thisNZlife

Your Poultry

If you want happy, healthy chicks, it starts with choosing the best eggs.

Words Sue Clarke & Nadene Hall

Great eggspectations - why the egg comes first

It’s the fun question that appears to have no answer: what came first, the chicken or the egg? Genetic specialists say the research proves the answer is the egg. Professor John Brookfield of the University of Nottingham says genetic material doesn’t change during an animal’s life. The creature that evolved into what we know today as a chicken would have first existed as an embryo inside an egg. Its parents would have been very close to what we know as chickens, but not quite (known as ‘proto-chickens’). The living organism inside the eggshell would contain the same DNA as the chicken it would eventually become.

“Therefore, the first living thing which we could say unequivocally was a member of the species would be this first egg, so I would conclude that the egg came first.”

The best eggs to hatch

You can let nature takes its course and allow a rooster and hen to naturally get together, or you can make the decision for them and choose a good pair.

If you want new genes, breeders around the country sell hatching eggs, allowing you to hatch and raise purebred stock for an economical price (see page 58).

What came first, the chicken or the egg? Genetically speaking, there's a definite winner.

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2021-08-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

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https://thisnzlife.pressreader.com/article/281530819005637

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