CHAPTER NINE
Laying & Brooding
Establishing a flock of laying hens can be extremely fulfilling, and if the first birds purchased are at point of lay, then the first egg will be an eagerly awaited event. There is little to compare with the taste and texture of a fresh egg, especially if only moments earlier it was collected from the nestbox of the coop in your backyard or small farm. Quite frequently, people find their flock is producing more eggs than can be consumed by the household. Six regular hens will each produce around 200 eggs a year (and that’s an underestimate for some hens).
The laying cycle is the number of consecutive days that a hen will lay an egg and can vary from around 14 days to close to a year at the commercial end of the scale. It is a myth to believe that once a hen starts to lay, she will do so without a break until her next molt. The laying cycle can also vary according to the breed, with a pure dual-purpose hen perhaps managing 30–40 days before breaking for a day or two, and a good laying breed like the Leghorn managing up to 80 days.
The rate of lay refers to the number of eggs a bird will lay in a calendar year. It is very variable and depends primarily on the breed and strain of chicken. Some laying strains of Leghorn, for example, can lay up to 300 eggs in a year, while an exhibition counterpart of the same breed may achieve only double figures.
The period of lay is the time lapse between the first and last eggs of the season. This time lapse can (allowing for breaks that would be expected due to the laying cycle of the bird) be dependent upon many environmental factors, the stresses these place on the pullet, and the breed of chicken. However, a young pullet or young hen will usually lay from early spring through to late fall.
Period of lay may also refer to the longevity or number of years a hen will lay. Again, this can depend on the breed and strain of a chicken, but it can also be influenced by the conditions in which the bird is kept. If the hen is simply exposed to the normal environmental conditions (temperature and light) dictated by the seasons of the year, she will lay between spring and fall each year, and hence could go on to provide eggs (albeit it at a lower volume as she ages) for up to 10 years and possibly beyond.
If, however, the chicken is subject to a managed environment where optimum laying conditions are provided throughout the year, she may lay (albeit in higher numbers) for only three years, by which time she could have exhausted herself and her supply of eggs.
Light & laying
While hens need at least 12 hours a day as a stimulus to lay eggs (see here), the optimum is 15 hours of light a day. When day length drops below 15 hours in late summer, you can simulate optimum conditions with the gradual introduction of controlled artificial lighting. This will encourage your chickens to continue to lay beyond the point when they would naturally slow down and stop, usually prior to their annual molt. Light intensity also plays a part in the stimulus of laying, and incorrect lighting can have a negative effect on a chicken’s ability to rest and develop immunity.
Even accounting for differing laying cycles, a flock of six chickens can produce around 30 eggs a week. Unless every member of your household eats an egg a day for most of the week, this will result in a surplus. It is possible to preserve eggs for those egg-free periods of the year by pickling or freezing them (see box), but the benefit of a home-produced egg is its freshness, so why not sell them? The income will go some way to help fund the upkeep of your hens and may even provide a small profit.
Before you do so, it is important to check the law regarding the sale of eggs in your town, county, and state as well as any federal laws. Your county extension agent or your state’s agriculture department will be a good source of information about the laws that apply to small-scale egg producers and sellers. Selling eggs in this way bypasses the regulations of mass production but in some areas does carry restrictions that need to be adhered to.
Preserving eggs
Pickling eggs
Simply hardboil the eggs, peel them, pack them into a pickling jar with a tight-fitting lid, and add pickling vinegar and any spices or herbs you might like. The jar should be stored in the refrigerator for five days and then put in a cool, dark cupboard. The eggs can be stored for up to four months.
Freezing eggs
Bake the eggs in muffin tins for 30 minutes, leave them to cool, then double-wrap them with plastic wrap and put them in the freezer. They will last up to six months and can simply be defrosted and reheated when you want to use them. Alternatively, scramble the raw eggs and place portions in freezer bags. The scrambled eggs will last more than months and simply need to be defrosted in a refrigerator prior to reheating.
Many backyarders and small-scale farmers keep chicken flocks that produce more eggs than are needed by the household, so they sell their surplus eggs. Many who don’t sell with profit necessarily in mind do sell with the intention of at least covering the costs of production, and this is where the price of the product can be pivotal.
