If two roosters mate with the same hen, which one fertilizes the eggs?

[MissChick@dee]

Viable sperm. Sperm Storage in the oviduct up to three weeks. But it’s rarely viable. Hens continually store sperm. The question was I believe who would be the daddy with two roosters mating. Could be both. Many animals are able to accomplish this. To ensure the rooster you want to be the daddy the rule of thumb is to remove any other roosters and the hens eggs for three weeks.

 

[Chickassan]

The stored sperm is perfectly viable, there would be no reason to store dud sperm for a month right? The shelves are always being stocked but the old cans are still good so to speak. Totally right though on multiple fathers if she's mating multiples then the clutch will have multiple fathers. Once the donation has been introduced into the oviduct there is no picking and choosing baby daddies.

 

[MissChick@dee]

Good analogy. I understand the whole cycle I do. If one hen was matted with one rooster once then the rate of fertile eggs would drop as she laid due to the viability of the sperm. It would be a hella great controlled study wouldn’t it?
I get too how a hen can hatch chicks (not counting incubation) a month after let’s say the rooster died (lol).
I’m not so sure we’re too far apart on this.
If a hen didn’t have a fresh rotated stock of let’s say pork and beans on her shelf.
The the beans would go bad before she could eat them all. Sheesh I’m killin myself here!

 

[MissChick@dee]

What did you do to me? The difference I see on our opinions is that your saying a hen once mated will lay fertile eggs for 3 weeks. My opinion (and yes there’s much to read about it) is that she’ll lay fertile eggs for 3-9 days. Guess that’s my can of pork and beans.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Sperm is viable for three weeks and more. Not that a hen will lay fertile eggs for three weeks after a single mating rather once her oviducts are full (multiple matings) she will.

A clutch from one hen can have many sires. What's not known is if there is mixing of sperm in storage or if it's perfectly chronological. As in you have a hen with one cock for weeks then put her in another pen for few days will that second cockerels sperm be present in eggs in few days or will it take weeks of using up first cockerels sperm storage before second sperm is present in eggs? That's the unknown. Obviously some mixing in transition of sires.

 

[Chickassan]

Indeed,my cans revolve around the notion that the sperm are not only stored but sustained with lipids within the hens oviducts. So even if the shelves don't get stocked the dusty cans are still in really nice shape. It really is a very neat system they've got going.

What did you do to me? The difference I see on our opinions is that your saying a hen once mated will lay fertile eggs for 3 weeks. My opinion (and yes there’s much to read about it) is that she’ll lay fertile eggs for 3-9 days. Guess that’s my can of pork and beans.

 

[pjag]

Indeed,my cans revolve around the notion that the sperm are not only stored but sustained with lipids within the hens oviducts. So even if the shelves don't get stocked the dusty cans are still in really nice shape. It really is a very neat system they've got going.

 

[pjag]

This has been very interesting. It has helped me understand my last hatch better. I have a large mixed flock with several roosters. I had a hen laying beautiful almost opalescent light pink eggs. I wanted to know who was laying those beautiful eggs so I hatched a few. I wound up with 4 chicks from those eggs. Each chick has chip munk stripes, but every single chick is a different color. I have since identified the eggs as being from my Russian Orloff Natasha. Apparently Natasha gets around. I think every chick has a different father!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Interesting!