A hen may lay 300 eggs in a year, but only if a rooster is present can the eggs contain hatchlings. Eggs take 21 days to hatch, but a newly hatched chick is up and moving within a day. Within three months, the chick loses its yellow feathers and replaces them with adult feathers, ready to start the cycle again. Can’t get to a farm? Learn about the life cycle of a chicken with these easy-to-handle figures.