Here’s What Happens to a Hen’s Body When She Lays an Egg

Chickens—who form strong family bonds, have unique personalities, and cluck to their chicks before they even hatch—lay eggs. It’s as natural to them as scratching the ground for food. Have you ever wondered what happens to a hen’s body when she lays an egg? Let’s break it down.

What Happens to a Hen’s Body When She Lays an Egg?

Laying an egg is a full-day affair. Here’s what happens:

• The hen’s ovary releases a yolk.
• As the yolk moves through her reproductive tract, the egg white forms around it.
• Thin membranes shape the egg before the shell forms.
• The egg then spends about 20 hours in the uterus, or “shell gland,” where it develops a hardened outer shell.
• Finally, she contracts her muscles to push the egg out—similar to labor in mammals—through the cloaca, the same opening used to eliminate waste.

Sound exhausting? It is. And hens in the egg industry are forced into overdrive.

The Hidden Cost of Eggs

In nature, hens lay 10 to 15 eggs per year. But the egg industry forces them to lay 250-300 eggs per year—20 times more than nature intended. Hens’ bodies work for over 24 hours to produce just one egg, which means these animals spend 75% of their lives making eggs.

Egg prices have skyrocketed, but hens pay a far greater price—with their bodies, and eventually, their lives. Each time a hen lays an egg, she loses calcium, which can lead to brittle bones, fractures, and osteoporosis. Prolapse, where the lower part of the reproductive tract gets stuck outside the body, is common in “laying” hens. Sometimes other hens peck at the exposed tissue, leaving a gaping, painful hole.

While chickens can live ten years or more, the egg industry considers them “spent” by the time they’re 18 months old, shipping them off to slaughter when their egg production declines. Male chicks never had a chance—the egg industry kills millions each year by grinding them up alive or suffocating them shortly after hatching.

“Cage-Free?” More Like Cagey Marketing

Don’t be fooled by feel-good labels like “organic” and “free-range.” They don’t mean squat. Workers on farms that sell “cage-free” eggs cram hens into crowded barns, force them to lay more eggs than their bodies should, and slaughter them when they stop being profitable.

Egg-Free Options That Rule the Roost

The good news is that vegan eggs are nutritious, delicious, affordable, and widely available. Just Egg, Yo Egg, and tofu scramble are brilliant for breakfast—or lunch or dinner, for that matter! Use mashed bananas, applesauce, aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas), chia seeds, or ground flaxseed in baked goods. And for dyeing and decorating, potatoes or wooden eggs do the trick!

Chickens Value Their Lives. We Should, Too.

Chickens value their lives and don’t deserve to suffer and die so we can eat omelets. They do not lay eggs for humans, so let’s respect these clever, intelligent animals by not taking what was never ours.

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