How chickens lay eggs, how they are formed and where the chicken lays them

• Fact 1:
  The very first eggs that a laying hen begins to produce may be small in size and consist only of protein.
• Fact 2:
  On average, it takes 20-25 hours to ripen a full-fledged egg (yolk, white, shell), provided the bird is well cared for
• Fact 3:
  Sometimes a chicken lays an egg in a thin, leathery membrane, without a hard shell.
• Fact 4:
  When laying hens live in a poultry house without a rooster, they lay unfertilized eggs. Such products are considered dietary.

All life on Earth reproduces. Mammals give birth to their young, trees produce new shoots, flowers produce seeds, fish spawn, birds lay eggs. Nature has created completely different ways of bringing new inhabitants into the world, and each of them is surprising and mysterious. At least for ordinary people who are far from science. But I really want to lift this veil of secrecy and plunge into the mysterious world of the birth of new lives.

And for some it is simply necessary. For example, poultry farmers, who are responsible for the production of healthy bird offspring or simply complete, nutritious egg products. But really, how do chickens lay eggs? Where do they come from, why is not every one suitable for raising chicks, why are some considered dietary and others not? How many questions should a novice farmer find answers to before he takes control of a chicken population?

The structure of the reproductive system of chickens

The reproductive system of roosters and hens is significantly different. In the latter, it consists of testes, which are located near the kidneys. During the mating process, their sizes increase significantly. The testes have special seminal ducts, at the end of which there is a seminal vesicle filled with sperm. Roosters do not have external genitalia.

How do chickens lay eggs?

In chickens, the reproductive system consists of ovaries. Moreover, the left one is considered more developed, since it has a special oviduct. It is associated with the reproductive ducts, digestive canals and cloaca.

On a note! With the onset of puberty, chickens begin to lay eggs. Since chickens do not give birth, if there is a rooster, all the testicles will be fertilized.

Many people are interested in how an egg is formed in a chicken. The process begins with the entry of the egg into the oviduct. There it forms a thin protein layer. Then the egg is gradually covered with a shell. After this, it passes through the cloaca, from where the chicken releases the egg. The duration of this process is 20-25 hours. The diagram below will help you visualize where a chicken’s egg comes from.

Egg Formation

Influence of breed on egg production rates

The breed characteristics of poultry reflect the productivity indicators of the latter. All breeds or crosses are selected for a specific purpose. Each type contains individual indicators of certain qualities. When choosing chickens, breeders pay attention to the direction of the species, keeping their intentions in mind. Chickens that have meat qualities may not perform well in egg production and vice versa. But there are breeds and crosses that meet both the meat and egg needs of the farmer.

The best egg breeds and crosses:

Leghorn

Hisex Brown

Hisex White

Andalusian

Loman Brown

Minorca

Hamburg

Russian white

Dominant

New Hampshire

Egg laying of various breeds of chickens

It largely depends on the breed how a chicken lays eggs and how many eggs she can lay per day. There are several types of chicken breeds, which are most often raised in poultry farms. We are talking about meat, meat and egg and egg poultry. The last two breeds are considered the most productive, since with their help you can get a lot of eggs and fresh meat. Meat animals can only be raised for slaughter, since they are not capable of laying many eggs.

Among the most productive birds are the following breeds:

• White Russian. These birds grow quite quickly, due to which they begin to lay their first eggs four months after birth. Over the course of a year, each hen can produce about 230-260 eggs weighing about 50 g.
• Leghorn. This breed is most often found among farmers who raise poultry for eggs. The main features of such chickens are rapid acclimatization and high productivity. Every year, each chicken lays large eggs in the amount of 280-300 pieces.
• Loman Brown. Individuals of this breed carry unusual eggs, the shell of which is colored brown. Their productivity per year is more than 300 eggs weighing 65-75 g.
• Hi laynot. A productive breed of poultry. Every year, High Lainot chickens produce 300-320 eggs.
• Hisex. These chickens lay white eggs with a thick shell. Every year, Highsex birds produce at least three hundred eggs.

Do you need a rooster for a chicken to lay eggs?

