Reproduction and Genetics

Penn State Extension offers detailed information about poultry reproduction and different poultry breeds. Producers and facility managers can find various resources on chicken gestation periods, foul incubation charts, egg candling, and incubating chicken, turkey and duck eggs.

Chicken Reproduction

Producers can find basic information about the reproductive anatomy of roosters and how exposure of roosters to adequate amounts of light can increase the production of fertilized chicken eggs. The hen reproductive system and the different steps of the cycle via which eggs are created are also explained.

Once fertilized chicken eggs have hatched, young chicks are completely dependent on producers for their survival and wellbeing. Information on the brooder environment and equipment, as well as feeding and vaccination practices, is available here.

Egg Fertilization and Incubation

Fertilized eggs need to be hatched at very specific conditions. Temperature, humidity, ventilation, and turning are the four main factors that are essential for the successful incubation of chicken, turkey, and duck eggs. Modern poultry producers use different types of incubators to ensure optimum chicken reproduction but information on how brooding hens incubate their eggs naturally is also available here.

Different species incubate eggs for different lengths of time. Penn State Extension offers information on the incubation and hatching of duck eggs. Egg incubation charts for geese, turkey, quail, and many others are also discussed. Producers can read about the various physiological processes through which the embryo of a fertilized egg is transformed into a chick.

Fowl Breeds and Varieties

In most chicken breeds, observing the patterns of the neck and back feathers can provide information about a bird’s sex. This and other interesting facts about the anatomy of chickens are available in this section.

A breed is a group of individual animals that produce offspring with the same characteristics when mated with others of the group. A variety is a subdivision of a breed that keeps the main characteristics with differences expressed in minor characteristics.

Producers can find information on the best breeds of egg-laying chicken as well as breeds that produce quality broiler chicken. The popular Australorp breed is one of the best chickens for eggs. The Barred rock chicken is another example of a breed that produces some of the best laying hens.

The Rhode Island red and the Plymouth rock chicken are suitable for both egg and meat production. The New Hampshire chicken is another example of a dual-purpose bird; however, it is slightly more popular as broiler chicken.