How eggs are produced on a farm
A wild jungle fowl lays about a dozen eggs a year, while a modern laying hen can lay more than three hundred.
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The short version
Commercial eggs come from laying hens bred over thousands of years to lay year-round. The hens live in large flocks, and their eggs are gathered, checked and graded by size and freshness. Candling with a bright light shows the size of the air cell, which grows as an egg ages and sets its grade.
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Keep laying hens
The wild Asian fowl that chickens descend from lay about a dozen eggs each breeding season. Selective breeding now gives hens that lay more than three hundred eggs a year and lay all year round.
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Gather the eggs
Eggs are collected from the flock. A single large egg factory can ship millions of eggs. Global production reached 91 million tonnes in 2023.
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Candle and grade
Eggs are held in front of a bright light to check quality. The air cell at the larger end grows as the egg cools and ages. A very fresh egg has a small air cell and earns grade AA, and a bigger air cell lowers the grade.
Worth repeating
- The chicken was most likely first domesticated for its eggs before 7500 BCE.
- A blood spot on a yolk is not conclusive proof that an egg was fertilized.
Where it comes from
- China31.3 million tonnes
- United States6.3 million tonnes
- India4.8 million tonnes
- Mexico2.8 million tonnes
- Japan2.6 million tonnes
2017, chicken eggs produced, of a world total of 80.1 million tonnes.
Where it goes next
Eggs feeds 4 lines directly.
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Sources
Cite this page: "How eggs are produced on a farm." Assembly Line, 2026-11-03. https://assemblyline.org/make/eggs