Everyone knows that chickens come from eggs. But how many people realize that a chicken egg is neutral, there is no embryo in it. And if you take this most ordinary product from the store, the chicken will not be able to hatch a chicken from it. After all, an egg is a kind of egg cell, and in order for a small organism to develop in it, it must be fertilized. At the market, the store sells unfertilized products. And those from which the chickens will emerge are placed under the chicken for hatching or taken to the incubator, where the chicken will mature.
Chickens, like people, must have love between a rooster and a hen, only in this case they will hatch chickens.
But such eggs are not suitable for eating , so those who buy a large batch should check them.
To do this, you need to take 20 eggs from the batch and break them, or you can take 30 eggs from different trays, in which case the result will be more believable. When checking, you need to take a clean dish and break the eggs there so that they are oriented with the embryo facing up. You can find out whether it is fertilized or not immediately after the chicken lays it. But this method is rarely used in practice, since the broken products can no longer be used for further incubation.
What does the chicken reproductive system consist of?
Scheme:
Ovaries
The fundamental elements of a chicken’s reproductive system are two ovaries and an oviduct, located in a small part of its pelvis. Only the left ovary is fully involved in the reproduction process. The right one adapts by the time the bird matures.
Cells are formed in the ovary - egg primordia or oocytes, from which the yolk is subsequently formed.
Oocytes are covered with a shell of layers of epithelial and connective tissue. In the complex, the rudiments and the membrane make up the follicles, which are suspended in the form of a “bunch of grapes” on the ovary.
Oviduct
The ovary with follicles is located above the opening in the expanded funnel of the oviduct. It consists of a thick-walled, tortuous fallopian (uterine) tube. The funnel is attached to the abdominal wall by muscle ligaments, which ensure its mobility during follicle maturation.
The entire oviduct is divided into several sections:
- top pipe with hole and funnel;
- protein part of the pipe;
- isthmus;
- a wide area of the uterus with the vagina.
Next, the tube connects through the large intestine to the cloaca of the chicken.
The total length of the pipe, depending on the size of the bird, is 35-85 centimeters. The length of the protein part is up to 37 centimeters. The diameter of the pipe is 7-8 centimeters. The diameter of the funnel hole is 7-9 centimeters.
How to replace a purchased device
First option
If it is not possible to purchase an ovoscope, you can use substitutes. The simplest solution is to illuminate the egg with a flashlight. But this method is not always reliable. Therefore, it is better to make a homemade ovoscope.
A cardboard box will do. At the bottom you need to attach a powerful incandescent lamp. For better clearance, you can install a reflector.
An oval hole slightly smaller than an egg is cut out at the top of the box. Otherwise it will fall down. If the shell cracks, the embryo will die.
Second option
There is another way to make a homemade ovoscope. You will need a sheet of cardboard, office glue (or tape), a knife and a flashlight.
Make a tube out of cardboard. The hole at one end should be 0.5 centimeters smaller than a chicken egg. And the dimensions of the other end are such that the light from the lamp passes through it.
Seal the tube or wrap it with tape, otherwise it will unwind. If the sheet of cardboard is large, it is better to cut it. The recommended length of the device is 10 centimeters.
You can bring a flashlight to the end of the tube during ovoscopy, or secure it with tape.
Third option
There is an improved version of a homemade ovoscope for examining eggs. You will need a tin can or a rigid tube-shaped package from Pringles chips.
Let's consider the first model. You need to use a knife to cut two holes in the tin can. The top opening should be a couple of millimeters smaller than the average egg.
The bottom hole is made on the side, near the bottom. Through it, a light source is installed inside - a socket and a light bulb. You will also need a wire and plug to connect the light bulb to the outlet.
If the distance between the lamp and the egg is too small, the embryo may die during candling. The minimum length is 10 centimeters.
Fourth option
Let's look at another instruction for making an ovoscope. You will need a plastic adapter to the pipeline system and a lamp on the base. The device is constructed quickly.