It is important to understand that a chicken can lay eggs without a rooster. Industrial enterprises obtain table (unfertilized) eggs from egg breeds of chickens. They are obtained without the use of roosters. They are not fertilized, and it is impossible to get chicks from store-bought eggs. They are used only for food. At egg production enterprises, hens are raised and roosters are culled.

Therefore, if you only have chickens on your private farm, they will lay ordinary table eggs, and you cannot get offspring from them. To get a hatching egg, you need to have a rooster in the herd along with the hens, then they will be fertilized.

How to identify a chicken with good productivity

Chickens of the egg production direction have good egg production; when choosing poultry for egg production, it is better to use breeds of the desired productivity direction. The bird is judged on its exterior qualities. Birds have a large body mass, strong bones, smooth plumage, and well-formed wings. When palpated, laying hens have a large, soft belly. The chicken's behavior is active, the chickens graze well, and they look healthy in appearance. The Leghorn breed is considered the best egg breed. Egg production 240 eggs. The record was set in 71 of the 20th century and was 371 eggs.

What does a chicken egg consist of?

The composition is complex, it must contain everything necessary so that the embryo receives the necessary components for growth and development. In a fertilized egg, a germinal disc is visible on the surface of the yolk. It is an oval white spot - 4 mm in diameter. The egg contains protein 55-57%, yolk 30-32%, shell 10-12%, chemical composition water is 74%, dry matter 27%, fats 12%, proteins 13%, carbohydrates 11%, also included contains lysocine, an enzyme that keeps eggs fresh.

Do you need a rooster to produce eggs?

Beginning farmers are often interested in whether poultry can lay eggs without a rooster. A chicken produces an egg in any case, and this does not depend on the presence of a rooster in the chicken coop. However, in this case, the eggs appear unfertilized, and the chick will not be able to hatch from them.

How does a chicken form an egg if there is no rooster in the house? The egg first passes through the bird's reproductive organs. During this, it becomes overgrown with a shell and a protein shell. Then a normal testicle, without an embryo, begins to emerge from the hen.

Important! If there is not a single rooster in the coop, the chickens will not become pregnant, and because of this they will not have offspring.

The role of the rooster in egg laying

Many poultry owners, when acquiring a flock of chickens, have only one goal - getting fresh egg products to the table. They are not going to engage in breeding new livestock, and therefore do not understand what is the reason to buy a rooster in addition to the laying hens and spend money on feeding it.

When laying hens live in a poultry house without a rooster, they lay unfertilized eggs. Such products are considered dietary. And the eggs themselves cannot be used for incubation; chicks from them will never hatch. If there is no desire to put the bird in the nest, then the rooster will, indeed, become only a decorative addition to the inhabitants of the poultry yard.

However, there are still benefits from it:

• Firstly, the rooster is a kind of leader. He makes sure that the entire flock of chickens is in a group, without wandering aimlessly in all directions. He restores order among his quarreling friends.

• Secondly, the presence of a rooster stimulates the hen's instincts. If a farmer ever decides to raise chickens, his chickens will be ready and will not lose the skills of a caring mother.

• Thirdly, fertilized eggs are richer in nutritional value. Therefore, they are healthier for the body, unless of course the doctor has prescribed you a diet.

Thus, a male in a chicken flock is still desirable, even if raising chicks is not part of your business plan.

Stages of formation

The process of formation of chicken eggs is carried out in several successive stages.

Formation of whites and yolks

Eggs, regardless of the stage of development, are located in the ovarian follicles. At first they are not very large, but gradually their size increases to 1 mm. It is in the follicles that the process of yolk formation begins.

After maturation, the yolk leaves the follicle and enters the oviduct, where it begins to become overgrown with a protein shell. If not one, but two eggs accidentally enter the oviduct, then the testicle will have two yolks.

Shell formation

After a chicken egg has a yolk and white, a thin layer of shell begins to form on top of them. First, the egg enters the isthmus, where the production of shell membranes begins. Then it moves into the uterus, where the shell layer begins to thicken.

Masonry

When the egg has finished hatching and forming, the laying process begins. First, the egg enters the hen's vagina. Then the uterus begins to protrude and tense, after which the process of laying formed eggs begins.

