Breeding to multiple Roos

[Tante Cora]

I’ve kept chickens for years...my kids and I are trying our hand at selective breeding for the first time this spring. I have 3 different Roos (AMER, BCM and Blue Aus) and want to breed my hens between them. I will have all 3 Roos separated out into different pens and put the hens in with them.
My question is this: when I move the hens between roos, how long should I wait to pull eggs for incubation? I’ve read that hens will store sperm for up to 4 weeks *sheesh*, so if I had my AMER family all together and want to put the hens in with my BCM roo, how long should I wait before I can be sure the hens are giving me eggs fertilized by the BCM? I trust y’all more than google, so please school me.
Thanks guys!

 

[BDutch]

I don’t have any experience with this myself but have been reading posts from people who have.

What I remembered: The first 2 weeks you have a very unreliable outcome. After that it gets a lot better. But up-to three weeks the sperm of previous roosters can fertilise the hens eggs.

Please respond if this is not correct.

 

[BDutch]

Do you live in the Netherlands? Or are you Dutch? Bc Tante Cora sounds very Dutch.
There is a thread called ‘peeps in Europe with a few breeders who probably have some answers: @abpatchy , @Erba

If you look into articles about breeding /roosters, I’m sure you can find breeders with experience you can ask to respond @....

 

[abpatchy]

I’ve kept chickens for years...my kids and I are trying our hand at selective breeding for the first time this spring. I have 3 different Roos (AMER, BCM and Blue Aus) and want to breed my hens between them. I will have all 3 Roos separated out into different pens and put the hens in with them.
My question is this: when I move the hens between roos, how long should I wait to pull eggs for incubation? I’ve read that hens will store sperm for up to 4 weeks *sheesh*, so if I had my AMER family all together and want to put the hens in with my BCM roo, how long should I wait before I can be sure the hens are giving me eggs fertilized by the BCM? I trust y’all more than google, so please school me.
Thanks guys!

To be certain that the new rooster is the father of the chicks you need to wait at least 3 weeks.
I have heard of some cases where it was 6 weeks that the first rooster still fathered chicks.
Another reason to keep them with the rooster you want to be the father is that the hens might not accept him immediately. They might refuse him for a few weeks before they allow him to mate. That's why, as a breeder, I create my breeding groups latest in January. Usually in December so I can start hatching in March.

 

[SueT]

I had to kill a cockerel one month ago. The eggs of the pullets he was with are still consistently fertile. I will be letting the rooster in after the eggs no longer have that fertile bullseye on the yolk.

 

[SueT]

Question: I have my 7 pullets in a separate area adjoining the area for the 6 hens and 1 rooster. Can I let the rooster in to visit the pullets and then return to the hens at end of day? How long would the visit have to be to ensure fertility? Would we need several visits?

 

[DarJones]

best to leave the rooster in the pen with the pullets for a week, then return him to the hens for a week. It is spreading him a bit thin to use him on that many females so egg fertility may suffer.