Welcome to The Hearty Hen House
Hobby Farming at its finest!
Most chicken farmers know that as winter approaches, egg laying decreases. But there are also other times during the year that we might see a fluctuation in egg production and wonder what is going on? Let’s explore some of the things that can affect a hen’s egg production.
I often read comments from people indicating some confusion in understanding the difference between chicken grit and oyster shell. Oyster shell and grit are two different products that accomplish two different things, and they are NOT interchangeable. Let’s take a look at the two products and their purposes.
The egg is indeed incredible. Did you know that after an egg has been fertilized and laid, it can remain in a state of suspension so to speak, until the hen is satisfied with the size of her clutch? Then she will stop laying eggs and begin incubating all of the eggs she has collected so that they will hatch at approximately the same time. I think that is pretty cool!
It seems like lately, having hens that lay colorful eggs is all the craze. And it is fun to see a bowl or carton filled with eggs that range in color from white to various shades of brown, greens, blues, and even pinks. Dare I say that finding a white egg outside of a grocery store is becoming the anomaly! There is nothing wrong with raising chickens simply for their colorful eggs. Different breeds of chickens are being developed to accommodate the desire for varied egg colors. So let’s explore colorful egg layers.
The answer to that question is a resounding YES! Eggs are an excellent source of protein and make a great treat for chickens. The egg white contains more than half of the egg’s protein and none of the fat. The yolk contains all of the fat and most of the egg’s vitamins. In fact the egg yolk is one of the few foods which naturally contains vitamin D. Eggs are not fortified with vitamin D as is milk and some brands of yogurt and orange juice. The egg is also considered a complete protein food because it has all of the essential amino acids, and it’s tasty. So, yes, it’s not only o.k. to feed eggs to your chickens, but eggs are a healthy supplement which your birds will thoroughly enjoy!
I am always interested in learning new things and figure that knowledge is the key to…well a lot of things…success, understanding, accomplishing goals, being better equipped to care for my animals. The list can go on. As long as I have been raising chickens, I did not know the entire process of egg formation, so I set out to learn. And learn I did…some very interesting facts, which I’m going to share with you.
A female chicken is born, or should I say hatched, with a fully formed, functioning ovary that contains several thousand tiny ova. Two ovaries develop in the chicken embryo, but the right one stops developing and only the left ovary and oviduct mature. The chick grows and somewhere around 6 months of age she begins to reach sexual maturity. That’s when these tiny ova start to develop into yolks, a few at a time. Once a yolk is developed, it is released from the ovary into the oviduct. Occasionally two yolks will be released at the same time. This results in the double yolk eggs we see from time to time in our frying pans. This is also the stage where a blood spot on the yolk might occur, not due to fertilization, just an accident of nature as the yolk is released from the ovary. Once the yolk enters the oviduct, the egg can be fertilized if a rooster has mated with the hen. The hen can store sperm from the rooster for upwards of two to three weeks. After fertilization, a membrane is put around the yolk to basically hold it together. The yolk then passes into the a part of the oviduct called the magnum where the albumen or egg white is put on. Then on to the isthmus where a thin membrane is added, surrounding the entire egg. The final process is when the egg enters the uterus and the outer shell, shell color and the protective coating called bloom are deposited over the egg. This final process of shell making takes about 20 hours. When this is completed, the hen will lay her egg.
Some interesting facts about eggs and egg laying:
Sources:
https://www.incredibleegg.org/eggcyclopedia/c/color/
https://the-chicken-chick.com/hatch-along-with-chicken-chick-part-3/
https://extension.psu.edu/hen-reproduction