Fertility question

[ginasmarans]

I know that a hen can store sperm up to 30 days,so we normally wait that long before calling eggs pure. My question is,what if the hens aren't laying? Would they still store sperm? I'm assuming no eggs wouldn't matter to the roo,although sometimes they seem more interested in a pullet who is showing the signs of an impending egg. I separated my marans on 12-24 and they laid their first eggs this past Friday. Would you feel safe to begin collecting eggs or would you wait the full 30 days. Also, I just separated some feather shank marans hens(yesterday). To my knowledge they have not laid an egg in at least 2 months, and maybe not even then. Should I wait the full 30 days for them too. They are not with a roo right now,nor are they laying. I'm thinking of waiting 2-3 weeks before I put the roo in with them and cracking any eggs they may lay to check for fertility. If I get infertile eggs, then when I add the roo, any fertile eggs after that should be because of him,right?

 

[speckledhen]

I may be off base here, but I would feel fine collecting eggs from your Marans you separated on 12-24 by Jan 23, a full 30 days from when you separated them. Interesting question, Gina. Sure, you could go the full 30 days from 12-24 to be completely safe, if you wanted. And your plan for the featherlegged sounds fine to me. Those eggs you mentioned cracking to check in 2-3 weeks then, should be from whatever rooster you place them with, I'd think.