How long do I have to wait?

[kristaleigh]

I'm going to try to ask this question without it becoming to complicated. lol

I let my chickens free range together. Lets say I want to hatch out some eggs of only americaunas.
So I go get my americaunas and I separate them from the pack. How long do I have to wait before those
eggs are only fertilized by the americauna rooster.

Does this make sense? In other words, are fertilized eggs, fertilized each single day? So after 2 days of confinement, the eggs I
collected would only be americauna?

Thanks,
Krista

 

[rainbowrooster]

There are always exceptions but you should wait 2 weeks, 10 days at the minimum. The sperm can be viable for quite some time

 

[lazy gardener]

Krista, I assume that you have more than one rooster. An other question back at ya! Would it be easier to remove the non-Am rooster than to separate the Am hens? Either way: there are 2 theories that you could choose from. Hens "store" sperm. Theory # 1 goes like this. Eggs are most often fertilized on a last in/first out theory. In other words, the sperm from the most recent amorous encounter would be freshest, and most LIKELY to be the fertilization lottery winner. So, IF you're a risk taker, you could separate, give your chosen rooster time to woo the ladies, wait a week or so, and hope that his sperm win the lottery. Now, IF you're not a risk taker, you'll choose theory #2: that being that sperm can live for up to 2 - 4 weeks in the hen's reproductive tract. So, you'd have to keep the hens away from all other roos except for your chosen one for 2 - 4 weeks, then you could be assured that the eggs were fertilized by him. It all depends on the importance you place on being assured of who the sire is. BTW, blue egg gene is dominant. So, if your roo carries it, he'll pass it on to even your brown egglets.

 

[kristaleigh]

Thanks you guys so much!!!! Yes, duh, I didn't even think about just removing the said rooster. That would def work for my Americaunas since their eggs are blue. But alas if I want BLRW Id have to seperate the 4 chickens. Because I can't tell their eggs apart from my other brown layers. ) you guys are awesome!!!

 

[kristaleigh]

Blue egg is dominant?? So does that mean my Silkie/americauna layer will lay blue eggs? The father was americauna.

 

[lazy gardener]

I assume that Silkie's lay brown eggs? Is your Ameraucana really an Ameraucana. Or is it a "Ameraucana" from a hatchery... in which case, it's really an Easter Egger. Ameraucanas breed true to feather color, so if your bird came from a hatchery and was in a bin or shipment that had varied colors in it, it's an EE, in which case, it most likely carries the blue egg gene, but may not. If it has the blue egg gene, and crosses with a white egg layer, you'll get a blue egg layer. If it crosses with a brown egg layer you'll get a green or olive egg layer.