The light bulb must be placed inside the plastic structure. The adapter is placed on a hard surface with the wide part down.
The egg must be placed in a narrow hole and the lamp must be turned on.
Fertilization
About the rooster
Physiologically, the rooster lacks an organ that penetrates the hen's body. The male reproductive system consists of two symmetrically located testes, two vas deferens, which enter the cloaca through small thickenings (seminal vesicles).
Where do sperm come from, read the article “Structure of the reproductive system of a rooster.”
How is everything going?
Fertilization occurs when the cloaca of a male and female come into contact. After sexual intercourse, sperm reach the fallopian tubes. If there is an egg in them, fertilization occurs. After mating, the seminal fluid retains its properties in the chicken’s tubes for 20 days.
Sometimes it turns out that the rooster, despite his efforts, cannot fertilize the female. Find out about the reasons for this phenomenon in the article “How roosters impregnate hens.”
Do you need a male?
Sometimes a chicken's eggs are unfertilized for another reason. A natural feature of laying hens is that the reproductive organs independently form the yolk, white and eggshell, facilitating their development without an embryo.
The only drawback is that it is impossible to get offspring from such an egg.
It is believed that without a rooster, a hen experiences less stress and lays more eggs than in his presence. To find out if this is true, read the article “Can hens lay eggs without a rooster?”
When to shine? Ovoscopy procedure by day
Carrying out the procedure of candling eggs every day is a common mistake of novice poultry farmers.
This check is not recommended for 3 reasons:
- Professionals who use brood hens to raise chicks are putting birds at risk. Separation from hatching eggs is difficult for birds. Constant stress is harmful to the hen.
- It is not advisable to touch eggs often. At first they are very fragile. Mechanical small cracks are guaranteed to appear on the egg, rendering it unusable.
- Embryos have weak immunity. Constant temperature changes negatively affect the condition and development of the embryo.
The duration of the procedure should not exceed 5 minutes. The choice of room falls on a warm, secluded place.
First candling procedure
The question of time and frequency of the procedure is always relevant. Ovoscopy is performed several times at different stages of embryo development. When embryos appear, it is not advisable to immediately place them in the incubator. Some eggs are rejected empty or damaged.
Before laying, the first enlightenment procedure is carried out.
At first, practically nothing will be visible inside the egg.
The product is tested for:
- keeping the embryo inside;
- absence of cracks and microcracks.
Experienced poultry farmers first pay attention to the egg shell. This is a shell that protects the young embryo from external environmental influences.
The presence of spots, small cracks, unevenness, and roughness indicates that the egg is unsuitable for incubation.
The second important factor is the condition of the yolk. There is an embryo in that area. It is necessary to enlighten the yolk well. A high-quality egg contains a clearly defined spot located in the middle of the shell. When its own axis rotates, the yolk changes position slowly without changing shape.
Finally, attention is concentrated on the general condition of the liquid inside the shell. High-quality consistency, liquid and transparent
The presence of clots, foreign bodies and other roughness indicates the unsuitability of the embryo.
At the top of a healthy egg there is a small air bubble - a puga.
The second procedure for candling chicken eggs
The second egg candling procedure is carried out on the 11th day of embryo development. It is necessary to check the condition of the respiratory system of the future chick - allantois.
A healthy respiratory system is located at the tip of the egg. It fits tightly to the shell and looks like a single spot. Damaged airways and blood vessels can be saved. Proper nutrition must be provided.
The third procedure for candling chicken eggs
The third procedure for candling eggs is carried out on the 18th day of embryo development. This is the last ovoscopy for future chicks. A final check is made to ensure the chick is ready to be born. There are no pathologies if there is no lumen at the end of the egg.
Damaged eggs are not thrown away. They are sent to the middle row of the incubator.
How do chickens lay eggs?
Formation of yolk and white
Now let's figure out where the testicles inside a chicken come from, and how many of them there can be.
A chicken ovary contains up to 4 thousand fertile cells. All follicles are in different stages of maturation.
