Chicken FAQ

This is my favorite dog, Kandie, in the midst of the chickens.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chickens!
All these answers are based on my adventures as a chicken owner. Hope these help. If a question you have isn't on here, e-mail me! Please make the subject of your email "chickens" (or something chicken-like) so that I know its not junk mail.
adelethefish@gmail.com
Sinco, my favorite rooster ever.

Questions about...

Mating

Does a hen need a rooster around to lay eggs?

NO, a rooster is not needed for a hen to lay an egg! Roosters are only needed in order for the egg to be FERTILIZED (to have a baby). Hens lay eggs with or without a rooster around.

How does a rooster mate with a hen?
I don't any of the details or anatomy, but all I know is the rooster holds the hen down by the back of her neck and gets on top of her. Sorry this is an elementary explanation. If you want details click here.
I don't understand the purpose of the rooster and whether the eggs we eat are fertilized. My mom thought that the eggs were fertilized by the rooster pecking the top of the hen's head. She saw this happen frequently on the farm as a girl. I didn't grow up on the farm but I think they mate in the fashion all species do to create life. I just am confused about whether all the eggs those hens lay, are they fertilized? And if so, does that mean that the rooster is working overtime all the time. And if not, Is a rooster really necessary in a hen house?
The purpose of the rooster is to fertilize the eggs. An egg won't hatch into a baby chick unless the rooster mates with the hen. Most eggs in the store are unfertilized because the hens aren't kept around roosters. Yes the rooster does peck the hen on the head when they mate, but the pecking is not what fertilizing the hen. It's just to hold her down. No, the rooster is not necessary in the hen house. Unless you want to hatch eggs.
Do chickens lay eggs and then the eggs are fertilized by the male or do chickens mate to fertilize the eggs?
Roosters have nothing to do with egg-laying. Hens lay eggs no matter what. (When they are 6 months or older) Roosters do play a part in baby chicks though. If a hen doesn't mate with a rooster then the egg will just be an egg, and could never possibly be a baby chick. If a rooster mates with the hen, the egg the hen lays can be incubated or sat on, and it will hatch. Only when a rooster mates with a hen is there a baby chick in the egg the hen lays.

Baby Chicks
How long can newly hatched chicks live without food?
Chicks, just before they hatch, draw into their adomen the the nutrients in the egg. Rich in food value and liquid, the yolk provides the newly-hatched chick with all it needs to eat and drink for over 3 days. My advice: Don't NOT feed them for 3 days just because this is true, make sure they have food and water around them all the time quickly after they hatch.

Eggs
Are the eggs we eat unfertilized?
It depends, but usually the eggs that you buy at the store are not fertilized. Commerical poultry farmers keep the chickens in small wire cages usually with several other hens. They don't keep any roosters, because they are of no use, unless you need to hatch some baby chicks. I have heard of some store bought eggs being fertilized, but they are probably from a small poultry farmer, and not commerical. If you are to buy eggs "home-grown" they will probably be fertilized, because the people who raised them probably have a rooster. You can eat fertilized eggs though, because once in the refriderator the chick embryo does not develop.
When a hen lays an egg which end comes out first?
The large end.
Where, on a laying hen's anatomy, does an egg come out? My friend says it's....rear, I say from a different orifice.
There are two separate ducts; one for eggs and the other for waste, but one shared exit. Waste never comes into contact with egg, due to duct design. To read more detailed explanation, read "Laying An Egg" by Wiebe H. van der Molen. Thanks for Wendy for giving me this information!!

Sexing
How can you tell the gender of chickens?
If they are older chickens you can tell by the crowing. If the chicken crows it's a rooster, and if not it's a hen. Also usually the roosters have much larger combs, but not all the time. If they are chicks you will just have to wait until they crow. Some professionals can tell the chicks gender when they are small, but even they aren't perfect. Want to give it a shot though? Try this website: Sexing chicks
Can chickens change their sex? (If the rooster dies, then will one hen change into a rooster?)
UPDATE: For a couple years now I have answered this question as No, but recently thanks to an e-mail I learned differently!! It is true. It can happen. What to know more? Go here. Also, I e-mailed my professor and asked this question. This was his reply: "Yes a type of sex reversal does occur in poultry. Both a right and left ovary start to develop in the embryo but between day 7 and 9 of incubation the right gonad ceases to continue development. If in the adult, the left ovary is removed or fails to function the right gonad hypertrophies to become a testis-organ and thus "a male' instead of what was a hen." For some proof you can look at this page by Feathersite. Sex Change in Poultry

Lifespan
What is the average lifespan of a chicken?
7 years.

Hatching
HELP! My hen is sitting on the nest box and won't get up! She puffs up and cackles when I try to move her. What is wrong?
Nothing is wrong with the hen- congrats she just wants to be a mommy. When a hen does this she is trying to sit on eggs to hatch them, or be a mommy. These are called broody hens. I call this "obsessed" because they won't get off the nest and gets mad if you move them. Don't worry- she is probably eating, but only when you aren't around.
What temperature does the incubator need to be for chicken eggs?
Around 99 degrees.
How long does it take for a chick to hatch?
Usually around 21 days, give or take a few.