I let my roo in with the ladies and I saw them mating..he dont seem accurate! My delima is I have a broody and want to put her on some eggs...How long should he be with them before I use the eggs for them to be fertile?
You can crack open some eggs to find out if they're fertile. Check this link for pictures: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16008 I have hens who've laid eggs that I was certain would be fertile. Nope. Guess it depends on more than seeing the rooster be a bad boy.
The previous poster showed you a good link. Usually an egg is fertile 2 days after mating, not the day after. A rooster does not necessarily mate with every hen the first day he is with the flock, so how long will depend on the size of your flock and the vitality of the rooster. Eggs are normally fertile for two weeks after mating.