A mature oocyte breaks the walls of the follicle, is tightly grasped by numerous processes on the infundibulum and penetrates from the surface of the ovary into the lumen of the tube. The size of the yolk at the beginning of the movement is 40 millimeters.
Moving through the protein part of the fallopian tube, a cord appears at the yolk. It connects the yolk to the mucous membrane of the tube. The oocyte is covered with a deep layer of protein produced in the tissues of the walls.
Shell formation
Next, the embryo enters the isthmus in front of the uterus. The isthmus contains glands that produce enzymes. From them, the under-shell layers are formed: the inner one - the covering protein, and the outer one.
At this stage the hen needs sufficient calcium. As a result, eggs may end up with stronger shells.
From the isthmus, the testicle enters the uterus, where it is saturated with uterine fluid and increases to the size of a full-fledged egg. The uterus, producing a special enzyme, completes the formation of the shell shell.
Birth
Later, through the sphincter (muscle ring), the testicle enters the vagina. The uterus descends, the walls of the vagina turn out and push it out.
When the formed egg has passed through the cloaca, it is ready for incubation. Of course, if it is fertilized. The article “Determination of fertilized chicken eggs by ovoscoping” will help determine this fact.
0.5 hours after the egg is laid, the next mature cell leaves the follicle (ovulation) and moves through the tube.
Development of the embryo
If you see a dark spot through the shell, it means that an embryo is already forming in the egg. A little later, in the light, you will be able to see the following:
- On the fifth day, an oval will be visible in the ovoscope in both fertilized eggs and dummies. If it is painted evenly, then nothing will hatch from your egg. But if the outline is clearly visible, and the middle of the oval is not so dark, it means that life originated there.
- On the seventh day, you can see a red vascular network around the embryo in a “living” egg. But nothing will change in the “dummy”.
- On day 10, it is determined whether the embryo has survived. If the yolk and the halo around the embryo are pale, then everything is fine with the chicken.
Is it painful for chickens to lay eggs?
The walls of the fallopian tube consist of numerous folds covered with ciliated epithelium. The main part of the wall thickness is the muscular layer with layers of connective tissue.
With intensive and prolonged laying, the tube lengthens 10 times due to the folds, and the walls of the uterus expand in diameter to match the size of the testicle.
Small cilia on the walls push the testicle to move along the tube. In combination with the mucous coating, a sliding effect is created. Therefore, the chicken lays an egg without pain.
The only problem is if the chicken comes out with an egg that is too large. In this case, cracks appear on the surface of the cloaca, and when contaminated, inflammation occurs (cloacitis). How to get rid of this disease is described in the article “Diseases of the cloaca in chickens.”
By the way, the expression “the hen gives birth to the egg” is incorrect. Since you can only give birth to a baby (fetus), and not eggs.
Incorrect artificial insemination.
The use of the method of artificial insemination of birds allows us to avoid many reasons for the decrease in egg fertilization, especially in birds with pronounced sexual dimorphism in body weight.
Artificial insemination of birds makes it possible to obtain from one male 5 - 10 times more offspring than with natural mating, increases the sexual load on producers through the use of sperm dilution and dividing the resulting ejaculates into a large number of sperm doses, makes it possible to reduce the number of males by 4 - 7 times , which allows you to reduce the cost of their maintenance. But you need to select the right thinners...
The article “Review of hormone-stimulating drugs for poultry farming” examines the influence of various additives in chicken nutrition and their impact
What affects the duration of egg formation?
The time it takes for an egg to form varies depending on the breed of chicken, the season and the conditions under which it is kept.
The germ moves along the protein section of the tube for 3-4 hours, then enters the isthmus of the fallopian tube. The egg stays there for about an hour.
From the isthmus it enters the uterus, where it develops for 19 hours or more. The formed testicle is pushed out by the uterus, quickly moving through the vagina and colon.
On average, the time it takes for an egg to form from the moment the cell matures is 20-25 hours.
