 This video is part of a series developed for the Sustainable Wildlife Management Program to provide guidance for a successful family poultry production. It focuses on small extensive and extensive scavenging systems, but will also be useful for semi-intensive production systems. Eggs are one of the main products of poultry rearing. They are nutritious and tasty, and a good source of critical nutrients. Egg production is also an important economic activity that provides a livelihood for many people. Eggs are produced for two main purposes. For human consumption, table eggs, and for the production of baby chicks, hatching eggs. Laying Hens Hens start laying eggs between 5 and 7 months of age, depending on the breed and their health condition. After 1 to 2 years, the egg production will start decreasing. The hens can then be sold or eaten. Without any human intervention, a hen will usually lay a few eggs on consecutive days, which is called a clutch. They will then become broody, that is, they will sit on the eggs to incubate them. An egg produced by a hen kept without a male is called a non-fertile egg. A non-fertile egg will keep fresh for a long time. Eggs from a female that has mated with a male bird are fertilized and will produce a chick if the fertilized egg is kept in a warm place and brooded. For an easy egg collection and to protect the eggs against predators, it is recommended to provide nests in the poultry house. The nest should be in a dark, quiet part of the poultry house, usually against a wall to encourage the timely laying of clean eggs. They can be made with baskets, clay pots, cardboard or wooden boxes, with an approximate size of 40 x 20 x 25 cm. They can be filled in with sand, mixed with ashes, up to one-third of depth, and soft materials, for example hay, up to two-thirds. You should have at least one nest for every five hens. After the hen goes broody, you can move her to a cool and quiet place, but make sure to move the nest carefully, preferably at night, so that the hen does not abandon the nest. Ensure that water and some supplementary feed are nearby. If a hen goes broody and you don't want her to, you can place her in a small, separate cage in a cool, shady place. For example, you may need to do it if you do not want to hatch too many new chicks because little feed is available. If only small quantities of chicks are to be hatched, natural incubation by broody hens results in a better hatching percentage than artificial incubation. Since you do not need all eggs to produce chicks, it is better to select the better quality eggs for incubation. Select eggs from your best hens. Avoid excessively large or small eggs. Avoid eggs with cracked or thin shells and keep only the clean eggs for incubation. If you decide to hatch eggs using a mechanical incubator, be sure to handle the eggs carefully before incubation to keep from rupturing the yolk. If any internal damage occurs, the egg will not hatch. Do not plan to store the eggs for more than seven days before incubation and store them in a cool and humid place. Store the eggs with a small and pointed downward and turn the eggs to a new position once daily. Do not wash dirty eggs with water or wipe eggs clean with a damp cloth. This removes the eggs protective coating and exposes it to entry of disease organisms. To check whether a chick is developing inside an egg, you can hold the egg in front of a bright light inside a dark room. This manipulation called candling provides information on whether an embryo is developing inside the fertilized egg and whether this embryo is alive. At six to eight days you can see the shadow of the embryo, which might move in response to the light, as well as a fine net of blood vessels. Remove infertile eggs and eggs with dead embryos from the nest because they will decompose and may break and spoil the fresh eggs under incubation. Eggs hatch after 21 days of incubation. Table eggs The only way to collect clean eggs is to keep the nesting boxes clean. The smell of chicken eggs also attracts pests such as rats, snakes and even domestic pets. Collecting eggs daily, especially in the evening, is the best way to prevent these predators from sniffing around at night. Collecting eggs several times a day is even better. It also reduces the risk of the flock eating their own eggs. Eggs are laid with a natural coating over the shell. It protects the eggs from bacteria and controls the amount of water and air that is passed through the shell. Due to this protection, unwashed eggs can be kept in a cool dry place, such as on your counter or in a cabinet. Once an egg is washed with water, it must be refrigerated to prevent them from going bad. If you're not sure how old your eggs are, or if they're safe to eat, you can measure their quality by floating them in water. The broad side of the egg is filled with an air sack. As the egg ages, the natural decomposition of the egg creates more air that fills the sack. The more air is in the sack, the more the egg floats. So to test an egg, place it in a large bowl or glass filled with cold water. If the egg sinks to the bottom, it is fresh and good to eat. An egg that is two to three weeks old will start to rise up off the bottom of the glass. It is still perfectly good to eat, just not quite as fresh. Eggs floating in the water should not be eaten. Fresh eggs can also be distinguished from old ones by the height of the albumen, the white or clear part of the egg, when an uncooked egg is opened and put on a dish. The albumen of fresh eggs is relatively high. The half is high as the egg yolk. In older eggs, the albumen becomes watering and lies flat on the plate, and the egg yolk is also flatter. Take home messages. Include nests in the poultry house and clean them regularly. Fertilized eggs will produce chicks if brooded, either by the hen or artificially by an incubator. If only small quantities of chicks are to be hatched, natural incubation by broody hens will give better results. Broody hens need a cool and quiet place. Remember to collect eggs several times a day, especially in the evening.