Chickens are among the most interesting animal species as, unlike almost all birds, some chicken breeds lay eggs almost every single day.Wild chickens lay eggs only once or twice in a season, but most domesticated chickens have been bred especially over many years so that they will lay eggs every day. However, many of them still take a break in the autumn and winter when they stop laying eggs.The genetic manipulation of chickens over the years has led to humans being able to have plenty of eggs every day. Chickens were like most birds who laid eggs only once or twice in a year to reproduce, but over the years, they have started producing eggs more regularly. As a result, many people have also started keeping them as backyard hens. Although this depends on the breed, some egg-laying hens will lay their first egg at the age of 18 weeks and will be able to produce around 250 eggs in their first year. They have a long lifespan of around 8-10 years and they lay eggs for about 6-7 years out of those, but their daily egg production is reported to slow down with their age. The theory behind hens laying so many eggs is that one egg takes about 24-26 hours to produce, which leads to them laying an egg each day. Normally, they would lay up to a dozen eggs to form a clutch, but if their egg is taken away every day, they will keep laying eggs. The outer eggshell is created out of calcium carbonate in the oviduct of hens, and the calcium needed to make this shell is taken from their bones. Thus, their diet or the feed that they are given needs to have a lot of calcium in it so that the continuous egg-laying does not affect their health.If you enjoyed this article, why not also read about how often do chickens lay eggs and why do roosters crow, here on Kidadl?Why do chickens lay unfertilized eggs?All the eggs people get in the market are indeed unfertilized chicken eggs. The reason behind why chickens keep laying eggs whether or not they are fertilized is because it has been specifically bred over the years to do so.Just like a human, a chicken is also born with all the eggs it will be able to produce inside its ovary, but unlike humans, who only produce one egg every month, chickens have been bred to produce an egg each day. Thus, they produce an egg each day in the hopes that it will get fertilized but the egg yolk is already developed before it can happen, and the body of the hen then adds the egg white, prepares the inner and outer shell membranes in the oviduct, and pushes the egg out of the body with the hard calcium shell intact.The bodies of the egg-laying hens will keep repeating this process until they collect a clutch of 12 or so eggs, but if someone takes away the egg that they lay, the hens will keep laying more eggs daily to complete their goal of forming a clutch. Most domestic or farm hens naturally take a break in the winters from egg-laying when they molt their feathers. They also do not want to reproduce in the winter as there might not be enough food available for their chicks to eat. However, if they are provided with 10 hours of artificial light in the winters, they can continue their egg production.Can chicken lay eggs without mating?Although almost all animal and bird species, such as chickens, need both a male and female egg to reproduce, some specialized breeds of chickens can lay eggs regularly even without mating.Most wild breeds of hens will typically only lay 10-15 eggs in the whole year, but due to manipulative breeding techniques, some domestic egg-laying hens will start laying eggs as soon as 16-18 weeks of age. These kinds of farm or backyard hens have been bred to keep creating eggs even when there is no mate and the egg’s fertilization has not taken place. In these egg-laying breeds, eggs go through the same process as fertilized eggs. In this process, they are released by the ovary of the female regardless of whether fertilization occurs, which results in the yolk being formed. Then inner and outer shell membranes of the egg or yolk are added in the five different sections of the oviduct, along with the part that is known as the egg white. This egg then spends about 20 hours in the uterus or shell gland, which works on creating the hard outer shell of the egg by taking calcium from the hen’s bones itself. The egg is then released out of the hen’s body. It will not contain a baby chicken in it as there was no mating and fertilization involved, and can even be used to feed to the hen as it will help it get some calcium and nutrition back in her bones.Do chickens know where to lay eggs?Chickens will usually find a safe and quiet place to lay where they think their newborn chicks will be safe from any danger when they are born, but some of them might even lay in the middle of the yard if they are not trained properly.Most people who own a chicken or a flock of egg-laying hens keep them in a big cage-like structure, which is called a coop. The coop also usually consists of a nesting box filled with fresh chopped straw and shavings. The nesting box is typically placed in a dimly lit place in the coop, at least a few inches above the ground. However, many chickens will also lay under the bushes or the porch, wherever they feel their eggs would be safe. They can be trained by placing fake eggs like golf balls or ceramic eggs wherever you want them to lay eggs. Some people also have older laying hens in their flock as they can teach the younger ones where to lay eggs when it is time. This can also be because hens love to lay eggs close to another nest, and can often steal an egg from the other nest too.Is it unethical to take chickens’ eggs away?Laying hens who do not brood do not usually care when their egg is taken away and will just lay another egg without an issue. It is a common misconception that they hide their eggs because they know someone will steal them, but it is merely their instincts that make them hide their eggs.There can be two types of layer hens in a flock, those that brood over their eggs and those that don’t. Most hens genetically bred to be an egg layer will usually lay an egg and walk away without feeling the need to incubate it, but some others would probably sit over their eggs protectively. Thus, it is not unethical to take their eggs away but the process of laying an egg itself is considered by some to be painful and harmful to the health of these chickens.These chickens are specially bred for laying eggs every 24-26 hours, something that is not natural in the animal kingdom. It has been known to create many diseases and complications in the body. Some have even observed that hens do not accept treats while laying, which implies that the laying process is painful for the chickens. With the use of artificial light, they can even be made to lay eggs all year round, something that can be quite taxing on the bodies of these hens. The production of an egg every day would also mean that calcium gets taken from the bones of the hens to form the shell around the yolk, thus leading to calcium deficiencies. However, this can be helped by giving them a feed with the proper nutrition and good quality of life outside small cages.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for why do chickens lay eggs then why not take a look at why do owls hoot, or leghorn chicken facts.
Chickens are among the most interesting animal species as, unlike almost all birds, some chicken breeds lay eggs almost every single day.
