Egg Sandwich
Posted by Helen Fitch on March 26, 2005
Q: If a hen lays an egg a day for 13 day- how does she care for them for the 13 days. how does she care for them until she is ready to incubate them?
A: A chicken's egg can remain in a nest for days, as you've already noted, without any outside heat and stay alive. A hen gives her first 12 eggs (this number varies) no care at all until number 13 is laid and then she begins incubation. Once the hen decides to incubate (we're not sure exactly what tells her she now has "enough" eggs) and the embryo starts developing,however, the egg must remain relatively warm or it will not continue development and will die. This arrangement allows all of the chicks to hatch at the same time rather than having the first chick hatch 13 days, for example, ahead of the last chick - pretty neat!
John Wiessinger ( March 28, 2005)