Diagram on the life cycle of a chicken quiz

Hens lay around a dozen eggs over a period of a week or two. The entire process of forming an egg takes just a day to complete.

The lifespan of a chicken begins as soon as its egg is laid. Inside the egg is the developing body of a chick, called an embryo, which feeds on the nutritious, yellow substance we know as the egg yolk. The mother hen often has to sit on the eggs as a warmer environment is better for the embryos inside.

Near the end of the third, the almost-developed chick will start a process called pipping, in which it pecks a small hole in the eggshell to start inhaling oxygen. This is a sign that it is ready to be hatched.

Chicks start out small and devoid of true feathers. Over the next month or so, however, it will be a fluffy, feathery, chirping little creature. Just like us humans, they enter a brief adolescence period. In this stage, they’re called pullets. After a few more months, pullets will mature into roosters or hens.

We’ve provided this diagram on the life cycle of a chicken quiz to help you explore the various stages throughout a clucking cute chicken’s entire lifespan.