Hens in poultry farms can lay an egg every 25 hours.
The chicken egg is a nutritious part of many healthy diets, but there is more to eggs than deciding between scrambled or fried. Eggs come in a wide range of sizes and colors, and the components inside the egg are crucial for chicken reproduction. There are dozens of chicken breeds, and just as many different types of eggs. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Size
Egg sizes vary from chicken to chicken, and some breeds generally lay larger eggs than others. Average-sized eggs weigh 2 oz. The USDA measures the weight of a dozen eggs and labels the eggs' size as jumbo, extra large, large, medium, small or peewee on egg cartons. For example; jumbo eggs weigh 30 oz. per dozen, or 2 1/2 oz. an egg, and can be laid by breeds like Rhode Island or Plymouth Rock. Peewee eggs weigh 15 oz. per dozen, or 1 1/4 oz. an egg, and are laid by breeds like Sebright, Rosecomb or Chabo.
Structure
Chicken eggs are protected by a hard shell made of crystalline calcium carbonate. The shell is formed just before the egg is laid. Inside the shell, the egg white, or albumin, protects the egg's yolk. The egg white is a clear membrane full of structural fibers to stabilize and cushion the yolk. The yolk is a yellow sphere in the middle of the egg that would develop into a chick, if the egg was fertilized by a rooster. Eggs destined for grocery stores are rarely fertilized, as roosters are not housed in the same facility as hens.
Color
Chicken eggs can be found in many colors. Aside from the white and brown eggs commonly seen in the grocery store, chicken breeds like Ameraucana lay blue and green eggs, Barnevelder chickens lay dark reddish-brown eggs, and Marans lay chocolate brown eggs.
Nutritional Characteristics
The average American consumed more 247 eggs in 2008, according to the USDA. One egg contains 6 g of protein and heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Consuming eggs also adds memory-boosting choline and vision-protecting lutein and zeaxanthin to your diet; some eggs are enriched with additional nutrients like omega-3. On the other hand, one egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol, which is comparable to the cholesterol levels in liver and duck meat.
Tags: breeds like, eggs weigh, brown eggs, chicken breeds, Chicken eggs, dozen laid, dozen laid breeds