There is little point in pricing your eggs higher than an equivalent product sold in the local shop or supermarket unless you have some other unique selling point. By the same measure, if you are in a remote location with little passing trade, bargain prices may be needed in order to attract some customers.
Be mindful though not to devalue your hens’ production by practically giving the eggs away, and do not thoughtlessly undercut the sellers down the road who have given their pricing some consideration. Be a good egg and charge a fair price for a fair product. That way you won’t lose customers, and in fact you might even gain some.
Cleaning eggs
When eggs are laid, they are slightly wet to the touch. This soon dries out, but there is a chance that nesting material such as wood shavings will adhere to the egg. This should brush off easily enough, and if nestboxes are managed correctly, and are of the correct design, this will be the only “dirt” in need of removing. Any egg that is badly fouled with mud or droppings should be disposed of, as it is likely bacteria will be present, which could be transferred through handling in the kitchen.
In commercial situations, eggs for eating are often washed prior to sale; however, this requires precision because it will remove the surface bloom, which helps prevent any bacteria present on the eggshell from entering the egg. In a small-farm situation, if cleaning is required, it should be done only lightly, with a dry nylon scouring pad. If, however, the eggs are not intended for consumption but required for incubation, then they can be washed. However, only the most valuable eggs should be washed, as doing so increases the risk of bacteria entering the egg, killing the embryo within, and potentially causing the egg to explode in the incubator. This in turn could damage all the other eggs being incubated, as well as the incubator itself.
Washing should always take place using an approved egg sanitizer and according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This will usually involve immersing the eggs in a slightly warmer solution in order that fluids (and bacteria) are not drawn inside.
• Do make sure you research prices locally. Selling direct (and especially when not driven by profit) means it’s easy to undercut the supermarket prices, as you don’t have their overheads, but do take into consideration the costs of production. Try to price the eggs so that the income makes a contribution to the cost of keeping the hens; they will still be an attractive alternative compared to the higher-priced eggs sold by larger retailers.
• Do candle the eggs to make sure they are not cracked, and then store them in a cool location out of direct sunlight until they are sold.
• Do label your egg boxes with a “best before” date. Eggs will last for up to four weeks from the date of laying if stored correctly, so make sure you have some system to order your produce by date and ensure your customers know the best before date when they buy. Check with your local authorities whether there are any other labeling requirements for egg boxes, such as the producer’s address or the need to refrigerate after purchase. It’s more than likely you will be selling eggs that are only a few days old, which puts them well ahead on freshness versus store-bought eggs, but it makes good business sense to ensure your customers are aware of the best way to store their eggs and their likely shelf life.
• Don’t grade your eggs by size. Do box them up according to the size/type of the chicken that laid them—for example, large fowl or bantam—but avoid stating if the eggs themselves are large, medium, or small, as these are frequently commercial terms that require the egg to conform to a regulatory size.
• Don’t try to sell the eggs as free-range or organic unless you have official certification. These terms again tend to be industry standards and require registration in order to sell eggs as such. Instead, use some imagination in your marketing—“Backyard grown, friendly and free to roam” might be a suitable alternative description.
• Don’t forget to give some thought to how you intend to market your eggs. It’s surprising how many people prefer to buy their produce directly from the farm, where freshness can be counted in hours or days and not weeks (as at the supermarket), and food miles on fingers as opposed to a calculator.
• Most of all, keep a record of how much income your egg sales are bringing into the household. It may not be a huge quantity of cash, but understanding your expenses and income is an important part of managing your laying hens, especially if you intend to keep them as a self-funding supply of food for the home or farm.
Usually, chickens will go about producing eggs without much trouble. If the husbandry is good, the feed and forage are of quality, and the stock is from good bloodlines, then issues with the eggs produced should be few. Eggs sold commercially are graded for quality, as described on here. While small-scale producers are not required to grade their eggs, it is good to be aware of the more common issues.
MISSHAPEN EGGS
The precise shape of an egg is defined in the isthmus during the egg’s formation (see here). The general shape of the egg—pointed at one end, and rounded at the other—has evolved over time so that its surface disperses pressure. This means that when the egg is pressed from either end, it is remarkably strong compared with when pressed around the middle, where it breaks more easily so that the chick inside can hatch out. And when rolled, it will not roll straight like a ball but instead in a curve so that, given no obstacle and a level surface, it will return to its original resting place.
