Have a couple of questions......

[Crazy4Chicks]

Today me and DH were in the chicken yard doing some cleaning and DH noticed a hen in the coop siting in a corner all by her self ( for awhile I thought this was a rooster ) but today we got the answear as she gave us the cutest green egg. DH has a question -- When a hen lays an egg why is it not covered in blood- they all come out so nice and clean ?

My question is - Does your hen ever gather hay/pine shavings ? As we watched this hen get ready to lay she got up and put some shavings under the feathers on her back and tried to keep them there while she layed her egg - what is that about?

But I will say watching her was pretty cool - she found a spot that was just right and made a little nest - made some noise stood up a little and out came the egg - she turned and gave it a little roll with her beak got a drink of water and was out the door for a dust bath - too cool.

I dont think I will ever get tired of watching them.

Julie

 

[ozark hen]

Congrats Julie! I can't answer your question as I have never seen mine do that, but then they lay in their nesting boxes which are full of straw. I have found one or two in the shavings oin the floor from time to time but never saw who layed it. It is great to watch them lay though isn't it?

 

[rooster-red]

The ovaduct in a chicken is quite different from a mammals birth canal, thats why usually there is no blood on the egg.

 

[silkiechicken]

Like in a mammal, when the egg rolls out from the ovaries, it is not covered in blood, but instead of getting fertilized and implanted into the mammal uterus, the egg exits the body. Now if a fertile egg starts to develop, and you crack it open, there will be blood around the chick. I guess a way to say it, is like the egg as a whole is like the mammal uterus.