Do chickens need to mate to have eggs?

Question

I have a chicken in my yard and I'm curious :0)

Answer 1

No. They dont its just a myth. If it isnt laying then you could try buying some plastic eggs and putting them in its nesting box.

Answer 2

No a hen will lay eggs without a rooster.The eggs just wont be fertile(no babies).Which is fine if you like scrambled eggs.If you want babies then you will need a rooster to mate with the hen.

Answer 3

No, even virgin hens lay eggs.

Answer 4

A hen will lay an egg, regardless of whether there is a rooster around or not.  The rooster is required to fertilize the egg.  If you have a hen, she'll produce an egg (usually every day) that is unfertilized.  Collect them and eat them - fresh eggs are so much better than store-bought!

Some people will keep a rooster even if they're not breeding for chicks because a rooster tends to encourage the girls to be productive.  I like having roosters because they are also very protective of their hens and will find bugs and forage for them and help warn the flock of predators.  

Even if you have a rooster, a fertilized egg will sit dormant for about 10 days, until the hen collects a clutch and starts brooding them (setting and incubating).  Chicks hatch in 21 days.  If the eggs are collected daily and the hen is not allowed to brood, the fertilized eggs are still good to eat.

Answer 5

eggs are the chickens "period". work it out!!!!

Answer 6

No, most bird species can still lay eggs, even if they have not mated.  The only thing is that they will not be fertile and will not hatch into a chick.  Even my female pet cockatiel who has never mated lays eggs all the time.  She will lay batches of 4-6 and sit on them for their incubation period just as if they would hatch.  When they don't, she will eventually just abandon them as if they were a bad egg.