Our 24 week old pullets have been laying for a couple of weeks now and the roosters are courting and breeding without any undo protest from the girls. I was out in the yard yesterday watching them and a question popped into my head.
Our alpha rooster is a big beautiful Welsummer boy, beta is a Buff Orpinton rooster. If beta mounts a hen, Alpha with naturally knock him off of her, but then, he covers her, dismounts and then Beta will mount her and mate with her with no protest from the Alpha male. There is a third rooster hanging around the parameter watching, and if he can sneak in in time he will try to mate her last. It's as if they are trying to show one another up. These three boys get along well. The hens all like them and the flock is peaceful with no fights between the males.
My question is this. If two or three roosters cover the same hen, which one will fertilize the hen? The one who mates her first or the rooster she prefers. Or does she have any control over who's sperm packet she stores?
Our alpha rooster is a big beautiful Welsummer boy, beta is a Buff Orpinton rooster. If beta mounts a hen, Alpha with naturally knock him off of her, but then, he covers her, dismounts and then Beta will mount her and mate with her with no protest from the Alpha male. There is a third rooster hanging around the parameter watching, and if he can sneak in in time he will try to mate her last. It's as if they are trying to show one another up. These three boys get along well. The hens all like them and the flock is peaceful with no fights between the males.
My question is this. If two or three roosters cover the same hen, which one will fertilize the hen? The one who mates her first or the rooster she prefers. Or does she have any control over who's sperm packet she stores?
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