Yes, chickens lay eggs without the presence of a rooster. However, the eggs will not be fertile and therefore will not develop into chicks.
An egg starts to develop into a chick when it gets to the temperature of 86 degrees. Most chickens’ temperature is 102 degrees.
Female chicks are born with thousands of ova, each which will become a yolk in her eggs as she reaches maturity and begins to lay. Hens will have multiple stages of eggs developing in her all the time.
Hens may lay an egg every 25 hours, but usually will not lay in the dark.
Pigment is the last part of the egg to be developed. It’s just a quick paint job at the end!
Hens with white ears will lay white eggs. Hens with brown ears will lay brown eggs.
Sperm will stay viable in a hen for three or four weeks fertilizing multiple eggs. A hen has the ability to reject semen if she doesn’t like the rooster. Roosters have girlfriends… and there are some that get no attention as well.
Yolks’ color is based on what hens eat. Most people believe it is the yolk that develops into a chick, however, it is the yolk that feeds the developing chick.
Hens will often sing an “egg song” before or after they lay an egg.
To stop a hen being “broody”, her body temperature needs to be lowered. Most people dunk them in water, but since it’s hovering around zero, I took her out of her nest box, and held her in a snow bank to cool her breast area, then let her stay out in the snow for a while. Two sessions and she was cured!
9 thoughts on “Ten Things You May Not Know About… Chicks/Eggs”
I think the color of the yolk is because of the greens they eat….There is something about the color of their legs and feet that tell you if they are laying. Light feet and legs I think mean they are not. Darker orange means they are. So much interesting information that I did not know…thank you for enlightening me. I want some hens!! 😉
Broody means a hen wants to hatch some eggs. She will stay on a clutch of eggs regulating temperature and movement and humidity with her body. She will leave only for short periods of time for three weeks until hatching.
There are always exceptions to the rule! This is what I found… “ear lobe color seems to be related to egg color most of the time. Breeds with white earlobes usually lay white eggs… except for Penedesencas and Empordanesas, which have white earlobes and lay dark chocolate colored eggs. Chickens with red earlobes usually lay eggs in shades of brown… except for breeds and varieties like Easter Eggers, Ameraucanas, and Araucanas, which lay blue or green eggs. Then there is the Silkie. The hens lay light brown or nearly white eggs, while their earlobes are blue.” Goes to show I should have researched more!
So where are the hens ears? In the picture above I don’t see white or brown where I thought her ears would be. Are they covered with feathers? Loved the interesting information.
very interesting, I did not know that the hen’s ear color controlled the egg color, but I do know I like brown eggs best! not sure there really is a difference in taste, , or I just like the brown colored eggs! And I do know, hens like yours & the ones we raised on the farm, that spent their laying like in the hen house , made better tasting eggs with nice bright yokes !
I think the color of the yolk is because of the greens they eat….There is something about the color of their legs and feet that tell you if they are laying. Light feet and legs I think mean they are not. Darker orange means they are. So much interesting information that I did not know…thank you for enlightening me. I want some hens!! 😉
Who knew hens have ears? Do they hide them under the feathers on their heads or do they keep them someplace strange? Just askin’.
What do you mean by “broody “? I have heard the term brood hens.
Broody means a hen wants to hatch some eggs. She will stay on a clutch of eggs regulating temperature and movement and humidity with her body. She will leave only for short periods of time for three weeks until hatching.
What color are the ears of hens who lay blue/green eggs? Inquiring minds want to know…
There are always exceptions to the rule! This is what I found… “ear lobe color seems to be related to egg color most of the time. Breeds with white earlobes usually lay white eggs… except for Penedesencas and Empordanesas, which have white earlobes and lay dark chocolate colored eggs. Chickens with red earlobes usually lay eggs in shades of brown… except for breeds and varieties like Easter Eggers, Ameraucanas, and Araucanas, which lay blue or green eggs. Then there is the Silkie. The hens lay light brown or nearly white eggs, while their earlobes are blue.” Goes to show I should have researched more!
So where are the hens ears? In the picture above I don’t see white or brown where I thought her ears would be. Are they covered with feathers? Loved the interesting information.
Have bred and raised horses and cows, but never raised or kept chickens. Didn’t know most of the interesting facts on your list. Thanks for sharing.
very interesting, I did not know that the hen’s ear color controlled the egg color, but I do know I like brown eggs best! not sure there really is a difference in taste, , or I just like the brown colored eggs! And I do know, hens like yours & the ones we raised on the farm, that spent their laying like in the hen house , made better tasting eggs with nice bright yokes !