A capon
is a rooster or cockerel that has been castrated. This culinary
practice existed in ancient China and Europe. Romans castrated
roosters to double their size. Capon meat is more moist, tender, and
flavorful than that of a cockerel or a hen and is less gamey
tasting.
Chickens are a domesticated fowl, bred primarily as a source
of food, including meat and eggs. In the UK and Ireland adult male
chickens over the age of 12 months are primarily known as cocks. In
the US, Australia, and Canada they are more commonly called roosters.
Males less than a year old are cockerels.
Hens are female chickens over a year old and younger females
are called pullets. In the egg-laying industry, a pullet becomes a
hen when she begins to lay eggs at 16 to 20 weeks of age. Chicken
eggs vary in color depending on the hen, ranging from bright white
to shades of brown, blue, green, and purple.
Here is a quick summary. Roosters generally crow and hens generally
cluck. All capons, cockerals, hens, and roosters are chicken. All
capons, cockerals, and roosters are male. All hens and pullets are
female. All cocks are not chicken, but also the male of other
species, such as cock sparrows. "Roosting" is the action of perching
to sleep and is done by both chicken sexes.
During the course of the 2014 Super Bowl, American consumers
devoured a total of 1.25 billion chicken wingettes and drumettes
(the wing tips were sent to Asia). There is a chicken
sound app for smartphones that can be used as a ringtone, or just
to irritate those around you.