Selecting material to put in the incubator
To obtain the desired result, it is important which eggs to choose for incubation. They are collected several times a day. It is necessary to control the nests and take away still warm fruits. Eggs should be selected with an average weight, it depends on the breed of poultry:
- Egg-laying chickens, average fruit weight - 5265 g.
- Meat chickens - 5465 g.
- Turkeys, ducks - 7595 g.
- Guinea fowl - 3850 g.
Material with shell defects is also not suitable (thickening, roughness, microcracks, marble texture). These indicators indicate abnormal development of the embryo. The surface should be smooth, neat, round in shape. If it is flattened, sloped or too sharp, it will be difficult for the chicks to get out of it.
For incubation, select clean, whole fruits with a uniform shell color. Dirty eggs with thin shells are also rejected.
Before placing it in the incubator, check whether the egg is fresh or not. An ovoscope is used for this. When the air chamber is located at the bottom of the fruit, does not move and the yolk is in the middle, it means the egg is fresh.
Possible problems
A young laying hen produces eggs consisting only of protein. The reason is that protein clots appear in the oviduct, which are enveloped in the shell. This is a natural process that does not affect the condition of the chicken.
In case of stress, hormonal imbalance, or some viral infections, blood clots may appear in the yolk. The solution to the problem is to keep the bird healthy.
Oocytes develop in the follicle at different intervals. Typically, one oocyte matures inside a chicken per day. If two rudiments ripen simultaneously in a day, then at the end of the process eggs with two yolks are released.
Signs of pathology
When an embryo dies
Now let's talk about how to identify pathologies in the development of embryos. There are cases when fertilization occurred, but then problems appeared.
The embryo stops developing if the shell membrane is peeled off. In this case, the air chamber is located on the side. And reddish spots are scattered throughout the egg.
If it stopped developing at the beginning of the first week, blood veins are visible when examined. They are bright red in color and round in shape. When the embryo dies by the end of the first week, the yolk and air chamber are visible.
The embryo may begin to develop, but die in the second week of life. In this case, instead of a network of blood vessels, one dark spot is visible.
Why doesn't a chicken lay eggs every day?
The frequency of laying depends on how long the embryo develops in the uterus of the tube. If the egg is formed in less than 24 hours, then the hen lays them every day.
As a rule, ovulation occurs in the first half of the day. When the egg is formed for more than a day, the hen will lay eggs intermittently the next day at 10:00, 12:00 or 14:00 hours. The longer the egg develops, the fewer eggs the laying hen will produce in a row.
Chickens of egg-laying breeds can lay eggs almost daily. Chickens of meat and egg breeds lay eggs every other day, meat breeds lay eggs once every 2-3 days.
Main defects to watch out for
How to check an egg for unsuitability after several days in the incubator?
There are a number of signs indicating problems with fetal development: During the first check, attention is paid to the circulatory system. If there are no vessels, this indicates the death of the embryo
Accordingly, it is worth replacing such eggs in the incubator with new ones, since nothing can hatch from them. On the second check, the body does not occupy the entire area in the middle of the shell. When a large gap is observed after two and a half weeks of incubation, this also indicates the death of the embryo.
Timely replacement of eggs for the incubator will allow you to more effectively expand your farm.
The frozen fruit looks like this:
Frozen fruit
The easiest way to see it is by the blood circle formed in the middle:
Blood circle
In order to become more familiar with ovoscopy, you can watch a special video about the procedure:
How to increase the quantity? eggs produced
Some farmers are faced with the fact that, with proper care of the chickens, the productivity of their eggs is insufficient.
There are several useful recommendations that will help solve this problem:
- Maintain the correct temperature in the poultry house - the room must be insulated, negative temperatures reduce egg production. Walk the birds periodically and equip them with comfortable nests.
- It is recommended to provide additional lighting in the chicken coop , for example, fluorescent light bulbs. Short daylight hours negatively affect the performance of hens.
