httpwwwgeocitiescomostrichwonderlandcharacteristichtm says a female ostrich is a hen wwwemusupplycombasichabitshtm    says a female emu is a hen    What we call chicken eggs are actualy fowl    eggs What we call chicken for eating is the meat or whole body of young fowl Any of various birds of the order Galliformes The common widely domesticated chook  Gallus gallus are in the category of  fowl SO if you really want to refer to the common chicken stock you might say Gallus Gallus or perhaps the breed of gallus gallus as per httpwwwithacaedustaffjhendersonchookschookshtml  there are a lot of breeds