breeding

[siroiszoo]

Not sure where to post this one:

My buff orps & black australorps are 8 months old, laying like crazy and the roos are busy boys.

My question:

I've decided I want to isolate my orp roo with some of my best orp hens to get some orp chicks. My husband says I can't get a true orp because the hens store sperm and they have been running with the australorp roos. (all my orps & australorps were hatched and raised together)

Is this the case?

 

[Paganbird]

If you want to be sure all the chicks are "pure, " it's best to wait 3 weeks to try to hatch the eggs. If it doesn't matter too much, wait a week or two, but don't be surprised if you get a couple chicks that were fathered by the BA roo.
Yes, hens can lay eggs that have been fertilized by a rooster for 3 weeks after being separated from that rooster.

 

[Flowers of Abba]

Quote:
YES WAIT.

I had isolated some feather bare hens to let their scrapes heal up. I took their eggs in to compare to fertile eggs from the coop with my daughters..... THEY WERE FERTILE 3 1/2 WEEKS LATER!!!!!!!

I posted this same question and a breeder answered and said there was hope, just WAIT 1 month or so... to be sure. I have now decided to separate into smaller coops instead of one big one. I like to cross breed sometimes, but its hard to sell mystery eggs.....

 

[Mahonri]

Wait a FULL MONTH! I waited 3 weeks and ended up with chicks from the previous roo.

 

[Flowers of Abba]

HEHEHEHE !!! Al Gore

 

[RockwaterFarm]

Pen the hens away from all roosters for a few days. they will lay the eggs you don't want to hatch. after a few days put them with the orp roosters and you will get the correct chicks.

 

[hinkjc]

Even when the hens are separated for a few days, they can still produce fertile eggs. In my experience this is true for up to 3 weeks. After the roosters are removed, my eggs showed good fertility for 2 full weeks and started declining in the 3rd week and was completely gone by the 4th week. If you want pure, wait 3-4 weeks.

 

[Lollipop]

Yup, give`m a full month. Why take the chance?.......Pop

 

[siroiszoo]

This all sounds very reasonable to me. I'm gonna go for it as soon as I can figure out what to do with the four roosters living in the hen house I plan on using. (don't worry, it's good size for my project. it was built as a large horse stall ;-)

They are beautiful roosters, from the egg laying varieties so they don't make good meat birds. Any suggestions?

 

[Lollipop]

Heh heh, quail aren`t very big either, but enough of them makes a good meal. Roosters are hard to rehome, but you can put`m on Craigs list, or put a note on the BB at the feed store. Good luck..........Pop