- Carefully monitor the length of daylight hours - it should not last more than 14 hours, otherwise the chicken will not have time to gain strength.
- Keep air humidity at approximately 60-70%. Only with such indicators will the chicken feel comfortable.
- productivity . Per 1 square meter, house from four to six laying hens - too dense a concentration can adversely affect the number of eggs.
- Feed your birds properly and in a balanced manner. Be sure to include wet mash into your diet; limiting yourself to just grain and dry food is not recommended. Avoid overfeeding or underfeeding.
- Add a variety of mineral supplements to your diet , which can easily be purchased at a pet store. Introduce premixes and compound feeds.
- Chickens love kitchen scraps: fish entrails, ground bones and even meat scraps. Treat your birds to this variety of food from time to time.
When a hen molts, she stops laying eggs for a while. Some bird owners achieve early molting by creating stressful situations for the chicken. The owners keep the birds on a hunger strike and give only water, then the animal begins to moult. After this, you can resume your diet by adding vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to the body. The molt ends faster, the animal begins to rush.
Excess body weight.
Especially for male broiler breeders over 4.8 kg.
Roosters should never lose weight for each subsequent week of life. Loss, cessation or reduced levels of weight gain during key periods of the rearing phase can reduce egg fertility. There may be a decrease in egg fertilization and an increase in the number of early frozen embryos (24-48 hours of incubation).
Key periods of rooster development:
- first 12 weeks;
- 16 – 20 weeks;
- the first 3 weeks after light stimulation.
During the growing phase, if the weight of the roosters exceeds the standard, it is necessary to carefully return the roosters to the standard weight schedule, without allowing the weight to decrease or stop gaining. An attempt to “return” the weight of the roosters to the standard during this period can lead to a complete cessation of testicular function. Increased feed restrictions at 18–23 weeks had irreversible effects on male sperm production.
Features of egg laying of chickens of different breeds
Leghorn
In many ways, it depends on the breed how many eggs a chicken can lay. There are several types of breeds: egg, meat-egg and meat.
Representatives of the first two breeds have the highest performance indicators. Meat chickens are raised for slaughter and subsequent sale of meat.
- Russian white. The young grow quickly; with proper care, the bird begins to produce eggs from 4 months. A laying hen of the Russian White breed can produce up to 240 eggs per year, the weight of one egg is up to 60 grams.
- Leghorn. The most popular breed in Russia. Characterized by high performance, easy acclimatization. The shell is white. A laying hen produces up to 300 eggs weighing up to 65 grams per year.
- Loman Brown. The eggs of the breed are brown. Productivity per year is up to 320 eggs, product weight is up to 64 grams.
- Highsex white. The color of the shell is light, as is the plumage of the individual. Produces up to 315 eggs per year, maximum weight - 64 grams.
- High Line. One of the most productive breeds, produces white eggs. A laying hen produces up to 350 eggs weighing up to 65 grams per year.
What defects can be identified at each stage
If you put everything in an incubator, then most likely some of them will have defects that cannot be seen by eye; chickens from such eggs will not hatch, and the eggs will disappear in the incubator. Step-by-step control shows the quality of the hatched material, the presence of disturbances in the development of the embryo at an early stage. and the final stage.
First stage
Which eggs are subject to culling at the first inspection:
| Defect | Causes |
| Microcracks that look like light streaks | Damage occurs when the oviduct exits |
| Thin shell | Calcium deficiency |
| Marble pattern, growths, sagging | Calcium is unevenly distributed |
| The air cavity is increased | "Aging" eggs |
| Displaced air cavity | Delamination of internal shells |
| No yolk, internal structure has a pink tint | Rupture of the yolk shell |
| Fixed yolk | Sticking to the inner wall if the egg has not been turned over during storage |
| The yolk moves throughout the space | Hailstones break |
| Blood clots | Hemorrhage occurred at the formation stage |
| Foreign inclusions and dark spots | Penetration of parasites, grains of sand, feathers, mold development |
| Double yolk units | Random shell growth |
Second phase
The candling session reveals pathologies in the structure of eggs, which began at the phase of fouling of the yolk with a layer of germinal nuclei and cells (blastoderm).
