Does a Chicken Require a Rooster to Produce Eggs?

Time Frame

• Hens begin laying eggs anywhere from four to six months of age. They can continue laying eggs for the rest of their lives, although hens slow down in the number of eggs produced when they are past 2 years of age.

Fun Fact

• Roosters are only needed for breeding more chickens or fertile eggs. Most eggs sold in grocery stores are infertile. They are just as nutritious as fertilized eggs, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

Numbers

• Because roosters are not needed for a hen to lay eggs, they are usually slaughtered before they are three days old. Chicken Run Rescue estimates that 250 million rooster chicks are killed every year.