How Do Chickens Reproduce

Chicken breeding method

Chickens reproduce sexually with fertilized eggs, like other birds, and chicken reproduction occurs through several stages, which are as follows:

chicken mating

Sexual reproduction occurs in chickens through mating, as roosters have internal genital organs and testicles for sperm production, and sperm are transmitted during the mating process that does not last more than 20 seconds through tubes called the vas deferens, and the process occurs as follows:

The sperm comes out of an opening called the cloaca, then enters the hen through the opening of the genital tract, which is called the oviduct.
Sperm begin their journey in search of eggs for fertilization, to produce new individuals.
The rooster jumps over the hen’s back when they mate, then secures it using its claws, and most of the time, some feathers of its neck also secure it from behind.
The rooster puts his sperm inside the hen with very quick movements, then leaves the hen immediately.

fertilization occurs

Chickens reproduce with fertilized eggs, as the egg produces only one chick if mating occurs before its formation, so farms that produce eggs do not have roosters, except when they want to produce new individuals, which means that the eggs in the markets are not fertilized.

If it happens that one of the eggs is fertilized due to the presence of a rooster among the hens, the effect of this will often be just a small spot on the yolk of the egg, and it will stop growing when the egg is cooled, as the fertilized eggs need a certain temperature for a period of 21 days, for the eggs to grow and hatch .

The formation of the egg begins in the form of a yolk in the ovary, then the yolk goes to the funnel, which is the organ in which the egg waits for the sperm to fertilize it. The sperm inside the hen is enough to fertilize the eggs for a week.

Incubation of chicken eggs

The hen usually starts laying eggs between 5-7 months of age, and the rate of laying eggs varies based on the type, age, and season of the hen, but most types of chicken lay an egg every day or two, and for the production of new individuals to occur, the eggs must be fertilized as We mentioned previously, and the hen incubates her eggs as follows:

The hen lays on the eggs in the nesting box for a full 3 weeks, and in general the number of eggs under the hen should reach 12 eggs.
The hen takes care of the eggs as soon as she incubates them, so she protects them with all her might from other animals, or from any hen approaching her nesting box.
The chicken begins to make angry clapping sounds if it senses any danger approaching its nest, and it may peck any intruder who tries to approach the nest.
The eggs begin to grow after the hen sits on top of them, and the hen turns all the eggs constantly during the incubation period, so that the embryo does not stick to the shell membrane, and so that the temperature is distributed evenly, and the gases move.
The hen leaves the nest during the incubation period for a short period of about 20 minutes only, to eat, drink and move around a little.

Baby chicken coming out of the egg

Membranes are formed inside the egg to protect the fetus, allow it to breathe, and surround the fetus until it is time for it to leave the egg, and this stage passes through several steps, which are as follows:

Many changes occur during the 18th and 21st days, as the chick absorbs the rest of the food in the egg, so it does not require feeding for several days after its hatching.
The chick’s head is under its right wing, with the tip of its beak pointing toward the eggshell.
The chick’s neck muscle contracts, punching a hole in the egg for the chick to emerge.
The chick ends its exit from the egg on the 21st day, after making a sufficient hole for its exit.
The process of exiting the chick from the egg can last from 4-12 hours, before it is completely out of the egg.
The chick, when it comes out of the egg, is wet and very exhausted, so it remains still to rest for the next few hours after its hatching.
After several hours, the chick becomes dry, thin, and very active, and the remainder of the hatching process falls off.

Chicken mating season

The hen can lay eggs and incubate chicks throughout the year, and despite that, the period from February to May is the least common for laying and incubating eggs, and as for spring, it is usually the season for chicken mating, because chickens are healthier in this season, and this It reflects positively on the quality of the eggs produced as well.