How do chickens lay eggs?  I have to admit, it took me a while before I truly understood HOW on earth eggs are made.  The science of “chickens” is a complicated one, and all the little bits that go into an egg (or a chickens) creation are amazing.

Over the past few years I have googled and explored all sorts of different chicken issues, or weirdnesses, but there is one thing that allowed me to understand my hens, and their “production” in the most detail.

Miss Frizzle has this amazing way of breaking down the most COMPLEX concepts into easy to understand, bite sized chunks.  Of course, there are always great visuals as well.

If you check out this Magic School bus episode, Season 4, episode 2 “Magic School Bus Cracks a Yolk” on Netflix, ALL your questions will be answered (and “spoiler alert” No, you do NOT need a rooster for a hen to lay an egg! Just like you don’t need a man around for a woman to ovulate)

Magic School Bus has become my “go-to” for all things complicated.  Want to know how a car engine work?  Try Season 2, episode 8.  Or How about photosynthesis and how plants grow?  Check out season 3, episode 11.

So, how do chickens lay eggs? In short, a chicken will “ovulate” and as the egg passes through it’s system, it has the opportunity to become fertilized by a rooster, or not.  A shell builds up over the egg, and remains soft until it gets contact with the air.  Chickens usually lay an egg, at peak season, every 24 hrs, with gaps to lay apx 4-5 eggs a week.  Some hen breeds lay more consistently than others.

Chickens require a nesting area, somewhere usually dark and quiet to lay their eggs, which is why most coops have nesting boxes built.  We frequently find our free ranging hens laying eggs in the bushes, or in our hay storage.