While commercially produced eggs all appear to be regimented in shape and size, this is primarily because they are graded before packing and are laid by genetically manufactured, hybrid, laying hens kept in their millions for the consumer market. Within a small flock of hens kept in a homestead or backyard, particularly if they are a mix of breeds and bloodlines, it will soon become apparent that each hen lays individually recognizable eggs in terms of their shape and size. While most will be the usual egg shape, some hens will lay almost round eggs and others that are toward the torpedo end of the scale. In addition, eggs may be “slab-sided,” with a flat side, or “body-checked,” with a bulge around their middle (see here).
TINY EGGS
Occasionally a chicken will lay a tiny yolkless egg. This is when the albumen and shell have formed around a small foreign body, such as part of the oviduct lining. These eggs are often referred to as “wind eggs,” from a belief that they were created when a hen broke wind, or in some regions as “witch eggs” or “fairy eggs,” because they were believed to have been placed in the nest by either a witch or a fairy. Another term used is “cock egg”—in other words, the feeble production of a male bird emulating the dynamic capabilities of the hen. They are not uncommon to find in the nestbox and usually occur at the beginning of a period of lay or toward the end of a laying season.
These are eggs that have only the soft inner and outer membranes in place. Although referred to as “soft shell,” this is in fact incorrect as the egg is laid with no shell at all. They can occur in two circumstances: when the hen is rushed into laying her egg through stress or excitement, so that it is laid before the shell is formed; or when the hen has a deficiency in calcium or vitamin D within the diet (see here). Deficiencies of this nature can occur during warm weather when the hen is eating less and isn’t getting sufficient calcium in her diet to produce the eggshell. It’s not unusual for a hen to lay one or two soft shells in a season. However, if a hen consistently lays eggs like this, there could be an underlying viral condition that will need to be checked by a vet.
WRINKLED EGGS
Occasionally eggs with a rippled, wrinkled surface are laid, and in some cases they even appear to be creased. These tend to be laid by older hens and occur when the egg is not “plumped” sufficiently in the isthmus or when it is retained in the shell gland too long. They can be eaten, but they look unsightly, so they should be discarded from any egg collections intended for sale. If younger birds lay misshapen eggs, then it is possible there are other underlying causes that should be investigated by the keeper. Stress and overcrowding within the flock can contribute to imperfect eggshells, but if the environmental conditions are optimal, then a defective shell gland or disease such as infectious bronchitis could be the cause.
DOUBLE-YOLKERS
A double-yolk egg contains two yolks and is usually the result of two yolks being released from the ovary at the same time (see here). They occur more frequently in pullets than in established laying hens, although laying double-yolkers is often an inherited trait in heavy breeds of hen. The most yolks ever recorded in a single egg was nine.
Multiple-yolk eggs are not uncommon, and to accumulate hens that are capable of laying them was, and, to some extent, still is a prize worth having, particularly if you sell eggs from your home. That pleasure may not be shared by the hens, however, as double-yolkers are markedly larger than normal eggs.
In almost all breeds of chicken, the egg color is applied at the very end of the laying process, the egg having previously been white until that point (see here). As the egg leaves the hen, it is still slightly damp for a very short period of time, and at this point the coloring can be scratched off. If you intend to exhibit your eggs and therefore want them to have a solid color, free from any surface damage, then make sure the nestbox has no sharp edges or coarse bedding matter such as straw.
LASH
This is a meaty-looking deposit laid by a hen that may resemble an egg but feels rubbery to the touch—it’s often described as looking like a chicken nugget. It occurs when part of the hen’s reproductive system expires or collapses and breaks off, and then travels through the oviduct as if being laid. A lash usually occurs only in older hens and more frequently in commercial laying hens approaching the end of their natural laying life. It is unlikely the hen will lay an egg again after passing a lash.
FROZEN EGGS
Any eggs left uncollected during the winter can freeze if the temperature drops below 14°F (−10°C). The contents will start to expand and this will apply pressure against the shell, eventually causing it to crack. Frozen eggs are best discarded.
