Chicken Life Cycle

Life Cycle of Chicken

The complete life cycle of the chicken has 5 stages:...

Stage 1 – Egg Fertilization

This is the first stage in the life cycle of the chicken where the egg is fertilized and the rooster courts with the hen. The criteria for choosing the best rooster are appearance, attentiveness, and food-finding. All these criteria will depict the health of the rooster and the food-finding ability will tell if the rooster is a good flock leader or not....

Stage 2 – Embryo

The hens lay eggs and incubate them for 21 days by sitting on them. which is known as brooding. The embryo develops into a chick inside the eggs and comes out through hatching. The following data gives a detailed insight into day by day growth of the embryo:...

Stage 3 – Chick

Once the chick is hatched it is dry and fluffed up then it can be safely transferred into the brooder area. Once the chick is inside the brooder it will be introduced to water and feed that is placed under the light on the brooder plat. The food must have vitamins, minerals, and protein that is necessary for sustained growth over several weeks....

Stage 4 – Pullet

After 4 weeks of hatching, the chick becomes a pullet (female) or cockerel (male) and this stage lasts for 12 weeks. It is considered as the teenage stage, where the bird looks gawky and artless. Once the birds are about 2/3 size of the adult, they are introduced to the adult birds and the young birds will know their place and will start challenging the adult birds. An female pullet can lay eggs but those eggs are very small in size....

Stage 5 – Adult Stage

Once the pullet or cockerel reaches maturity, they become a hen or a rooster respectively. The hens starts laying eggs after twenty weeks of hatching. The first laid eggs are usually small and infrequent, and it needs time and a good feed to lay a good amount of eggs frequently. The feed of birds should have less protein and high amounts of calcium and other nutrients in order to get healthy and strong egg shells....

Conclusion: Chicken Life Cycle

The lifespan of chicken is usually between 3 to 8 years and there are about 5 stages in its life cycle; egg fertilization, embryo, chick, pullet and adult. After the development of the embryo, the eggs are hatched either by natural brooding or artificial brooding methods. Before their owner kills them for their meat, they can be used as egg warmers for two to three years. The adult male roosters are used in cock fighting and other sports. The lifespan of the birds can be increased if they are protected from prey and disease. This will improve their egg productivity also....

FAQs – Chicken Life Cycle

What is the Age Cycle of the Chicken?...