Questions on how long a hen retains fertility

[Jrose]

I moved my Ameraucanas from my marans roosters to a pen with my new Ameraucana rooster, so I can start producing pure Ams, rather than olive eggers. They've been with him for about 5 days. I've seen first hand that a hen can retain sperm for up to 3 weeks (thought I would be hatching pure black Jap bantams, but they came out big ole frizzles!), but what are folks' experiences with a new roo 'overpowering' the old roo's sperm?


Thanks!

 

[jordan293]

Im curious about this question as well i have a pen with 3 roosters 2 of them polish and 1 barrred rock and they are loose with about 20 hens and all 3 mount hens so wondering if i incubate some will i have equal odds of all 3 crosses? I want polish crosses

 

[JadedPhoenix]

Usually, you'd want to keep the hens away from the rooster whose chicks you don't want for at least 2 weeks before collecting eggs from them to get the eggs from the mating pair of your choice. Hens can keep sperm from their matings for about that long. I'd even go about 3 to verify breeding if I was wanting to guarantee it. So 5 days isn't enough to know that the eggs collected will have him as the sire. Sorry. You have a bit of waiting to do.

 

[Jrose]

Usually, you'd want to keep the hens away from the rooster whose chicks you don't want for at least 2 weeks before collecting eggs from them to get the eggs from the mating pair of your choice. Hens can keep sperm from their matings for about that long. I'd even go about 3 to verify breeding if I was wanting to guarantee it. So 5 days isn't enough to know that the eggs collected will have him as the sire. Sorry. You have a bit of waiting to do.

Yeah, I figured as much.

I haven't been keeping the eggs for incubating, even though I've got demand for OEs as well.

I thought maybe I'd keep them and just let folks know they may be OE or Ams? I also thought maybe I'd be able to tell, since my black copper marans religiously produces black chicks, and this Ameraucana rooster is very colorful.

Hum...

 

[Jrose]

Im curious about this question as well i have a pen with 3 roosters 2 of them polish and 1 barrred rock and they are loose with about 20 hens and all 3 mount hens so wondering if i incubate some will i have equal odds of all 3 crosses? I want polish crosses

My girls are in with a blue copper marans and a black copper marans. Both boys breed; there's a few hens that stick to only one roo, but some girls hit up both boys.
Even though I visiually confirm more breeding from the blue marans, 80% of my chicks come out black marans lineage. Either the black boy gets more action than I see, or his sperm is just far more potent!

 

[JetCat]

a hen can produce fertile eggs up to 6 weeks after being removed from a rooster, to be absolutely sure 6 weeks is the norm, a lot of people go only 30 days but anything less then that you're taking a risk on an impure hatch.

 

[Jrose]

a hen can produce fertile eggs up to 6 weeks after being removed from a rooster, to be absolutely sure 6 weeks is the norm, a lot of people go only 30 days but anything less then that you're taking a risk on an impure hatch.

Wow! 6 weeks? Maybe I will indeed just collect 'unsure' eggs, and if I can't tell the chicks by visual, I'll just let my customers know they'll get either green or blue eggs!

 

[Jrose]

a hen can produce fertile eggs up to 6 weeks after being removed from a rooster, to be absolutely sure 6 weeks is the norm, a lot of people go only 30 days but anything less then that you're taking a risk on an impure hatch.

So, just to clarify, 6 weeks is a mandatory time for 'purity', even if they're being bred regularly by the new rooster? Not just 'if you remove the rooster, the hen may remain fertile for up to 6 weeks'?

 

[JetCat]

a hen can reject the roosters sperm so yes if you want to be absolutely sure 6 weeks.

 

[Jrose]

a hen can reject the roosters sperm so yes if you want to be absolutely sure 6 weeks.

Noted! Good info, thank you! I've put the 'unknown mix' eggs under a broody, we'll see what pops out! If this roo throws colorful chicks, I'll definitely be able to tell between the pure Ams and the OEs!