BAD EGGS
If a hen has been laying away from the nestbox and her clutch of eggs is found somewhere under a bush or in the corner of the barn, it can be difficult to ascertain just how long they have been there and whether they are safe to eat or have gone rotten. Fill a bowl with water and place each egg in the water in turn. If the egg sinks, its air sac is still quite small and therefore the egg is fairly fresh. If the egg floats, it has already lost a lot of moisture and the air sac will be large, providing it with the buoyancy it needs to float. Any floating eggs should be discarded as they are likely to be rotten.
If, on the other hand, the egg appears to move and creates small ripples as if it’s vibrating, put it back where you found it, as it contains a chick due to hatch and you’ve just robbed a broody of her nest.
Scratch marks on the surface of the egg shows where the color was rubbed off before the egg dried.
Chickens can develop some bad habits, and egg-eating is one particularly bad vice within a flock, primarily because it results in the loss of eggs but also because it is a habit that can be picked up by others and can be extremely difficult for the keeper to break. It’s not unusual for a hen to investigate a broken egg that has been laid on the floor of the coop or cracked in the nestbox. It’s also not unusual for the hen to eat the egg. However, if a hen is actively seeking out eggs to eat or is hanging around hens that are in lay, and even going to the extent of pecking the vent of the bird to encourage her to lay, then it is likely she has become a habitual egg-eater.
The first thing to do is to figure out what may have caused the habit initially. Are there sufficient nestboxes for all of the hens? Is the flock overcrowded? Is the diet of the flock suitably balanced? Are there any stress factors in the environment, such as overly bright artificial lighting? If any of these are obvious issues, fix the situation.
The next thing to do is to attempt to break the habit. Various techniques and remedies have been suggested over the years, most of which revolve around blowing an egg and filling it with chili paste or some other highly spiced concoction. The theory behind this is that if the hen decides to eat the egg, she will be so put off by the taste that she will stop eating eggs altogether. The sad truth, however, is that in situations where the habit is so ingrained, even the spiciest of eggs will not stop the hen. In these cases, the best course of action is remove the offender from the flock permanently.
FLAVORED EGGS
The freshness of an egg and the diet of the hen that laid it can influence its look and texture when it is cooked and also, to a degree, its flavor. Off-tasting eggs (assuming they are not old and stale) can occur if your chickens have eaten excessive quantities of garlic, fish oil, or strongly flavored fruit or vegetables. Because the eggshell is porous, eggs can also absorb strong smells from the surrounding environment that will influence their flavor. Creosote, fuel, and paints, along with more organic odors such as molds and natural fragrances, are capable of permeating the eggshell and affecting the flavor. The storage of the eggs produced by your chickens is therefore as important as the husbandry of the flock when it comes to egg flavor.
The food consumed by a hen can impact the flavor of her eggs, giving them an odd taste.
Broken eggs in the nestbox could simply be the result of a clumsy hen treading on them.
BROKEN EGGS
The presence of broken eggs in a nestbox is not always the sign that there is a bird with an egg-eating habit within the flock (see box on here) and could have another, more innocent, cause. Assuming you don’t have a pest such as a crow entering the house and trying to steal the eggs, then it’s quite possible an egg could simply have been broken by a less agile bird. Despite the fact that chickens appear quite nimble, some can be clumsy, and one such character may have stood on the egg and broken it—something that is more likely if the nesting material was kicked out by a previous occupant or if there were already a number of eggs in the nestbox.
One way to minimize losses of this nature is to use roll-away nestboxes. These are nestboxes with a slightly sloping floor, allowing an egg that has been laid to roll either forward or backward to a collection point. This removes the likelihood of the egg being crushed beneath the feet of the next hen to use the box.
BOUND EGG
Egg binding occurs when an egg gets stuck just inside the vent of the hen or pullet during laying. There can be a number of reasons this might happen: the egg may be too large to pass easily; the hen is unfit, ill, or overweight; or, in the case of a pullet, it is not yet fully matured and has not yet properly developed its egg-laying capability.
The condition can usually be identified by seeing the chicken repeatedly returning to the nestbox to lay but there being no egg in the nestbox when she comes out. Her distress will steadily increase and she may be seen bearing down in the run as she strains to lay the egg. If not dealt with, it can have serious consequences, as the egg is effectively blocking other biological functions.
