Editing v0.34:Egg

{{Quality|Exceptional|00:29, 29 September 2013 (UTC)}}
{{av}}{{catbox|DF2012:Egglaying}}
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'''Eggs''' are laid by creatures with the [[creature token#L|LAYS_EGGS]] token.  This includes ordinary fowl and reptiles, and also some more exotic creatures such as [[giant eagle]]s, [[dragon]]s, [[kobold]]s, and many others.  Eggs can be used by dwarves as [[food]], or they can be hatched. Eggs can only be eaten raw if one of their component materials (yolk, white, or shell) is edible raw; otherwise, they have to be cooked into prepared meals first.

Egg laying animals will claim an empty [[Nest box]] if one is available.

Males can also be [[mod]]ded to lay eggs, although these may not hatch.<sup>Needs clarification</sup>
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== Hatching Conditions ==

Hatching eggs requires that the dwarves are prevented from removing the eggs (and mother) from the nest box until they have a chance to hatch. This can be done by placing the nest box behind a locked [[door]] or by [[forbid]]ding the eggs in the nest box. Forbidding eggs on the [[menu#Kitchen Screen|kitchen menu]] will ''not'' prevent dwarves from removing them from the nest box &mdash; it will only prevent them from being cooked. Similarly, modifying all [[stockpiles]] to disallow eggs will prevent hauling jobs, however the eggs remain available for [[cook]]ing and eating.

Eggs may be fertilized when laid, or they may not. In order for eggs to be fertilized, a male of the species must be present (though this does not always ''guarantee'' fertilization). Depending on the animal, fertilization chances seem to differ. {{verify}} If the creature is part of an actual civilization, then the egg-laying female must also be married in order for her eggs to be fertilized, and she likely must also be able to path to her husband. (In short, egg fertilization has the same conditions as normal impregnation in the game.)

All fertilized eggs left undisturbed in a nest box hatch after exactly 3 months, unlike in real life.

== Egg Production ==
{{main|Egg production}}
Fortresses can set up [[egg production]] as a source of [[food]]. This requires at least one adult, tame, female egg-laying [[animal]], a built and unclaimed [[nest box]], [[food hauling]], and [[cooking]].

== Egg Composition ==
It appears from tests that the [[material]] an egg is made out of is actually the shell; this includes meals made from the eggs.


{{Category|Food}}
{{Category|Creature attributes}}