Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: neilep on 14/07/2008 13:53:44

Title: Do Chickens Lay Eggs All The Time ?
Post by: neilep on 14/07/2008 13:53:44
Happy Day !

see these eggs ?

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Nice eh ?

Eggs are my all time favourite spheroid things that comes out of a chickens joy dept !


Do chickens lay eggs every single day ?...that must use up a lot of energy yes ?....Do chickens have to be ' in season ' to lay eggs ?...or can they really just pop one out 365 days a year ?

From what age can a chicken start laying eggs and how long do they continue to make them ?



Thank ewe for answering my egg orientated questions.



Neil
Maker of Frittatas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frittata)



Title: Do Chickens Lay Eggs All The Time ?
Post by: Karen W. on 14/07/2008 14:12:37
Hens will lay eggs almost everyday unless you do not remove the eggs and they they will sit on them.. The hen will have to have had sex and have  had her egg fertilized for the egg to actually produce a chick..or fertile eggs to lay, if they are to hatch though... but for the most part they lay everyday.  They do stop sometimes when they first start to moult.. the first season.. some just slow down and then revive later but usually the first year or so they lay a lot of eggs. Mostly daily! I really can"t remember..they start about 4 and 1/2 months old sometimes 5 months... so really quite young...
Eventually their production slows and you need to eat the hen and start fresh or keep her for a pet! :)
Title: Do Chickens Lay Eggs All The Time ?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 14/07/2008 16:28:16
If you want to stop a hen laying eggs, pop it on a curry!
Title: Do Chickens Lay Eggs All The Time ?
Post by: blakestyger on 14/07/2008 18:38:43
Our two chickens, Clover and Lupin, lay 10 eggs a week at peak production but always stop laying when they moult. To keep the eggs coming when they do lay they have to have a high protein feed.
Title: Do Chickens Lay Eggs All The Time ?
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 14/07/2008 20:01:54
Lupins! (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jumpstation.ca%2Frecroom%2Fcomedy%2Fpython%2Fimages%2Fdennis.gif&hash=c3bcd6bac87d34149ed6c62c56f32cc4)

Let that be a warning to you all. You move at your peril, for I have two pistols here. I know one of them isn't loaded any more, but the other one is, so that's one of you dead for sure...or just about for sure anyway. It certainly wouldn't be worth your while risking it because I'm a very good shot. I practice every day...well, not absolutely every day, but most days in the week. I expect I must practice, oh, at least four or five times a week...or more, really, but some weekends, like last weekend, there really wasn't the time, so that brings the average down a bit. I should say it's a solid four days' practice a week...At least...I mean...I reckon I could hit that tree over there. Er...the one just behind that hillock. The little hillock, not the big one on the...you see the three trees over there? Well, the one furthest away on the right...
Title: Do Chickens Lay Eggs All The Time ?
Post by: chris on 16/07/2008 00:35:13
I think historically hens didn't lay constantly but instead had seasons like most birds. Selective breeding, however, led to birds that continuously produce eggs...a similar experiment is going on in Harlow these days amongst humans, or so it seems...

Chris
Title: Do Chickens Lay Eggs All The Time ?
Post by: Karen W. on 20/07/2008 11:37:27
Thats interesting.. Chris... Could you explain the human thing..? I don't understand about Harlow.. where is that?