Laying eggs

Duration of formation

Oviposition lasts on average about 25-30 hours. However, the duration of each stage may be different:

• formation of white and yolk - from 40 minutes to 3 hours;
• formation of the subshell film – one and a half hours;
• appearance of the shell – 18-20 hours.

Advice from professionals

The productivity of laying hens directly depends on the length of the day. The longer the day, the more eggs you will get from your poultry house. Therefore, professionals advise in winter not only to insulate the chicken coop, but also to provide additional lighting.

During the cold season, be sure to add mineral and vitamin supplements.

Follow the correct diet and feeding pattern for laying hens. It is not recommended to feed chickens or keep them from hand to mouth. Try to feed your chickens at the same time, 3 times a day. Last meal 2 hours before bedtime. The diet should be varied:

• proteins;
• fats;
• carbohydrates;
• minerals (calcium and phosphorus);
• mixture of cereals;
• add whey and other dairy waste.

The barn for chickens must be insulated; heating is also possible. At an air temperature of minus 7 degrees, laying hens stop laying eggs and can freeze their earrings and combs.

Lack of light reduces the number of eggs. For good egg production, daylight hours should be about 14 hours. Do not leave the light on at night, the chicken must sleep.

Monitor the humidity in the room; it should not exceed 60−75%.

The chicken coop should not be too crowded (no more than 6 chickens per square meter, depending on the breed and size of the chickens).

Do not cancel a walk in the fresh air even in winter, with the exception of severe frosts.

Parasites can reduce egg production, so it is necessary to treat chickens against pests: ticks, fleas and others.

The right food

There are several ways to properly prepare feed for laying hens. Here are the main ones:

• Grinding. Chickens have a beak and no teeth, so it is better to grind their food; there are crushers and millstones for this.
• Germination. People add sprouted wheat grains to their food because they are healthier. The same method can be applied to our chickens. To make their food more fortified, we sprout wheat or oats. Fill the grain with water at room temperature and leave for a day. Sprinkle onto a damp cloth, stir occasionally and moisten. When the sprout stretches 5 mm, you can add grain to the mash with food.
• Yeasting. For a kilogram of any food, add 35 g of yeast diluted in a liter of water. The food moistened with mash is left to settle in a warm place for about 10 hours. Added to a mash of mixed feed and vegetable waste (1 tablespoon per chicken).

How long does egg laying last and what time does it start?

Most breeds of laying hens begin laying eggs in the afternoon. In this case, egg laying most often ends before 15-16 hours. It also happens that poultry begin to lay eggs much earlier or stop doing so altogether. For example, in winter the number of eggs laid decreases significantly.

The egg-laying period of laying hens is about two years. However, it often begins to decline after the first year. The shortening of the reproductive period is largely due to the increased stress that the body may experience due to the laying of a large number of testicles.

Additional Information! In meat and egg breeds, egg laying lasts about four years, and in meat breeds – 2-3 years. However, during this time the latter will lay much fewer eggs than the hens from the first group in 1-2 years.

Is it possible to increase the number of eggs from laying hens?

Each owner solves the problem of how to increase the egg production of chickens in his own way. However, there are general recommendations for increasing the egg production of laying hens that apply to every farm.

1. In order for the chickens to lay eggs well, it is very important to maintain the temperature regime . They should have comfortable nests and good walking.
2. Short daylight hours negatively affect the number of eggs produced. It is necessary to install additional lighting in the poultry house to maintain lighting for approximately 13 hours.
3. Proper and balanced nutrition is the key to high egg production. Do not feed your pets only grain and dry food; be sure to give your chickens wet mash.
4. Yeasting the feed and adding the necessary minerals will definitely have a positive effect on the number of eggs.
5. During molting, chickens stop laying eggs , so some poultry farmers artificially create conditions for early molting using stress. Chickens are forced to starve for some time, given only water, and after the bird begins to molt, it is provided with complete food rich in vitamins and minerals. In this case, the molt proceeds faster, and the bird begins to lay eggs sooner after it.
6. Chickens are very fond of kitchen waste, such as cottage cheese, fish offal, ground bones and even leftover meat. Such additives will bring more eggs to the owner.
7. An increase in egg production is also influenced by the addition of appropriate premixes and mixed feeds to the chickens’ diet.

