how long until eggs are fertile with new roo?

[technodoll]

Hi guys!

Well tonight I finally switched out my roos as I want to start collecting eggs for hatching on Feb 17th...

The girls are all sexlinks laying brown eggs.

The new roo is a gorgeous EE with the blue egg gene.

I am hoping to hatch some olive eggers out of this!

The roo that was with the girls before is a white silkie, I did not want to hatch that mix.

So my question is, how long should I wait before collecting eggs for hatching that would be fertilized by my EE roo, and not my silkie roo?

I understand it can take 3 or 4 days for the silkie's, um, "leftovers" to evacuate the hen via eggs?

And yes the EE roo is already mating all the hens he can grab, my poor girls - he's so big

I'm afraid he will pull their feathers out or injure them so this is only temporary until I collect enough eggs for hatching. My poor silkie roo was enraged! Those have been HIS girls since last summer! I put him in a separate pen but he can still see and hear what's going on.

I feel so bad

 

[Paganbird]

If you want to be sure none of the eggs were fertilized by the silkie... wait a month.
Yes, eggs can still be fertile from a rooster 3 weeks after mating.

 

[HEChicken]

Yeah, I'll second this. I processed my last roo four weeks ago tomorrow, but eggs laid early this week were still fertile (after three weeks).

 

[technodoll]

3 WEEKS???

But how is that possible?

I ordered some eggs for my first incubation, all is set for Feb 17th -- crap!!

Now I can't use my sexlink x EE cross eggs at all for this incubation??

 

[technodoll]

OK I just found this information:

After the rooster has mated with a hen the sperm packet is good for about 10 days. Unlike most creatures the birds do not need fertilizing each time, for each egg. The sperm is stored in the cloaca of the hen for up to 10 days and then needs replenishing. If the rooster has died or otherwise left the flock his progeny may go on for a few more days as the hens eggs will still be fertile until the sperm packet is depleted.

So in 10 days then, the eggs should be clear of silkie genes and seeded with EE genes?

I guess I could delay the incubation by a few days to make sure.

Oh man... my poor violated hens

 

[HEChicken]

I'm not sure I'd take the risk if you want to be sure the EE has fertilized the eggs. Despite the bit you found, I've heard many times that it takes up to a month. I've been specifically checking fertility on my eggs because I wanted to see for myself how long they might stay fertile, and after three weeks, they were still fertile.

 

[technodoll]

I'm sooo upset.

I was counting on this hatch containing eggs from this mix.

I cannot delay it by a month.

*cries*

 

[catdaddyfro]

The ten days thing is about right I always wait about 2 weeks and there is a slight chance of some residual silkie leftovers but the new roo's little swimmers are going to be more volatile and you'll more than likely end up with what you're wanting so I wouldn't fret too much over that little matter.

catdaddy

 

[rittert3]

Sounds like you really want the EE cross, so here's my idea wait a week and a half or so and then start collecting. The over active EE should produce more fertile eggs than the silkies residual effect, and after you hatch you should easily beable to ID any silkie Xs and just rehome them that way you don't miss out on the EE Xs you will get.

 

[countrychics]

wow interesting info here...i didnt know any of this info..thanks for sharing all!!!!!!!!