Cracking an egg to make an omelette and finding a chicken is a fear we all have had at some point. However, more often than not, the eggs we consume never give us this problem, mainly because they are not fertile. laying hens they don’t even come into contact with roosters and in fact they don’t need to.
Hens start laying eggs when they reach maturity. In the same way that women, having reached puberty, begin to release an oocyte every monthAlmost every day, chickens form an egg, which, if not fertilized, will eventually come out. Something like a period, but having nothing to do with it.
So no, hens don’t need roosters to lay eggs. It is enough that they are of the appropriate age and healthy, well-fed and calm. And it is that food and low stress levels are much more important than rooster for laying hens.
Chicken eggs without the need for a rooster
The time when chickens begin to lay eggs depends on many factors, for example, on the breed of the animal itself. Usually about 6 months, but it varies greatly. At this point, it is normal for them to lay eggs for about four years, albeit at longer intervals.
Now, if the rooster interferes, something else happens. During mating, the male lays a seed sac that persists for about 10 days, during which fertilization occurs. The spermatozoa fertilize the yolk of the egg, and from that moment on, the chicken’s own organism sets in motion the formation of a shell that will cover the embryo. Then, in just 24 hours, an egg will be laid, which the hen will have to incubate for approximately 21 days before it hatches.
If fertilization does not occur, all egg structures will still be produced and the hen will also lay it in the nest, but you won’t need to incubate it. Only chickens known as pensive. These, also called mother hens, spend many hours in the nest, whether there are eggs or not. And if there is, then it is not necessary to fertilize them.
As for the regularity of laying eggs, it largely depends on the individual chicken and is not an exact science. On average, they usually take about 24 hours, although spawning may be more or less spaced apart. It also depends on many factors, from the age of the chicken to the number of light hours per day. In fact, this is something that has been studied very deeply in order to optimize cycles. chicken reproduction.
In short, if we want fresh eggs every day, we don’t need a rooster. Now, if we want to increase our family of chickens, we will need it.
As for the fear of finding a chicken while making an omelet, don’t worry. Even if the egg is fertilized, if the hen has not hatched it, the embryo will not be able to develop.
Source: Hiper Textual
