How Long from mating to fertile egg?

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Thanks for clearing that up! I just cracked 2 eggs for breakfast and boy what a surprise!!! My rooster has been gone for over 3 weeks. I was beginning to wonder......
 
Ridgerunner said:
It takes 25 hours for an egg to make its way through the chickens internal egg laying factory.  The egg can only be fertilized during the first 15 minutes of this process.  If a rooster mates with a hen on Monday about the time that Tuesday's egg has started its journey through the hens egg laying factory, Monday's egg will not be fertile.  Tuesday's egg will not be fertile.  Wednesday's egg will probably be fertile.  If the mating occurs early Monday and Tuesday's egg is laid late on Tuesday, it is possible Tuesday's egg will be fertile, depending on the time of mating and the time the egg starts its journey through the hen.


After a rooster mates with a hen, the hen will probably lay fertile eggs for 10 to 14 days, even if she does not mate with a rooster again.  Sometimes it is less and sometimes it is more, but the average is around 10 to 14 days.  3-1/2 weeks is the latest I have seen reported on this forum. 


A rooster does not necessarily mate with every hen in the flock every day.  Just because a rooster has been with your flock for a few days does not mean that all eggs are fertile.


I'd be pretty confident the eggs would be fertile from 3 to 14 days after a mating.  After that, I believe your chances of fertile eggs drop off.  I understand breeders usually wait three weeks after a certain rooster has been removed from the hen to be pretty certain he is not the father.
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Since I can't find the info, I'm wondering what your expertise thinks about this: I have a hen who has always been extremely fertilized by her rooster. Just yesterday I put her in another pen with a new rooster to start an olive egger project. The new maran rooster mounted her immediately, and has been ever since. I'm currently selling her(and her sisters) hatching eggs. Do I dare sell her "pure" hatching eggs for another ten days? Or do the sperm mix with mixed result breeds? The old rooster was the same breed as her and they are pure. Appreciate any advice you have. Thank you.
 
When you introduce a new cockbid, you'd be wise to allow two weeks of overlap. During those two weeks, you cannot possibly know which sperm is going to be used by the hen. There's an old adage that suggests "last in -first out" but like most old sayings, not much science behind it.

Over the two week transition period, the new cock's sperm is going to be fresher and more active. It is likely that nature "gets" all of this. But still. Wait two weeks to be sure. Any eggs collected during that two week period would unknown.
 
Fred's Hens said:
When you introduce a new cockbid, you'd be wise to allow two weeks of overlap.  During those two weeks, you cannot possibly know which sperm is going to be used by the hen.  There's an old adage that suggests "last in -first out" but like most old sayings, not much science behind it.

Over the two week transition period, the new cock's sperm is going to be fresher and more active.  It is likely that nature "gets" all of this.  But still.  Wait two weeks to be sure. Any eggs collected during that two week period would unknown.
Click to expand...

Thank you!! I suppose I'll hatch those out myself. The only thing that can happen is olive eggers or Wheaton ameraucanas. Thank you thank you :D
 
I had someone tell me that once the hen & rooster mated that the eggs she lays will be fertilized???? I have never heard this & wanted to see if anyone else has & if there's any truth to it.
 

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