The chicken will eventually tire and will not flee when approached. On handling the bird, the abdomen and vent area will feel swollen and hot to the touch. The chicken should be inspected to find out if there is an egg present. This can be established by a visual check of the vent area to see if the end of an egg is visible. If nothing is apparent, feel for a solid egg shape by gently handling the bird around the abdomen. Do not try to remove the egg by stretching the vent or inserting fingers into the vent, as you will risk injuring the bird and fracturing the egg. Instead, seek veterinary advice immediately.
If you have ever encountered a broody hen, then you will perhaps appreciate why they are deserving of their own section in this book. If, on the other hand, you have yet to encounter one, then by the end of this section you will hopefully have the knowledge and tools to manage when you do.
RECOGNIZING A BROODY HEN
“Broody” hens are hens that have decided to sit on a nest. Usually the nest will contain a clutch of eggs, but sometimes the hen will brood on an empty nest or one that contains dummy eggs (eggs manufactured from ceramic, which can be used to encourage broody behavior). The eggs in the nest do not need to have been laid by the hen, or even by hens of the same breed or, in fact, the same species. The absence of a cockerel in the flock will not necessarily stop a bird from becoming broody, but neither will the presence of one necessarily induce such behavior.
The hen will invariably have already stopped laying eggs by the time she exhibits broody behavior. She will also reach a level of blind determination such that, no matter what is put in the nest, be it a completely different set of eggs or even golf balls, she will attempt to incubate them. She may not be sitting in one of the nestboxes within the coop; many free-ranging birds furtively lay a clutch of eggs in a hidden location—such as under a hedge or in a shrubbery—over a number of days before simply disappearing from the flock, then return three weeks later with a small brood of chicks. When a hen goes broody, her behavior can change dramatically. What was once a mild-mannered bird that happily interacted with her keeper will now become an overtly aggressive creature. A broody hen will invariably be found sitting tight on her nest, and when approached by the keeper will puff up her feathers to make herself as large as possible and emit a “growl.” If the keeper reaches towards her, the growl will become more intense, and eventually the hen will strike out with a peck or even momentarily leave the nest to attack. This behavior is very definite and should not be confused with a hen that is trying to lay an egg. Laying hens may express some concern at being interrupted but are more likely to move from the nest to a less vulnerable location rather than become aggressive.
If a broody hen is suspected within a flock but no hen is witnessed sitting, watch for the hen that appears to be irritable. A broody hen will be constantly in and out of the chicken coop, fluffing her feathers up and strutting around, clucking. She will behave with what could be described as a short temper toward other hens in the flock and the cockerel, if one is present.
Broody hens will take little food or drink and will preen infrequently, if at all. They generally remain broody for days or weeks, although birds of some breeds have been known to continue behaving broodily for many months. This can result in the bird’s health being compromised and leaves the keeper with two courses of action: breaking her behavior pattern or allowing her to incubate fertile eggs.
AVOIDING BROODINESS
Some breeds of chicken are more susceptible to broodiness than others. However, all hens have the potential to go broody during the season. A broody hen will stop laying eggs while she is broody, and her behavior may also induce broodiness in other hens of the flock, which in turn will also cease laying eggs. This can be counterproductive when the purpose of keeping chickens is for egg production.
The precise triggers that cause broodiness are not easily identified, but to reduce its likelihood, the keeper should check for eggs and remove any that are laid as frequently as possible during the day, not just in the early morning and evening. This regular checking will not unduly disturb the laying hens, but it will prevent a clutch from building up that could entice a hen to sit.
BREAKING A BROODY HEN
Some hens that go broody can become quite determined, whether they are sitting on eggs or not. Physiologically, a hen is designed to brood eggs as part of its reproductive process, and the cycle of brooding lasts approximately 21 days from when they first start to incubate the eggs to hatching. During this time, the hen will rarely leave the nest other than briefly to feed and drink. Her preening, dust-bathing, and feather care will also be curtailed and she will lose weight, lose condition, and potentially pick up external parasites. If the eggs are fertile and hatch successfully, the hen will leave the nest and care for her brood and will also start to care for herself again. As such, the 21-day period is survivable for the hen and should not have any adverse impact on her long-term health. However, if a hen is left to brood with no prospect of a successful hatch, there is a significant risk she will remain broody for much longer than the 21-day period and in doing so will suffer damage to her health (aside from it inducing other hens in the flock to become broody). To avoid this, the keeper must either make use of her broodiness or break her broody habit.
