How long should I wait?

[Zanybabzooka]

So I just butchered my excess roosters yesterday, so now all my birds in the pen are the same breed. How long would you advise waiting before setting some eggs in my incubator to be sure they're purebred? How long can the eggs be fertilized by my previous roosters?

Thanks!

 

[RileyCalanchini]

Hen's can hold a rooster's sperm for quite a while. It depends on how much they have stored. Haha! I would wait at least a month or two.

 

[Sambi89]

I've heard a minimum of 3 weeks and up to a few months. Hope it helps!

 

[Zanybabzooka]

Does it make a difference if there are new roosters breeding them? Do they dump the old and replenish with the new roosters sperm? I read that if you remove all your roosters, the hens' eggs can be fertile for up to 3 weeks. I didn't know if this changed if they had new roosters to breed with.

 

[Sambi89]

That's a good question I don't know the answer to. . . Anyone else want to join in?

 

[sandesnow]

Says 30 days after removal of other roos, and addition of the new (or remaining roo)... Just happened to come across this a few weeks ago.

 

[madamiec]

You will have good fertile eggs from the old roos for at least two weeks...falls off from there but you got good info on the 30 days with new roos and you should be good to go!