Ovoscoping reveals the following developmental disorders:
- mobility and change in the shape of the yolk;
- inclusions such as blood streaks or rings;
- the formation of dark elements adhering to the inner wall;
- absence of a network of blood vessels;
- the air cavity is enlarged.
Third stage
At the last stages of the process, the chicks are already formed, the main part of the egg is darkened by the fruit, viewing allows you to determine whether the embryo is alive.
What signs indicate violations:
- immobility of the embryo;
- a gap formed in the sharp part of the egg and in the area of the air chamber, while the blood vessels of the embryonic membrane are not visible.
The tested material is carefully placed in the incubator, and defective units are removed.
Before hatching, an ovoscope is not required for examination; the egg must be placed to the ear and listened to. If the chick is alive, a squeaking sound is heard. A slight fluttering of the fetus is felt when you hold the egg in your hand.
Be sure to read:
How to assemble a grain crusher from an angle grinder, a washing machine, myth or reality
Frozen fetal development
Ovoscoping sometimes reveals dead embryos; cases are observed at all stages.
The main reasons include:
- long-term storage of eggs, leading to their “aging”;
- penetration of pathogenic microflora;
- hereditary pathologies;
- overheating of eggs or low temperature in the incubator;
- high or low humidity;
- embryonic dystrophy is observed with insufficient diet of the parent stock;
- Rarely turning the eggs causes the yolk to stick.
When candling reveals embryos that have stopped developing, it is important to clarify the cause of the violations. It is required to analyze the influence of internal and external factors, taking into account the stage of embryo death
Egg without shell
If a young hen lays small eggs or products consisting only of protein, this is completely natural. Poultry farmers define such eggs as fat eggs - they are formed when a protein clot appears in the oviduct, enveloped by a shell.
But what to do if an adult hen produces eggs in film, without shells? Most often, this occurs due to a lack of elements in the laying hen’s body that are essential for life: calcium and phosphorus.
Disorders can occur due to stress and during a viral infection. To ensure that the eggs are strong and healthy, that there are no bloody spots in them, and that the shell does not break before the time necessary for the formation of high-quality products, do not allow disturbances in the hormonal system of domestic chickens.
Provide your birds with the right diet, plenty of space, and care for them carefully.
We carry out the procedure correctly or the subtleties of the operation
To properly carry out the ovoscopy procedure at home, you should follow several steps:
- place the device on a flat surface and start the workflow by pressing the “ON” button;
- place the egg in a suitable loophole and illuminate it (if the ovoscope model has the shape of a lantern, the egg must be held in the hand and rotated along the longitudinal axis).
An ovoscope is a special stand with a lamp that allows you to evenly illuminate the egg.
If you do not have an expensive apparatus, you can independently build a translucent device from scrap materials. A lighting mechanism is placed at the bottom of an ordinary cardboard box - for example, an incandescent lamp with a power of at least 100 watts. A small depression is formed at the top of the box, smaller than the size of the egg. An egg is placed in this opening and slowly turned in different directions, while the farmer examines its filling.
In a poultry farm, this operation is carried out somewhat differently. First, the eggs are brought to the hatchery on specialized transport, after which the containers are sent to the department, where the ovoscopic process takes place. Experts determine the homogeneity of the egg structure, study the location of the yolk and its mobility: in a high-quality sample, the yolk is located in the center with a shift towards the rounded end.
After carefully sorting the eggs, suitable specimens for incubation are placed on trays, disinfected and sent directly to the incubator for rearing.
Common problems
Beginners often encounter maintenance difficulties. What to do if a bird pecks an egg? Usually the disease affects one individual, but after a while the entire chicken coop becomes involved in sabotage.
