It takes a chicken approximately 24 to 26 hours to fully form and lay an egg. This process includes the formation of the yolk, egg white, membranes, and the shell, with the longest stage being the shell formation which takes about 20 hours
. Because of this roughly 26-hour cycle, hens typically lay an egg almost every day but a few hours later each day, sometimes resulting in a skipped day when the cycle shifts past daylight hours
. In summary:
- Egg formation duration: 24 to 26 hours
- Egg components formed sequentially: yolk, white, membranes, shell
- Shell formation takes about 20 hours
- Hens lay eggs nearly daily but not exactly every 24 hours due to the cycle length
This cycle means hens usually lay about 6 eggs per week, with some variation depending on breed, age, season, and health
