A farmer has six hens and one rooster. The picture asks about birds laying eggs and then poses a trick question: How many eggs does the rooster lay?
Don’t Let the Numbers Distract You
Riddles often include numbers to make a simple question feel like a math problem. You might be tempted to multiply the number of birds by two or count all seven chickens together.
But there is a more important detail than the total number of birds: the question asks specifically about the rooster, not the hens.
Answer to the Farmer and Rooster Riddle
The rooster lays zero eggs. A rooster is a male chicken, and male chickens do not lay eggs. Hens are the egg-laying chickens.
Whether the farmer has one rooster or several, the rooster’s egg count remains zero. The six hens might lay eggs, but their production isn’t what the final question asks about.
Why It Works as a Trick Question
The riddle tests careful reading instead of calculation. If you concentrated on the numbers and nearly missed the word “rooster,” that’s exactly what gives this question its twist.
Did you catch the trick immediately, or did you start adding eggs?


