Chickens

A chicken's body temperature normally is about 102-103 degrees F.
A hen lays an egg every 24-26 hours.
In 1979, a White Leghorn layed 371 eggs in 364 days, a world record.
A chick takes 21 days to hatch.
It takes more than 4 lbs. of feed to make 1 dozen eggs.
Americans consume 8 billion chickens a year.
Various breeds of chickens lay different colored eggs from white, to brown, green, blue, or pink.

Turkeys

A baby turkey is called a poult.
Poults take 28 days to hatch.

Ducks

Ducklings take 28 days to hatch.

Embryo Development

Click images to enlarge.


Candling


Candling is used to determine if an egg has been fertilized or not and at what stage of development it is at. Candling is done by holding an egg up against a bright light, which illuminates the interior of the egg. In the above image, the dark red C shaped spot is the developing embryo. The yellow area on the left is the air sac. The red lines are the embryo's circulatory system. The circulatory system is so close to the egg shell to allow for oxygen exchange, similar to the function of lungs.