Brooding is primarily the desire to nest; incubating and hatching actual eggs is secondary, as evidenced by the fact that a hen will brood fresh air if her internal switch is flicked on. In order to break broody behavior, it is necessary to place the hen in a comfortable yet clearly non-nesting place—a dog crate is ideal for the purpose. First, remove the plastic tray and place it on top of the cage as a roof (if the base is not removable, simply turn the cage upside down so the base now acts as a roof). Next, place the cage on two bricks in an exposed but shady outdoor position. Add food and water, and then place the hen in the cage. This can be done within the flock enclosure or away from the main group. The hen will protest, and this is when a battle of wills takes place between the keeper and the hen. The hen will not like being unable to nest and will want to return to her favored location. She will, however, settle. If, after a couple of days, her behavior seems more normal (pre-broody), she can be returned to the flock. If she becomes broody again, repeat the process but extend it for a few days. Eventually, she will cool off and lose the desire to nest.
A simple broody coop. A very useful piece of equipment to have around if broody hens are to be used for incubation.
USING A BROODY HEN
Possibly the simplest way to incubate and hatch eggs is by using a broody hen. If she is a reliable sitter, then a good broody hen will remove a lot of the issues that can be encountered with artificial incubators (see here). She will provide the optimum conditions for embryonic development and will even adjust the conditions when the eggs are due to hatch. Before using a broody hen, check that she is in good condition. She should be in good health, of a suitable weight for the breed, and thoroughly checked (and treated) for external and internal parasites. She will be required to sit in the same location for 21 days, during which time she will leave the nest only infrequently, so it is important that she is fit and clean at the outset.
Broody Hen Accommodation
Some hens will go broody in the main coop surrounded by other birds. This is not ideal, and the hen should be moved to a broody coop or small animal hutch if at all possible, located somewhere relatively dark and quiet, and given her own supply of food and water. Leaving a broody hen with the rest of the flock runs the risk that others will go broody and join her in the nest, or that they will lay in the same nestbox, resulting in the eggs set for incubation becoming mixed up with those that were not.
This requires a mention, as it can come as quite a surprise when first encountered. In essence, the broody poop is the waste passed by a hen that is currently in a state of broodiness. It is possible that she has not left the nest for a day or two, so she will empty her bowels all at once rather than frequently throughout the day.
If you can’t move the broody hen to separate accommodations to incubate her eggs, ensure that she is settled in a dog crate or similar enclosure. This should exclude other hens but be set at a level off the ground such that any chicks that do hatch can easily return to it should they stray from the nest.
Setting a Broody Hen
Once a suitable broody hen has been identified and checked, and her accommodations have been prepared, she will need to be set on viable eggs. These eggs should be marked with an indelible ink pen to ensure that there is no confusion with any other eggs that appear in the nest. Do not use a pencil, as these markings will rub off after a few days of the hen sitting on the eggs.
In order to minimize the chances of the hen rejecting the eggs, they should be placed in the nest in the evening or, ideally, after dark. The number of eggs you include depends on their size and the size of the bird, but as a guide, an average-sized domestic hen can incubate a clutch of 10–12 average-sized eggs. Folklore suggests that an odd number of eggs should be set in to ensure good luck with the hatch.
Managing a Broody Hen
The broody hen requires little management. She will leave the nest when required to pass waste, and briefly to feed and drink. She may lose some feathers, and it is not unusual for her to pluck feathers from her belly and breast to create a brood patch, enabling a more efficient transfer of heat to the eggs. Ensure that she has constant access to food and water, and, if she is being kept in a more confined broody coop, be sure to clean out the broody poop (see box) when it appears.
There are occasions when a broody hen may abandon her nest and not return. This could be due to a number of reasons, such as disturbance by predators, excessive external parasite infestation, constant disturbance by the keeper or by other chickens in the flock, or simply because the hen is either inexperienced or of a breed that is not known for sitting.