Causes of problems with egg laying

There are cases when chickens lay half-boiled small eggs (with dense whites) or stop laying altogether. The main causes of problems with egg laying:

• Changing your diet. Some farmers dramatically change the diet for poultry, which negatively affects their egg production. It is important that the new food is similar in composition to the previous one. It should contain a sufficient amount of calcium and vitamins.
• Unsuitable conditions of detention. To keep chickens, you need to choose the most suitable place indoors. The daylight hours of poultry should last at least 12 hours, so it is recommended to equip the chicken coop with additional lighting lamps. You also need to make sure that the temperature inside does not drop below 15 degrees Celsius. If the chickens have not laid a single egg during their entire stay in the coop, it may be too cold.
• Development of diseases. Sometimes stopping egg laying indicates that the hen is sick. Other symptoms may indicate the development of the disease, which include lethargy, loss of appetite and sudden weight loss.
• Shedding. The stoppage of egg production may coincide with seasonal molting, when the laying hens begin to shed their feathers. Most often this happens in mid or late autumn. In this case, there is no need to do anything, since egg laying will restore itself.

Problems with egg production in chickens

Why are eggs so healthy?

Chicken eggs are one of the most popular components of the diet all over the world. For many millennia, man brought a unique, irreplaceable product to the table, first emptying the nests of wild birds, and then assigning the first chickens to his service, subduing and domesticating them.

The composition of this useful product is amazing:

• 12 most important vitamins for humans (A, group B, PP, K, etc.).

• In terms of the amount of vitamin D, a chicken egg cannot compete only with fish oil.

• A complex of mineral supplements essential for health. Such as potassium and magnesium, cobalt and iron, copper and magnesium, iodine and phosphorus, sulfur, manganese and calcium.

Just two eggs eaten daily can have an invaluable effect on a person and strengthen the body:

• Strengthening the immune system.
• Stabilization of the heart and blood vessels.
• Normalization of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Reducing the risk of malignant cell formation.
• Strengthening and formation of bone and muscle tissue.
• Maintaining the nervous system.
• Beneficial effect on the organs of vision.

Egg products are indispensable for the diet of women expecting a child or breastfeeding. Eggs are a natural source of calcium, folic acid, and other essential substances for women and children.

Eggs have the most beneficial effect on male reproductive function, as they help produce seminal fluid, improve its quality and contribute to the successful fertilization of the female egg.

Protein in egg products is an essential element in sports nutrition, dietary nutrition, and also for people doing heavy physical work. Those who are trying to eat healthy and lose excess weight also cannot do without eggs on their table.

It is not true that healthy and strong hair, nails, and teeth are the prerogative of exclusively young people. Not at all. If you regularly eat chicken eggs at any age, these organs will be fine. And, on the contrary, in the absence of egg dishes, even the young ones will become deplorable.

Despite the exceptional usefulness of the product, there are situations when the consumption of eggs is unacceptable or limited. This applies to categories of people suffering from egg white intolerance, diabetes, and certain gastrointestinal or liver diseases.

What can get into the oviduct

Sometimes something gets into the oviduct that shouldn't be there. Most often this is:

• particles of straw or hay from the bedding;
• small pebbles;
• feathers.

It is because of such foreign objects that the laying process of laying hens is disrupted. This leads to the appearance of small eggs from which it is impossible to produce offspring. The above items enter the oviduct of poultry through the cloaca. They then move up the oviduct. The chickens' body mistakes them for yolk, and therefore foreign bodies gradually become overgrown with protein and shell. As a result, the chickens will end up with small eggs without a yolk.

Note! Similar problems are often faced by farmers who do not take good care of their poultry and do not comply with sanitary standards in the chicken coop. To avoid such troubles, you need to keep the inside of the chicken coop clean.

How an egg is formed

In domestic and wild chickens, the process of egg formation occurs according to the same waste

the pattern that nature laid in them at the genetic level many years ago. But, if wild birds rarely experience any malfunctions, then domestic birds often experience some deviations in this process, since wild birds need egg-laying only to prolong their genus. And from domestic laying hens, people expect a production process that is repeated many times.

