Why Chickens Lay Eggs

Interview with Patrick Biggs, Ph.D.

By Podcast Team and Dr. Patrick Biggs
Published on June 20, 2022
article image
by AdobeStock/Ellie

In Episode 153 of Mother Earth News and Friends, we’re asking the big questions about chicken eggs: How many eggs does a chicken lay a day? What factors affect egg yield? And why do chickens stop laying eggs? Dr. Patrick Biggs is here to answer these questions and more in this episode all about chicken egg production in your backyard flock.

Sponsored by Purina Mills



Patrick Biggs, Ph.D. Senior Nutritionist and Companion Animal Technical Solutions at Purina

It started with a college job at the pet store. Patrick brought home a cockatiel, and from then on, he was all birds all the time, going on to specialize in poultry nutrition.

As passionate as backyard flock owners are, the modern chicken is not as easy to manage as the chickens our grandparents kept.  Patrick helps people sort fact from fiction to keep their chickens happy, healthy, and productive. He guides flock fanatics on oyster shells and chick treats, brown vs. white eggs, and caring for an older hen that’s become a pet.

Patrick holds a master’s and doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There, he looked at different ways to manage flocks without antibiotics. He continues the work at Purina by developing feeds with prebiotics and probiotics to keep birds healthy.


Our Podcast Team

Carla Tilghman and Jessica Mitchell
Music: “Improvisation: Fast Blues in A” by Reverend Gary Davis

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Ogden Publications strives to inspire “can-do communities,” which may have different locations, backgrounds, beliefs, and ideals. The viewpoints and lifestyles expressed within Ogden Publications articles are not necessarily shared by the editorial staff or policies but represent the authors’ unique experiences.

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