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Chickens do not have babies that are alive. They lay eggs instead. The eggs have a hard outside that protects them. Some eggs will grow into chicks. Some eggs will not. The eggs you buy in a grocery store do not have baby chicks in them. Eggs have different parts The white part inside the egg is like a cradle. It protects the baby chick. The baby chick is called an embryo. The yolk in the egg is food that the embryo eats. This food helps it grow.
The mother chicken sits on the eggs to keep them warm. The eggs have to be warm for the embryos to grow. The mother chicken protects the eggs. After a time the eggs crack and open. This is called hatching. Now the babies are called chicks.
Chicks do not have teeth. They cannot chew their food. They have something inside them called gizzards. The gizzards help make the food they eat get smaller so they can eat it. They also have to eat tiny rocks called grit. The grit helps make their food smaller, too. When chicks are 7 days old they need grit with their food.
Grown chickens that are males are called roosters. Grown chickens that are females are called hens. To learn more about a chicken's life cycle, visit this site: http://www.vtaide.com/png/chicken.htm.
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