Poultry & Egg - Nebraska Department of Agriculture

Poultry & Egg

Egg Facts & Stats

About 280 million laying hens produce approximately 60 billion dozen eggs per year in the United States. That's roughly one hen for every man, woman, and child in the country.

A hen requires 24 to 26 hours to produce an egg. Thirty minutes later, she starts all over again.

An average hen lays about 270 eggs a year. A hen starts laying eggs at 19 weeks of age.

Young female chickens, called pullets, become hens at about 20 weeks of age. A pullet's career as a laying hen lasts about two years.

Hens with white feathers and ear lobes produce white shelled eggs. Hens with red feathers and red ear lobes produce brown shelled eggs.

Eggs contain the highest quality food protein known. It is second only to mother's milk for human nutrition.

Egg yolk is the major source of the egg's vitamins and minerals. Egg white, also known as albumen, contains more than half the egg's total protein, various nutrients, and zero fat.

Yolk color depends on the diet of the hen. Natural yellow-orange substances such as marigold petals may be added to light-colored feeds to enhance colors. Artificial color additives are not permitted.

As a hen ages she produces larger eggs.

It is believed that Christopher Columbus' ships carried to this country in 1493, the first of the chickens related to those now in egg production.

To tell if an egg is raw or hard-cooked, spin it! If the egg spins easily, it is hard-cooked but if it wobbles, it is raw.

For additional egg facts:

The Incredible Edible Egg

Egg Nutrition Center

Nebraska Egg Facts & Statistics

Nebraska's laying hen population of approximately 9 million birds produce over 2 billion eggs annually.

Currently, Nebraska ranks 10th in the nation in commercial egg production. Commercial egg production in the state comes from three major sources: Michael Foods Egg Products Company in Wakefield, Nebraska; Henningsen Foods, Inc. in Omaha, Nebraska; and Nebraska Eggs, Ltd in Carroll, Nebraska.

Nebraska is a leading state nationally in the production of further processed egg products, due to the success of further processed egg companies, Michael Foods Egg Products Company and Henningsen Foods, Inc. The majority of these products are used commercially in food service operations around the world.

For additional egg statistical information:

The Incredible Edible Egg

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