My Other Family...the Chickens

One thing that is hard to get used to on the farm are the chickens. Watching the way they move can provoke some great laughter and then at 4am when the roosters start crowing and the hens start clucking they become the object of some serious aggression. I'm almost used to the early morning noises...almost. There are still mornings however, when I can think of nothing better than making some chicken enchiladas. Chickens are funny birds. They sleep in the trees and when the hens lay an egg it's chicken mayhem over here. I've learned a bit about them these last few months. For example I've always wondered what the difference is between the eggs we eat and the eggs that become baby chicks. For any of you that wonder the same I have some interesting information for us.
Domestic chickens lay one egg every 26 to 28 hours (about one egg a day) for a period of 4 to 6 days. If the egg has not been fertilized, then the egg cell within will never grow or divide, and the egg will never hatch. The eggs you buy at the supermarket are eggs that have never been fertilized. If the egg has been fertilized then the embryo inside has already divided several times but remains a group of unspecialized cells. When the egg is incubated at about 37 to 38 °C, the embryonic cells differentiate to form a chick, which will hatch after 21 days. If the chickens are being raised to produce eggs, then the hens are kept away from the roosters, and the eggs are collected as they are laid.
Currently on the farm we have about 20 chicks that have hatched within the last week from 2 hens. They are the cutest things you have ever seen. That is until they grow up to make as much noise as the adults.
Yesterday the chickens provided us with an entirely new form of entertainment. We were able to witness their mating rituals. The rooster called the hen, she laid in the grass, he circled her with one wing raised, and then proceeded to do his business. After he was finished, about 5 seconds later, she continued laying while he stood next to her until he was ready to go again. This continued for about an hour until the hen appeared to be lifeless. I guess we'll know in 21 days.