Do my hens experience ''labor'' as they are laying an egg??

[RlgNorth]

Being a new chicken owner never thought that the chickens would be in pain during egg laying but makes since. Poor babies have to endure this every day!! WOW and I thought I had it bad having 3 babies all natural HEHE.

 

[amarook]

I think they do... I kinda figured that might be what the "egg song" is all about.

I actually got video of my EEs laying their eggs. If anyone wants to see here is the link.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/amarook/3782537861/in/set-72157621687268848/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amarook/3782616121/in/set-72157621687268848/

 

[CluckCluckKluck]

(deleted due to double post)

 

[CluckCluckKluck]

A personal anecdote about "biblical wisdom" has absolutely nothing to do with whether animals feels pain! What a ridiculous response. A logical fallacy. This reinforces my fear of faith based education.

Science is pretty amazing, it can provide a clearer fact based insight into the existence of other beings. As far as chickens and pain,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...cientists-say-chickens-empathy-feel-pain.html
Not only could the chicken feel pain, it may be sensitive the the pain of other chickens. That's right, they have feelings. They maybe fairly simple but they have sensitivity.

Temple Gradin's thoughts...
http://www.grandin.com/inc/animals.in.translation.ch5.html

Physically it may be more difficult for some chickens to lay, and sometimes they create extremely large eggs, or become impacted. Women may have multiple children and have different pain levels with each child as well.

As far as experience "labor",
this looks like labor to me...

Nature is Awesome, and you can spend your whole life learning about it and you will still only know 1% of what is out there.

 

[Janet Pesaturo]

I've watched my hens lay eggs many times, and I do believe they feel at least discomfort and sometimes pain. I think it's very convenient for humans to believe animals don't feel pain because we don't want to face what we put them through.

I would imagine that it's more painful for a younger bird who hasn't been stretched out yet, just like labor and childbirth is more difficult for first time mothers.

 

[masuhanley]

Amaaazing video, CCK! My barred rocks (well, one of them) just started laying two weeks ago. I was awakened just about an hour ago to the sound of Mabel laying her egg... very loud business! I agree with your statement about the poster with the biblical anecdote. I feel quite sure that animals feel pain when laboring. Hens laying eggs is just another example.

 

[SkeeterBaGaw]

Some of my hens are in and out of the nesting box, as if it's no struggle at all to lay. One hen in particular seems to really pant and almost scream as if in pain, and it typically takes her significantly longer to lay an egg than her comrades. The hen that seems to struggle the most is also at the bottom of the pecking order and does not seem to get as much food as the other hens, since she is bullied quite a lot and shoved away from the feed. I am wondering the there is some correlation between diet and egg-laying-pain experienced by a hen? Just a hypothesis, since I cannot find any substantial research on the topic. Anyone else find a similar situation with a bottom-of-the-pecking-order-hen having more labor pains?

 

[H Diamond]

Even if they do experience pain, I disagree with the poster about how we think they don't to make us feel better. Hens are going to lay eggs regardless, I would rather they lay eggs at my place and get good treatment than not live a good life. Same with my goats.. they are gonna get pregnant someplace probably, I'd rather it be at my place where I know they are going to get good care.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I've watched my hens lay eggs many times, and I do believe they feel at least discomfort and sometimes pain. I think it's very convenient for humans to believe animals don't feel pain because we don't want to face what we put them through.

I would imagine that it's more painful for a younger bird who hasn't been stretched out yet, just like labor and childbirth is more difficult for first time mothers.

How do we "put them through" the process? The egg laying process is a natural process that takes place due to the hen's biology, not because we cause it. Do we benefit from it, absolutely, but we do not cause it.

 

[Kotake]

It is natural as far as a strangely shaped breed of dog is natural. The original wild chickens (red jungle fowl) only lay eggs in the breeding season, about 10-15 eggs a year. It is genetic manipulation done by humans that has bred these birds to produce 20-30 times more.