thighs
What’s the difference between bone-in thighs and boneless thighs, which are easier to handle? Everything about the whole package makes the taste better. All the flavor thats housed in the chicken bone gets released into the chicken flesh when you cook it — when you divorce the thigh from the bone, you miss out on all of that flavor. Along with that, the bone keeps the thigh from drying out, which is very important if you aren’t very good at cooking chicken.
Are bone-in chicken thighs a bit more difficult to handle on your plate? Sure. You have to contend with the bones and figure out how to cut around them to get the perfect bite onto your fork. But if you ask us, its worth the extra time and effort to enjoy more of that flavor. Lifes too short to throw away the bone, you know?.
Lets face it: Inflation is hitting us in the pockets just about everywhere, but its particularly noticeable when you go to the grocery store. According to Fortune, the annual inflation rate from June 2021 to June 2022 was 9.1%. But when it comes to food, were technically spending 12.2% more than we did last year. Thats a huge jump in prices. And when youre trying to make your dollar stretch, its important to look for some lower-cost items at the grocery store.
Thats one of the reasons we love ground chicken so much: Often, its cheaper than other cuts of chicken youll find at the grocery store, which makes it a great budget buy. Plus, its just so versatile — you can use it in pretty much any recipe that calls for ground beef.
Yes, it can get dry, which is why it doesnt rank higher on our list. Its important to cook your ground chicken on a lower setting than you would typically use for ground beef, as chicken contains less fat. Of course, you can always add olive oil to add more fat to your dish as well, which will combat that dryness.
Chicken wing drumettes
Chicken wings are one of those foods that are pretty much always hit the spot no matter what. But its no secret that wing-eaters have their opinions about which types of wings are better. And here at Tasting Table, we must admit that we are, in fact, flats lovers. Now, are chicken wing drumettes bad? Not by any stretch of the imagination. A cute handheld drumstick doused in buffalo sauce or crisped to perfection? Magical. Transcendent. Life-affirming. What’s not to love about a fried little snack? But it’s too hard to remove all the meat from a drumette without getting buffalo sauce on your face.
Perhaps if youre the type of person whos never been accused of being a messy eater, who barely has to use their napkin when they eat wings, you dont have this problem and can consume your drumettes with joy. But for the rest of us, eating drumette chicken wings in public is just too perilous.
How to Butcher a Chicken: 10-Piece Country Cut
FAQ
What are the 12 parts of a chicken?
The basic external parts of a chicken include the comb, beak, wattles, ears, earlobes, eyes, eye rings, wings, tail, thighs, hocks, shanks, spurs, claws and toes.
What are the 12 pieces of chicken?
One whole chicken can give you 12 different parts. Here’s how to get them: 2 wings, 2 breasts, 2 drumettes, 2 drumsticks, 2 tenders, and 2 thighs. Don’t throw away the carcass; use it to make chicken stock.
What are the 8 pieces of a chicken?
A whole chicken, when cut into eight pieces, yields two breasts, two thighs, two drumsticks, and two wings.
What are chicken parts called?
The parts of a chicken used in cooking are the breast, tenderloin, back, wing, leg, drumstick, and thigh.