The viability of eggs in an abandoned nest depends upon the external temperature, how quickly the eggs have cooled, and their stage of development. In general, the closer the eggs are to their hatch date, the more likely they are to survive a period of non-incubation. Should a hen abandon a nest, the keeper will need either to move the eggs to an incubator (see here) or place them under another broody hen that is not currently incubating a clutch or has only recently been set on eggs. If the latter, the newly set eggs should be removed and replaced with the rescued clutch.
Over the years, a number of common myths have arisen around eggs.
Myth: You need a cockerel in order for the hens to lay eggs, but fertilized eggs shouldn’t be eaten.
False: A hen or flock of hens will quite happily lay eggs throughout the laying season whether a cockerel is present or not. Introducing a cockerel will potentially result in him treading the hens and consequently fertilizing the eggs. However, this does not mean the eggs can’t be eaten, as the actual development of the eggs would occur only if they were subject to the correct incubation conditions.
Myth: The sex of a hatchling can be determined from the outward appearance, size, and weight of the egg containing it.
False: Despite various claims, inventions, hearsay, and handed-down tales, this is not as yet possible. Since the early 1900s, researchers around the world have studied and tested various hypotheses and have found no statistically significant way of being able to define the sex of the hatchling by observing the characteristics of the egg itself.
Myth: It’s essential to turn eggs during incubation for successful hatching.
False: If you don’t turn eggs during incubation, some will hatch, but if you do turn them, the hatch rate will be significantly higher. Turning the egg prevents the embryo from sticking to the side of the shell, allowing the chick to move into the hatching position when the egg reaches term. It also ensures that an even temperature is achieved within the egg, and it improves and refreshes the contact between the embryonic membrane and the nutrient-rich albumen within the egg.
Myth: If a broody hen is away from the nest for more than a few minutes or if there is a power outage and the incubated eggs begin to chill, then the embryos will die.
False: In the event of a power outage, switching the incubator off, or a broody hen accidentally being locked out of her nestbox for a long period of time, embryonic development does slow down, but the embryo generally only dies if the time period exceeds 15 hours or the weather conditions are extremely hot or cold. Such breaks in incubation will delay the hatch and may result in slightly reduced hatch rates but will not necessarily result in complete failure.
Myth: Brown eggs are better for you than white eggs
False: The color of the eggshell is simply linked to the breed of chicken that produced it, while the quality and flavor of the egg are dictated by the diet of the hen that laid it. The myth that brown eggs are healthier came into being because the chicken breeds favored by commercial producers (particularly in the US) invariably laid white eggs. In most cases, these commercially produced eggs came from cage or barn systems where the diet of the birds was strictly controlled. As such, any tinted or brown egg would more than likely have been laid by a small, probably free-ranging, flock on a farm. The diet of these hens consequently would have contained more varied and flavor-enhancing foodstuffs foraged from around the farm, the result being an egg that probably tasted better but just happened to be in a brown shell.
Myth: The stronger the color of the eggshell, the better the hen that that laid it.
False: Good coloring of eggs in, for example, Welsummers or Marans is most visible at the beginning of the laying season and is valuable when it comes to exhibiting the eggs. However, as the hen lays more and more eggs during the season, her ability to color them so intensely diminishes. The process is similar to an inkjet printer, with the start of the season being equivalent to a new cartridge that slowly runs down over the year. A hen laying solid brown eggs toward the end of the laying season therefore hasn’t laid many eggs through the season.
Myth: It’s possible for a hen to change sex and crow like a cockerel.
False: Occasionally, a hen that has been laying eggs will suddenly appear to become a cock bird. She will no longer lay eggs, her comb and wattles will develop, her feathering will become more male in appearance and structure, and she will even begin to crow. She is, however, still a she. She has only phenotypically transitioned into a male, while genetically she remains female.
The reason for this is usually an environmental stress or illness such as a tumor, problems with the adrenal gland, or an ovarian cyst. Not all hens develop both ovaries during their embryonic stages, and instead have one developed ovary while the other remains as a regressed male gonad. In the event that the developed ovary becomes damaged and ceases to function, the gonad can take over, and the subsequent increase in male hormones causes the hen to develop male characteristics. She will, however, remain female but will not be fertile.
