minimum mating frequency?

[OHGrandma]

I'm getting some Sussex for the grandkids, with plans to have a different variety to show for each child. I have some Light/Coronation/Split chicks on order. Since I'm getting them as hatched, I'll have more roosters than I really need. I was thinking of keeping the roosters separated, and only rotate a select rooster in with the hens at specific times. So, how often does a hen need to be mated, daily, more or less often?

 

[mstricer]

A mating session should give you fertile eggs up to 3 weeks, I pretty sure.

 

[SteveH]

Quote:
A minimum would be hard to set ; they can stay fertile for 3 weeks or more . I read of one individual who rotates a roo over 3 pens of [ if I remember correctly ] 5 hens every 3 days ; another who breeds in a 7 cage battery with the roo moved to each individual hen every 24 hours .

 

[OHGrandma]

(This may seem a bit silly, as I seem to be counting my 'grand'chicks before my ordered chicks are even hatched! But I'm gathering info to help plan some of my cage & pen building.)

So, to insure good fertility for hatching, would I be safe collecting eggs for 2 weeks after mating?