Hen ejecting sperm?

[inquisitivebird]

I have a speckled sussex hen and an Orpington hen in a pen with an Orpington rooster. They have been together at least 6 weeks. I have seen the rooster mating both hens. I'm particularly interested in the speckled sussex eggs as I'm wanting the crossed chicks. I just canlded 7 eggs that were on day 5 of incubation along with some other eggs and they are infertile. I'm shocked! Could the hen be rejecting the sperm? And if so, all of it?! I am unsure if the Orpington hens eggs are fertile as I have not incubated any this time around. My other thought is that the rooster is shooting blanks. Is this possible? What should I do it get these eggs fertilised? The rooster is under almost a year old.

 

[Shadrach]

I have a speckled sussex hen and an Orpington hen in a pen with an Orpington rooster. They have been together at least 6 weeks. I have seen the rooster mating both hens. I'm particularly interested in the speckled sussex eggs as I'm wanting the crossed chicks. I just canlded 7 eggs that were on day 5 of incubation along with some other eggs and they are infertile. I'm shocked! Could the hen be rejecting the sperm? And if so, all of it?! I am unsure if the Orpington hens eggs are fertile as I have not incubated any this time around. My other thought is that the rooster is shooting blanks. Is this possible? What should I do it get these eggs fertilised? The rooster is under almost a year old.

Yes it is possible the hens are rejecting the roosters sperm.
https://www.livescience.com/15828-chickens-eject-sperm.html
It's very hard to tell if this is the case, or the rooster is infertile.
The most likely possibility is given they've only been together for six weeks and the rooster is still a cockerel, he isn't very good at mating yet and isn't getting on target.

 

[SueT]

I’d give them time. Are your hens young as well?
Watch your egg yolks when you open to eat them and look for the bullseye on the yolks. Wait until every egg you open is fertile, then you can try hatching.

 

[inquisitivebird]

Thank you, I'll keep waiting, and I think I will trim their feathers as well. I've been told Orpington need that sometimes to mate properly.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Probably just young love being complicated.

Though males can shoot blanks. I have a 10 year old male that finally stopped fertilizing this spring and I know others have had birds that were unable to fertilize eggs too

 

[Red Horse]

Are you watching for the actual cloaca kiss? It's my first time with chickens and my roosters are just learning how to mate. There is one hen that will squat for one of them and although she is very patient and tilts up her cloaca for him, he is still at least 3 inches away from it but seems very satisfied with himself like he did the deed.

 

[Darius123]

I would check for the so called "Bulls eye" in the egg of the Orpington hen, that way you will most likely know that he is infertile or still not that experienced in mating.
I will say that you can figure that out because 2 hens rejecting the semen is very strange to me, never had something like that happen.

 

[inquisitivebird]

I would check for the so called "Bulls eye" in the egg of the Orpington hen, that way you will most likely know that he is infertile or still not that experienced in mating.
I will say that you can figure that out because 2 hens rejecting the semen is very strange to me, never had something like that happen.

Yes, that's a good idea. The Orpington hen has only been in with this rooster for about 10 days. I know her eggs were fertile from another rooster, so I need to wait longer to check her eggs again.

 

[inquisitivebird]

Are you watching for the actual cloaca kiss? It's my first time with chickens and my roosters are just learning how to mate. There is one hen that will squat for one of them and although she is very patient and tilts up her cloaca for him, he is still at least 3 inches away from it but seems very satisfied with himself like he did the deed.

I will need to pay a bit better attention I think to see if he makes that connection.

 

[inquisitivebird]

I have an update on the rooster and hen. I trimmed both of their feathers thinking it might help and when I started some more eggs and candled them on day 3, I have fertility in an egg laid 3 days before I trimmed them. So, it was just a matter of time I'm thinking and just figuring things out between themselves. I have 6 eggs that are growing now and I'm so glad!