How much quality product can a healthy chicken produce per year? Where do all of our favorite foods come from? The ovaries of a laying hen contain a large number of eggs at different stages of development. Each of them is located in a follicle. The mature egg, also known as the yolk, moves from the follicle to the oviduct.

How long does it take for her to move through the genital tract? This process takes about 20 hours. The egg is overgrown with protein and other membranes. Experts say that a domestic viable laying hen can bring its owner about 300 eggs annually.

How many minutes after a hen lays an egg does it take for the next egg to enter the oviduct? Approximately 30 – 40. With two yolks they are obtained if two eggs were observed to enter the bird’s genital tract at once. If the second yolk comes out a little later, then the first will come out in the shell, but the second will not. Without an embryo, that is, unfertilized, they are usually called dietary. Their hens lay eggs without a rooster.

Black eggs in chickens

Probably, many are accustomed to the fact that the color of birds’ eggs is mostly light. But a chicken that lays black eggs still surprises even the most experienced poultry farmers. There is a decorative breed of chickens called Ayam Tsemani - it is completely black, from head to paws. The breed is distinguished by the fact that it has not only dark plumage, but skin and even eggs. Even their blood is dark, as is their meat and all their organs. The reason is a genetic trait – fibromelanosis.

What to do if chickens lay small eggs

Eggs are a nutritious and healthy product. Of course, poultry farmers try to breed chickens that lay large eggs. A malfunction in the chicken body leads to the production of small eggs. Why do birds lay small eggs? This needs to be sorted out.

1. Age. A young bird begins laying eggs with small eggs. They are considered very tasty and have a large yolk. The egg mass becomes larger and eventually reaches normal size. At what age do chickens have small eggs? The answer is simple: younger.
2. Mass and weight. It is necessary to monitor the weight of the bird. Do not lay eggs too early, otherwise the eggs will be small. The average weight of a chicken should be about 1300 g.

Is it possible to raise a chicken without a rooster?

The answer is simple - without it, the laying hen will not be able to hatch chickens. It is necessary for the fertilization of eggs. For summer residents, the absence of a rooster in the poultry house is quite reasonable and understandable. ... A laying hen cannot fertilize them without a male.

Interesting materials:

Thuja is drying up, how to save it? 54 Federal Law who is exempt from the use of CCP? Advent what is it? Agroperlite what is it and what is it for? When is an advance invoice issued? Bard liquid what is it? Business self-service car wash, how much cost is required? Blanching what is it? Where is boric acid used? Brand what is it?

Review of the best egg breeds

The most productive chicken breeds today are artificially bred and industrial crosses. Both are very popular among amateur gardeners and are actively bred in poultry farms due to their high profitability.

• Loman Brown. This is the most popular trading cross. Loman Brown chickens have large brown eggs and a long laying period, up to eighty weeks. Moreover, each chicken is capable of laying more than three hundred eggs per year;

• Hysex. These crosses were bred in 1970. Representatives of the breed are capable of producing more than three hundred large eggs per year, tolerate fungal, viral and bacterial infections well, have a high survival rate and are unpretentious in maintenance. Currently, two varieties have been developed: Hisek White and Hisek Brown;
• Isa Brown. Chickens are well adapted to all conditions and acclimatize quickly. They lay up to three hundred and twenty large brown eggs per year and do not require much care. At the same time, for normal life and laying eggs, they need a little more than one hundred grams of food per day;
• High line. This bird easily adapts to any living conditions and tolerates changes in temperature well. Moreover, they are capable of laying up to three hundred and fifty eggs per year;

• Livorno. Representatives of this species are small in size, so they do not need little food. At the same time, they produce more than three hundred eggs per year and have an aesthetic appearance. The disadvantage of Leghorn chickens is a rapid decline in productivity - already a year and a half after the start of egg laying.

Industrial crosses usually have excellent properties and characteristics, but it is impossible to repair them yourself. This is due to the fact that when trying to get offspring, you can get chicks from several different breeds that were used in the crossing. Therefore, young animals can only be purchased from farms specializing in poultry farming.