How Does a Hen Lay an Egg?

Timeline

Hens lay eggs based on the amount of sunlight they receive. They usually begin the process in the early morning when daylight is crowning. Once an egg has been produced, the hen will not lay another one until the following day. The hen will actually begin the egg-laying process a little bit later each day. This will eventually led the hens to laying their daily eggs in the afternoon. Once afternoon passes, however, there is an insufficient amount of daylight for the hens, and they will start over again the next day, laying their eggs in the early morning.

Process

The hen will enter her nest and sit in it quietly for approximately half an hour before the egg-laying process begins. The hen will flap her feathers and raise her tail once she's getting ready to push the egg out. These activities will become more frequent as the egg gets closer to being laid. When the egg is ready to come the hen will stand up, spread her feet and raise her tail. Her vent, which is her reproductive opening, will begin widening. A red membrane will appear from the vent as it becomes dilated. The hen will push the egg out in spurts, with the egg becoming more visible after every push. The egg will then drop from the vent into the hen's nest. Though this process can be complicated and seemingly time consuming, the average hen can lay her daily egg in less than a minute.

Caring for the Egg

After a few minutes, the hen will inspect her newly laid egg. At this point the egg is still covered in a wet membrane that will eventually dry up and disappear. The hen will peck lightly at the egg before departing for the day, during which time the farmer will usually come by to collect the egg. If eggs are allowed to pile up in a hen's nest, the hen will stop laying eggs and will brood, or sit, on them for up to 3 weeks, upon which time they will hatch.