Q.  How many eggs does a chicken lay a day? 

A.  Typically, they lay a around 300 eggs per year, or just under 1 per day.

Q.  Do hens need to live with a rooster to lay eggs?

A.  No, they don't.  Hens will lay eggs even without a rooster, however, they will be unfertilized eggs (which means they cannot hatch into baby chicks).

Q.  What do the different shell colors mean?

A.  In terms of taste and nutritional value, nothing.  Different breeds of chickens lay different colored eggs.  As a rule, hens with white earlobes lay white eggs; brown ear lobes lay brown eggs; greenish/blue earlobes lay green or blue tinted eggs.  Brown eggs range from a very light tan color all the way to dark chocolate brown.

Q.  Can I tell if an egg is fertilized by looking at it?

A.  No, you cannot. There are no visible signs of fertilization.

Q.  What about those white clumps I see when I crack an egg?  Isn't that left over from the fertilization process?

A. No, it's not.  You'll see those same "white clumps" on unfertilized eggs also.  Those white clumps are known as chalazae, and help hold the yolk in the center of the egg.

Q.  If I buy eggs that have been fertilized, and I don't remember to refrigerate them right away, will it start to develop into a chick?

A.  No, it won't.  For the egg to begin to incubate, it must be kept at a constant temperature of 99.5 degrees fahrenheit, and it takes a few days for the embryo to begin to develop.  It's pretty unlikely that your kitchen is 99.5 degrees...and if you leave your eggs in a hot car for a few days, you'll want to throw them out regardless, as they may spoil.

Q.  That's a good point.  Do I HAVE to refrigerate eggs?

A.  Technically, no.  In fact in many countries, people don't refrigerate eggs.  They can be kept on the counter for a few weeks before they spoil, however, their shelf life is much shorter.  Eggs, unwashed with the bloom intact, will keep safely in the refrigerator for over a month, and some sources  claim  they will last up to six months.

Q.  How can I tell if an egg is no good?

A.  Use the "float test".  Submerge the egg in water.  If it sinks to the bottom, it's good.  If it stands on one end but doesn't float, it's still good, though not as fresh as an egg that sinks.  If it floats - throw it out.