Okay, this is kind of embarrassing, but do hens (and other birds) lay eggs from their anuses or do they have a sort of “special canal”? My husband told me that they lay straight from the anus, and sounded totally serious, but I am about 60% sure he’s pulling a fast one on me. I looked it up in wikipedia, and haven’t found anything so far. I always got great grades in biology, so this is a lesson in humility.
Thanks to anyone who can provide an answer. Mods, I didn’t know whether to place this drivel in the open forum or the temp one; sorry if I made the wrong decision.
Thanks for that! I guess he was telling the truth, and the bemused expression was for my ignorance. Speaking of which, in this case, ignorance was bliss…
well, males of uppity mammals also have a common opening for, a couple of different tasks. We women are the ones that have specialized, sophisticated equipment. I am blushing as I write, but I feel compelled too.
It’s not quite as disgusting as it sounds.Here’s a cut-away diagram of the process and a video to prove it! :discodance:
Chickens, as well as other birds, have a common opening for reproduction, and for the evacuation of stools and urine. This opening is called the “vent”. They do not have a bladder because their urine is not a fluid. It is a white paste, called urates, that you can observe surrounding the droppings. The intestine, ureters and oviduct come together into a common chamber called the cloaca. This is a rather dirty place, [color=#FF0000]whereas the egg is always clean and almost sterile when laid.[/color]
The hen turns part of the cloaca and the last segment of the oviduct inside out, “like a glove.” The described red membrane is then everted inside of these organs. The egg emerges far outside, at the end of the bulge. [color=#FF0000]So it cannot contact the walls of the cloaca and get contaminated by stools or urine.[/color] Moreover, the intestine and inner part of the cloaca are kept shut by the emerging egg, and their contents cannot leave when the hen strains to deliver the egg. [color=#FF0000]Therefore, eggs are always clean as they are laid.[/color] However, sometimes a hen, stomping around the nest with dirty feet, will get the egg dirty anyway.
I knew snakes had cloaca, but I didn’t know about birds. I did know, to quote a line from Fried Green Tomatoes, “…wont sit next to a colored child, but he eats eggs! Shoot right out a chicken’s ass!”