If there are no errors in the housing conditions, then the reason must be sought in the regular feeding of eggshells to the livestock. Laying hens get used to the smell and sight of the product, so they use it as the main source of calcium. Once you try the white and yolk at least once, it will be difficult to stop you from committing a “crime.”
In crowded conditions, an aggressive female may appear that likes to feed on the protein mass of the nest. Many chickens follow their fellow tribesmen and adopt dangerous habits. It is recommended to observe the herd for a while and identify the culprit. Such an individual hangs around near places where birds were flying.
Knowing the characteristics of chicken reproduction, you can get the most out of a small flock. You learned how a complex process works and what needs to be done to avoid making common mistakes. The data will be useful to both beginners and experienced farmers.
Calculate the percentage
By figuring out how to determine fertilized chicken eggs by autopsy, you won’t be able to get offspring from them, but you can determine the percentage of fertilized eggs.
Knowing the percentage of fertilized eggs in the incubator, you can plan further actions to accept and settle the hatched
young animals, as well as fussing and changing the rooster.
If the percentage of fertilized eggs is high, this does not mean that the yield of chicks will be high. From the period of fertilization to the moment of hatching, many factors influence the egg:
- genetic composition of the egg;
- biochemical composition of the egg;
- temperature before and during incubation;
- humidity;
- air speed;
- the period from laying to the start of incubation.
Of course, no matter what the conditions, an empty egg will not produce a chicken. In matters of poultry farming and incubation, there is not a single point that can be neglected. Attentive attitude and a balanced diet of the breeding stock will allow you to get a high percentage of fertilized eggs and a high yield of healthy young animals.
Interesting Facts
- 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.
How many roosters do hens need?
People who want to keep hens with males must determine the optimal number of roosters for the coop.
Experts do not advise keeping too many males in a herd, as this negatively affects egg production. In order for chickens to lay a sufficient number of eggs, you need to keep no more than 2-3 roosters. At the same time, in order to determine the exact number, it is necessary to count the females in the chicken coop.
If there are less than ten of them, one male will be enough. However, when there are too many chickens, you will have to get more roosters. They will not only fertilize the females, but also keep order.
Is it possible to speed up the process?
There are several ways to increase the egg production of a chicken:
- Increase lighting in the chicken coop to 14 hours a day. Create comfortable conditions for keeping poultry and comply with sanitary and hygienic standards. Speed up the hen's molting process.
- Observe how and where the chicken lays eggs. Place a nest in this place. If the hen likes the nesting site, she will bring a bountiful “harvest.”
- It is known that balanced, sufficient nutrition is directly related to the development of the testicle as it moves through the tubes. Therefore, mineral and vitamin supplements for egg-laying breeds should be included in the laying hen’s diet.
- It is also worth considering that the onset of puberty depends on the period of appearance of the chicks. Thus, a young laying hen, born in winter or early spring, lays eggs earlier than her later relatives.
Working with an ovoscope
An ovoscope is a special device for candling eggs. With its help, you can view the contents of the egg by shining through it. It is usually made in the form of a round container with slots for placing eggs and a light source inside. When laying eggs in these slits, their insides are very clearly visible.
What does an egg look like in an ovoscope?
If you don’t have the money to purchase an ovoscope, you can make a disposable version of it at home with your own hands. Let's look at the manufacturing instructions.
How to make an ovoscope to check chicken eggs yourself
To make this simple version of an ovoscope, you need to take:
- thin cardboard;
- a light source, preferably represented by a narrow, bright light bulb;
- scotch.
Now, having collected the materials you need, we begin to make a homemade ovoscope.
Table 1. Ovoscope collection
| Illustration | Description |
| Roll the cardboard into a tube. The thickness of the resulting device should be approximately 3 centimeters | |
| Connect the twisted tube with tape so that it does not unwind at the most crucial moment. | |
| We prepare the tube and bring one end of it to the light source. |
Ovoscope made from a tin can
If for any reason you doubt the effectiveness of using a homemade ovoscope, we recommend that you purchase it. If you have a small budget, give preference to a smaller device.
