Do any other birds lay eggs w/o being fertilized first?

[Gerry2011]

Are chickens a natural anomoly in that they lay regardless of fertilization?

 

[teach1rusl]

Yes - just as human women send an egg out monthly without being fertilized - so not really an anomoly...

 

[galanie]

My cockatiel lays infertile eggs from time to time. I'm sure all birds do it depending on circumstance.

 

[teach1rusl]

Ohhhhh...LOL. I get your point now

So you're asking if any other BIRDS (only) will lay whether the egg's been fert. or not. Sorry - first cup of coffee. Hmmm...ducks? geese? Dang - now you've got me curious...

 

[Gerry2011]

Quote:
Yes, that's what I meant. My dh asked if human intervention caused egg laying w/o fertilization.

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

So far as I know, all birds will lay eggs whether fertilized or not...the type of bird dictates the amount of eggs...

 

[Gerry2011]

BigDaddy'sGurl :

So far as I know, all birds will lay eggs whether fertilized or not...the type of bird dictates the amount of eggs...

Then that brings up another question....why lay eggs if not fertile? I realize nature is extremely wasteful when it comes to reproduction, but usually in the other direction......way more fertility to make sure a few make it too maturity. What's the rationale in non-fertile egg laying?​

 

[Cindilou]

I don't think all birds will just lay. For example, the kiwi lays one egg but it is close to weighing one pound. That's a lot of energy expenditure. Generally, female birds that have the most energy expenditure lay the least amount of eggs while birds with small eggs and less time investment lay more often. Time investment meaning that they are the primary caregivers. Other species where the males are the primary caregivers, the females mate more and lays more with varying males in order to diversify the gene pool.

 

[Cosmopolis Chick]

Quote:
Then that brings up another question....why lay eggs if not fertile? I realize nature is extremely wasteful when it comes to reproduction, but usually in the other direction......way more fertility to make sure a few make it too maturity. What's the rationale in non-fertile egg laying?

...because in the wild they have 1,000% more chance of access to a male?

I'm sure their hormones initiate egg production - only semi-dependent on the presence of a male.

I have, in the past, raised Bobwhite quail, zebra finch, society finch, cockatiel, and I have raised parakeets. They all will occasionally lay eggs even without the male. I believe chickens were domesticated due to the frequency of laying and the size of the eggs. Have you ever seen a finch egg? Take and awful lot to make an omelet!

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

Quote:
Then that brings up another question....why lay eggs if not fertile? I realize nature is extremely wasteful when it comes to reproduction, but usually in the other direction......way more fertility to make sure a few make it too maturity. What's the rationale in non-fertile egg laying?

...because in the wild they have 1,000% more chance of access to a male?

I'm sure their hormones initiate egg production - only semi-dependent on the presence of a male.

I have, in the past, raised Bobwhite quail, zebra finch, society finch, cockatiel, and I have raised parakeets. They all will occasionally lay eggs even without the male. I believe chickens were domesticated due to the frequency of laying and the size of the eggs. Have you ever seen a finch egg? Take and awful lot to make an omelet!

Yeah, what they said, lol