How Does A Chicken Lay Eggs?

We are often asked about how chickens lay eggs, and it may seem strange, but we must know that chickens only lay eggs in the presence of sunlight, or the presence of lighting in general, and the lack of light during the winter period means that the number of eggs they lay The hen will be less than any other period of the year, but in general the egg-laying process begins in the hen as soon as light enters the hen’s eyes. This is due to the presence of a light-sensitive gland called the pineal gland in the hen. This gland stimulates the egg and releases it from the hen’s ovary. As for The place from which the egg emerges is called an opening. Although this hole is considered an outlet for waste such as urine and feces, there is a valve called the cloaca, which separates the oviduct from the intestine, facilitating this process so that the egg comes out clean.

The following is an explanation of the process of egg formation and how a hen lays eggs in detail:

Egg formation: You must know that the chicken has one ovary and one oviduct, and in this ovary all parts of the egg are formed except the yolk, as 99% of the yolk is formed within 7-9 days just before the egg is laid.

Ovulation : As for ovulation, it is the second stage in which the yolk comes out of the ovary and falls into the chicken’s abdominal cavity.

Determining the shape of the egg: This is the next stage that occurs after the yolk reaches the abdominal cavity of the chicken, as it enters the oviduct and quickly enters the magnum section. At this stage, the egg is formed, as the shell is added to envelop the egg in the uterus. Calcium carbonate is the main component of the egg shell. It takes about 20 hours to complete the crust.

Laying the egg : The egg then passes through the oviduct, and then through the special opening to extract the egg, as it closes its own oviduct inside the opening so that there is little or no contact inside the hen’s body between the feces and the egg, and this is what makes the eggs come out clean when laid, When the egg is laid, the egg is completely filled, but after the egg cools, the inner part of it shrinks, leading to the formation of an air vacuum between the shell membrane, and when the egg is laid, there is another egg behind it preparing to form and take shape.

Other information about laying eggs when the hen

There is a lot of strange information related to egg production in chickens, which relates to the quality of eggs and the number of eggs produced by laying hens. Below we mention some important information about egg laying in chickens:

The number of eggs that a hen lays is an important matter, as chickens lay about one egg per day.

Chickens start laying eggs when they are 18 weeks old, and the peak of egg production in chickens is 30 weeks old.

At the beginning of the egg-laying stage in chickens, the eggs may be soft-shelled, small in size, or even without yolks, but after a week, egg production becomes more regular.

Chickens can lay and produce eggs without the need for a rooster in the barn, unless they want to obtain eggs needed for hatching and reproduction, then the eggs must be fertilized by a rooster.

To find out if the chicken is good for laying eggs or not, this is done by observing the skin of the chicken, as the chicken that has yellow skin whitens well, but one must be careful that the yellowness of the skin is a clear sign of disease in chickens when the skin color is dull In this case, it is necessary to consult a veterinarian to make sure and be sure of the health of the laying hens, so that the matter does not affect the production and quality of eggs.

By the color of the chicken’s skin closest to its ears, one can determine the color of the eggs it lays, whether they have a white or brown shell, as a chicken with pale white skin lays white eggs, while a red-skinned chicken lays brown eggs.

Tips for making chickens lay eggs

There are many ways to encourage chickens to produce eggs regularly and more, ensuring a larger quantity of fresh and clean eggs and avoiding chickens stopping laying eggs . Here are some useful tips to make chickens lay more eggs:

Providing an appropriate number of clean and comfortable nests in the barn that is proportional to the number of chickens in the barn is important and helps provide a suitable atmosphere for the chickens to lay eggs.

Eggs produced by hens should be collected regularly, which will help encourage the hens to lay eggs again.

It is necessary to provide water to chickens, as water is the most important nutritional element for chickens, as they need to drink 3 times their weight in water.

Chickens must be exposed to light for 14-16 hours a day to maintain egg production. If daylight is less than the number of hours that chickens should be exposed to light, artificial light can be used.

The hen must be provided with good food for eggs , such as: Good feed, and foods that contain protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, and fats, as it needs about 20 grams of protein to lay one egg.