The Chicken of the Woods got that nickname because it is often used as a substitute for chicken in recipes calling for that. It's texture when cooked does resemble that of chicken. It also is called the Sulphur Shelf mushroom because of the sulphur yellow color of the underside. The Hen of the Woods got that name because when the individual flowering parts are stripped from the main stalk they resemble feathers. Another nickname for the Hen of the Woods is "Rams Head", but I have no idea where that name came from. In my area of the country, we have a lot of people who are of Eastern European decent, such as Poland, Slovakia, etc., and they all call it a Rams Head. Next to Morels, the Hen of the Woods/Rams Head is my favorite. Both of these mushrooms are excellent in soups.