The Life Cycle Of A Chick

Through natural mating, better fertility will result when mating occurs after the hen has laid a hard shell egg.

What goes on inside the egg will be the transformation of nature.



Fertilization in commercial chickens is usually the result of natural mating. However, in some cases, artificial insemination is commonly practised.

The rooster (like man) will initiate mating by exhibiting courtship behaviour: dropping one wing and dancing in a circle (the lowered wing will be on the inside of the circle dance).

The hen will crouch (dip her head and body) to indicate receptiveness to the male. The rooster will then mount the hen and grab her comb, neck feathers, or the skin on the back of her head or neck to help hold onto the hen's back.

The next behaviour is the tread (the rooster walks quickly in place on the hen's back) and finally the completed mating of the behavioural sequence. The completed mating occurs when the rooster dips his tail to the side of the hen's tail and spreads his tail feathers so that their cloacae come into contact. At this point the rooster's ejaculate is released directly into the hen's vagina via her cloaca.

A rooster may mate from 10 to 30 or more times per day (for males born in the year of the rooster, eat your heart out), depending on the availability of hens and competition from other roosters.

Photos contributed by: Wong Pei Tjin