| Hens will produce larger eggs as they grow older.
Egg-actly What You Wanted To Know
As a consumer nation, we are far behind the historical origins
of the egg, although nobody, including America, has come up with
the answer to that eternal question of what came first: the
chicken or the egg.
Eggs were considered a fertility symbol in many cultures, and
were likely one of the first protein sources identified by Man
after he crawled out of the swamp and found a bird's nest. Over
time, they came to be part of renewal celebrations, being
colored, decorated and exchanged as gifts. By the time of the
French Revolution at the turn of the 18th century, chefs
recorded nearly 700 ways to cook them.
All of which makes America a neophyte when it comes to eggs-
acting every last fact out of the many-hued feathers of hens.
Even if they did come to America with Columbus on his second
voyage in 1493.
Today, there are over 200 varieties of chickens, with most
females beginning their career as egg-layers at about 19 weeks.
They will lay over 300 eggs a year, given the right diet, which
averages a requirement of 5 oz. of food a day and 10 oz. of
water to "create" a single egg. That egg will be turned over in
its nest, up to 50 times a day, to promote even development of
the chick.
As she grows older, the hen's eggs will become larger and graded
accordingly, ending up as part of the 60 million eggs produced
annually.
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