Fertilized eggs in the brooder shed?

[aryucrazy]

My hens have been separated from the roosters for 2.5-3 months now so they could hatch and raise chicks. The chicks hatched a little under 2 months ago (staggered hatch that I had to finish in the incubator).

A few days ago we found the hiding spot the hens had started laying new eggs in, and there were 21 eggs. Obviously this had been going on for a couple weeks. I noticed that when I cracked open two of these eggs they appeared fertilized.

I have read estimates of how long hens can continue laying fertilized eggs after being separated from roosters, but this is longer than what I found. Is the timeframe shifted if the hen doesn't lay eggs (and so doesn't use the stored sperm)?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is the timeframe shifted if the hen doesn't lay eggs (and so doesn't use the stored sperm)?

No. The sperm ages and becomes non-viable as time goes by. How long it stays viable will depend some on the hen and her storage but also on the health and viability of the rooster. Some sperm goes non-viable in just over a weeks storage in the hen, some remains viable for over four weeks, but that is rare.

I noticed that when I cracked open two of these eggs they appeared fertilized.

I can see different possibilities as to why you thought those two ere fertile. Those two eggs may have been laid a long time ago. As long as bacteria does not enter the egg through the porous shell the eggs can last a long time without going bad.

You may have experienced parthenogenesis. This is where reproduction can take place without a male. Some species rely on parthenogenesis for reproduction. Chickens are not one of them. But if you scroll down to "birds" in this link you'll see that parthenogenesis has been documented in turkeys and chickens. It is rare but not unheard of. Usually chicken eggs fertilized by parthenogenesis will not hatch but some have.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenogenesis

The other alternative is that you may have misinterpreted those eggs. Some are not as straightforward as you'd like to believe.