How do chicken's produce eggs?

[Fuzzypea]

Hey everybody,

I am working on a 4H presentation with the topic: "how hen's produce eggs"... and I hardly know anything about it. I've looked online and in books but I'm having a hard time finding useful information.

Is there anybody out there that knows how a hen creates an egg? If not, could somebody give me some ideas for resources?

Any help would be appreciated

Thank you!

 

[silkiechicken]

Try starting with these pdfs:

www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/AS/AS-525-W.pdf

www.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/.../Anatomy_Female_reproductive.pdf


Then googling things like "chicken reproductive tract" and "poultry reproduction".

http://www.ag.auburn.edu/poul/virtualchicken/

You should be able to find good stuff with those searches. Good luck!

 

[Fuzzypea]

Thank you for the info! It really helped... but I'm still confused about one thing.

How does the whole process start?

If anybody knows the answer, could they please tell me?

 

[saddina]

Quote:
It's hormonal, just like reproduction and monthly cycles in humans. Once the hen is old enough the brain sends messages to start reproductive processes. Chicken puberity, if you will.

 

[silkiechicken]

Try googling "Poultry ovulaton"

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/110479491/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

Googling "ovulation" will give you good information, just that it will be human based. Same principals though.