- A young chicken is called a chick.
- Males are called cocks (Br. Eng.) or roosters (Am. Eng.).
- Females are called hens.
- Males younger than 12 months are called cockerels.
- Females younger than twelve months are called pullets.
- Castrated males are called capons.
- There are more than 24 billion chickens in the world – more than any other bird species
- It takes 21 days for a chick to hatch from an egg.
- Chickens can live for between 5 and 10 years, depending on their breed.
- In the wild, chickens eat seeds, insects, lizards and small mice.
- The oldest hen on record lived until the age of 16.
- The fleshy crest on the head of a chicken is called a comb.
- The hanging flap of skin on each side under the beak is called a wattle (plural caruncles).
- Both males and females have wattles and combs but in most breeds they are more prominent in males.
- Chickens cannot fly long distances but can fly very short distances if they think they are in danger.
- The average hen lays 300 eggs a year.
- Chickens lay fewer but larger eggs as they grow older. An egg without a yolk is called a “dwarf”, “wind” or “fart” egg.
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Chicken and eggs or Eggs and chickens
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT EGG DEVELOPMENT:
- The egg-production process begins when light stimulates a photosensitive gland near the hen’s eyes: when the gland is stimulated an ova is released.
- Hens have one functional ovary.
- Hens generally lay an egg a day for six days and then rest for one day.
- Hens start laying eggs when they are 4 to 5 months old.
- The smallest ever egg laid by a hen weighed just 7.3g and was the size of coin.
- As hens grow older, they lay fewer eggs but the eggs become larger in size.
- The average hen lays on average 300 eggs a year.
- When female chicks hatch, they have 4000 tiny ova. As the hen matures, some of these will become yolks and then eggs.
- It takes around 25 hours for the egg to form.
- The process by which eggs are formed is like a conveyor belt in a factory: at any one time, there are a number of yolks at different stages of development
- Eggs can have multiple yolks. The record for the number of yolks found in one egg is nine.
- An egg without a yolk is called a “wind”, “dwarf” or “fart” egg.
- The largest ever hen egg was laid in 1896. It had five yolks and weighed 340g.
- It is possible for a hen to lay an egg with a fully formed egg inside it.
THE EGG-PRODUCTION PROCESS:
- The ova goes from the ovary and to the funnel-like structure called the INFUNDIBULUM where it is fertilised by the rooster. This part of the process takes about 15 minutes.
- The yolk then moves down into the MAGNUM where the inner and outer shell, membranes, vitamins and mineral salts are added. This process takes 3 hours.
- The yolk then continues on to the ISTHMUS where the egg yolk is wrapped in egg white (albumen). This process takes an hour.
- The yolk and white then move on to the UTERUS or SHELL GLAND where they are covered with a shell. Water is first added to thin the outside of the albumen layer, then shell material (mostly calcium carbonate) and finally pigments are applied. This process takes about 21 hours.
- The egg then passes through to the vagina and is laid. This process takes 1 minute.
- The shell formation process begins in the afternoon/early evening so it is important not to disturb them at this time.
- Any thin points or cracks in the eggshell can be repaired before the egg is laid.