How Long till I can expect fertile eggs?

[Brickman House]

Guys, read the question!

The poster acqiured laying hens that hadn't seen a roo before they arrived at his farm. His question is when he can expect to see fertile eggs from the newly bred hens, NOT how long they'll be fertile from some old roo or when paternity will switch over.


It's a good question, albeit one with no definte answer-- sorry, RCJ!

Rooster semen survives in a hen's tract for up to 30 days, but that doesn't tell us much about when she starts laying fertile eggs once she's bred-- too many variables. If it's an important issue for you, I'd start cracking eggs and looking for a bullseye at about seven days post-exposure to the roo.

 

[cochin44]

No, I am fixing to start breeding my cochins, but yesterday one of my other roos ran over to the cochin coop
and got busy before I could stop him. I was just wondering what I should do now.

 

[MuranoFarms]

If you're asking because you want to sell them as hatching eggs, I would test incubate a few after week 1. If you're just curious start looking when you break them open for breakfast. If there's a bullseye it's fertile. If not check again in a few days.

 

[MuranoFarms]

Quote:
Brickman is right...semen survives in the hen for up to a month. Even if another rooster adds his 'contribution' the original roo's semen could still be active for a month. So you wait a month then incubate a few and see what you get!

 

[kid-n-chickens]

Hopefully to answer the posters question, I was told 3 days by an old time chicken lady. I put a rooster in with my hens (who had also never seen a roo before) on Saturday 2/27 afternoon and all the eggs from 3/2 was obviously fertile by the bullseye test. So if it is for your use I would go with the three days if it is for shipping I would wait a little longer. Hope this helps you