How many hens can one rooster impregnate?
Roosters, although they do not have a genital organ, are fierce lovers. After molting, its testes enlarge by almost 20 percent. Thus, one male can cope with many beautiful hens. But it would be correct to keep 1 rooster for 10-12 hens. This way you can be sure that all females will be fertilized. It is not recommended to keep a larger number of roosters than listed above. This will lead to constant competition and fights. Also, frequent trampling of chickens can lead to serious injuries to the latter. They may even die.
How to add young animals to a family of old chickens and a rooster
Often, updating a chicken flock with young females leads to serious conflicts. Old-timer aggression can be caused by such circumstances as:
- shortage of free space. If, with the advent of young people, the chicken coop has become crowded, the old laying hens will push the new ones out of the territory. When increasing the population, it should be taken into account that there should be 4-5 adult individuals per square meter;
- lack of space at the feeder When there is less than 10 cm of food box length per bird, conflicts are inevitable. The same applies to the seats on the perches, where each chicken is given at least 20 cm;
- excess light. Excessive lighting makes birds nervous and restless. Irritated hens will peck at each other, but the young ones will get the most;
- insufficient air humidity. When living in a barn with a dry microclimate, the skin of chickens dries out and the feathers become brittle. To get rid of discomfort, birds begin to intensively stimulate the gland that secretes fatty secretions. As a result, they peck themselves until they are wounded, and the appearance of blood always provokes aggressive behavior.
Before moving young laying hens to old ones, it is necessary:
- place the pullets in a separate pen, add a rooster to them;
- after the male gets used to the new “wives,” return the old ones to the team, but not immediately, but one at a time.
It is better to move around in the dark.
Myths and reality
Many argue that fertilized eggs are many times tastier and healthier than regular eggs. Supposedly they have a brighter yolk. There is even a legend that they help cure severe cancer. And millions of people believe in such myths.
But experts and professionals say that the problem is not the male, but the proper diet, walking and keeping of the hens. And the color of the yolk is influenced by the foods that the chicken often eats. The composition of the testicles does not change due to the participation of the rooster in their creation.
It is believed that eggs obtained with the participation of a male are dietary for 5 days, and ordinary eggs for a week. However, both types remain equally fresh. And tableware too: from 26 to 30 days, subject to proper storage.
Sources
- https://sadovnic.su/zhivotnovodstvo/zachem-nuzhen-petuh.html
- https://agrarii.com/mozhet-li-kuritsa-nesti-yaytsa-bez-petuha/
- https://zverovod.info/kury/mozhet-li-bez-petuha-nesti-yaytsa.html
- https://vash-dachnyi.ru/pchelovodstvo/mogut-li-kuritsy-nesti-yajtsa-bez-petuhov-fizicheskie-osobennosti-i-stroenie-organizma.html
- https://DachaMechty.ru/kury/soderzhanie/nesti-yajtsa-bez-petuha.html
- https://bioros.net/ptitsy/mozhet-li-kurica-v-domashnem-hozyaystve-nesti-yayca-bez-petuha.html
- https://ZnaiPticu.ru/kuri/vazhnoe/polovaj-sistema
- https://agrovetspb.ru/ptitsy/mogut-li-kury-bez-petuha-nesti-yayca.html
- https://niva-s.ru/drugoe/zachem-kurice-nuzhen-petuh.html
- https://PoFerme.com/ptitsy/kury/soderzhanie-k/nesushek/zachem-nuzhen-petuh.html
- https://svoya-ptica.com/nuzhen-li-petux-kuram-dlya-neseniya
- https://GidFermer.com/pticy/kury/mozhet-li-kurica-nesti-yajca-bez-petuxa.html
- https://my-pic.ru/pticevodstvo/dlya-chego-nuzhen-petuh-kuram.html
- https://RamZoo.ru/drugoe/nesut-li-kuricy-yajca-bez-petuha.html
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