Fertility breeding

[BlackAce]

I have 2 Roosters that are about 8 months old. I also have 3 Rhode Island Reds chicks / pullets about 10 weeks old. I'm not sure what the Roosters are but it has been suggested they are amber sex links. I only want and need one Rooster so that I can breed more.

No my question is when a Hen mates does she always need a Rooster? Will she always be fertile? My Roosters aren't mean but they never had a female either so that may change their demeaner.

The reason I'm asking is cause I want to see how the chicks are when they hatch so see if I want to keep the Rooster or not, and if I get another RIR Rooster will the new chicks look like the old Rooster since the hen has mated already.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

There are very few animals that don't need both a male and female to reproduce. Some earthworms are one.

http://news.sciencemag.org/2012/12/slideshow-virgin-birth-not-so-miraculous-animal-kingdom

A hen can lay eggs her whole life without a rooster, but without a rooster they will be infertile.
An egg is a bird's oestrous cycle.

Once mated a hen's eggs will be fertile for 2 weeks or more.
So If a hen has been with a rooster of one breed and then roosters are swapped, the offspring can be from the first rooster for up to a month later.

 

[BlackAce]

Prefect thank you that's exactly what I wanted to know.