Last Updated on October 2, 2021 by AwesomeChickens
So, what came first? The chicken or the egg? Don’t know? Well, sadly, neither do we. What we do know is where the chicken and the egg come from. We also know how fast it takes to grow from one to the other. Would you like to know just how quickly?
On average, chickens grow pretty fast. It will take a chicken breed about one month to have the complete characteristics of their breed. It takes 4-5 months for them to begin reproducing and one year to full maturity. Most chickens will live to about 6-7 years of age. There are four main stages of a chicken’s life cycle, but each of those stages comprises many different milestones. This article will give you precise details regarding the rapid growth of baby chicks maturing into adult chickens and each stage in between.
Table of Contents
Life Cycle of a Chicken
For the sake of an easy read, pretend it is a fact that the egg came first. From there pops out baby chicks; these cuties quickly become pullets, which will result in adult chickens. For a clearer picture, let us break it down into smaller sections, shall we?
Chicken Eggs
For a baby chick to hatch from an egg, it needs to be fertilized by a rooster. Without the fertilization process, the egg will only be good for breakfast but won’t produce a chick.
During the mating process, a rooster will inject his sperm into the female’s (hen) reproductive organs, and she will store this in a sac near her ovaries until the yolk forms. Once the yolk passes through the cloaca, it is fertilized by the rooster’s sperm, and a baby chicken begins to form.
Once a laying hen lays these eggs, she may become a broody hen and sit on top of them for about 21 days or until they hatch. If your chicken is not the motherly type, you will have to place these fertilized eggs into an incubator and wait out the 21 days that way.
At around day 17, you should be able to hear the chick’s, little peeps. If the laying hen is sitting on top of them, you may be able to hear her gently cooing or singing to them. You also may notice the eggs moving around as the chick inside is changing position and preparing to make its entrance into the world.
Finally, around day 20, your little chicks will start to peck at the side of the egg, slowly cracking and loosening the shell around it. After this process has come nearly full circle, the baby will then start to push against the inside of the shell until it is free.
Chicks
Once the 21 days are up and the baby chickens have arrived, they quickly develop key characteristics. A chicken is still considered a baby up until five weeks old. During these first few weeks, you will notice the newly attached bird’s appearance start to change, and they begin to look like a chicken.
If incubated, these babies should be kept in the incubator for at least 24-48 hours after hatching. These little guys should also stay indoors where they receive the proper amount of warmth until they are about 5-6 weeks old. At that time, you can gradually move them to the outdoor coop.
Once out of the shell, your chick will be fully formed but only covered with a down coating and no feathers. However, it doesn’t take long for these to grow in by week three; all of the primary feathers should be intact. (If you are sexing your chickens by feather growth, this should be done the very first day they are hatched.)
By week four, your chicken’s wattle and combs will start to become more noticeable, and your chicken will begin to develop behaviors and physical features that separate the males from the females. It is a crucial time in your baby chick’s development. You want to be very careful with what you are feeding them and their living conditions. Chicks are highly susceptible to disease, illness, and injuries.
Pullets and Cockrell’s
From six weeks until a year, your chickens will go through many large stages of development.
Right at around this time, you will start to notice your Cockrell’s are practicing their crow and developing some more aggressive and dominant behaviors. They will reach sexual maturity at around five months old, and they will start to produce sperm and begin perfecting their mating rituals. At this “teenage” phase, you will notice your pullet’s size and weight growing rapidly. Around the 18–20-week mark, you will probably start to notice your pullets comb growing in fast. Her face, wattle, and comb will begin to turn red. It is a great indication your hen is going to begin to lay its first egg.
Adults
After about one year of growing, your chickens will have reached full maturity and entered adulthood. It is around 18 months old, they will go through their first molting phase, and then it is pretty smooth sailing for the next five years. Once a hen hits that five-year mark, its egg production is probably producing fewer eggs, and your males and females are becoming a little lazier. These are their retirement years, and after a long life of hard work, they deserve to relax.
End Stages of a Chickens Life (5-7 years average)
When your chicken has hit the end stages of her life, you may not notice right away. Chickens are good at covering up symptoms of illness and injuries. So, keep an eye on movement, muscles mass, and eating habits.
You may also notice other chickens pecking at or attacking older and weaker chickens. It can be serious. Without intervention, they will kill her.
Finally, your chicken will become lethargic and barely move; she will stop drinking water and won’t seem spoked when you or anyone else comes close. Once she is ready, she will close her eyes and never wake back up. Normally, this is a peaceful and natural way to go.
Final Thoughts
A chicken’s life cycle is pretty fast. Baby chicks are born less than one month from the moment their eggs are laid. The chicken is done being a baby after five weeks and is ready to reproduce after five months. It is hard to imagine going through these stages so quickly.
If you take nothing else from this article, keep in mind your chicken doesn’t get to live a long life, so make sure you give them a good one.
