Need help about questions that involve fertilized eggs for hatching

[Nenad]

My future flock will have different breeds. They will free range and sleep together. If I want to hatch eggs from one breed that is in flock, when I separate them( roo and hens same breed) and rooster start mating next morning with those hens and all week. Will eggs be fertilized by that roosters from same breed or from others in flock when she mated past days? Or how long will I have to wait for eggs to be fertilized by that rooster from same breed?

 

[K0k0shka]

Sperm can stay and remain active inside the hen for a month or more, and she can preferentially keep or eject sperm from a rooster she doesn't like. So if she doesn't like the new guy you put her with, she can keep tossing his contribution and the previous guy's sperm can remain active for quite a while. You'd need to separate the breeding pair for quite a bit longer than one week to ensure your rooster of choice is the one fertilizing the eggs.

 

[Nenad]

Thank you for answering and explaining.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Pretty sure it's at least 4 weeks to be safe. Mine will be separated early January to hopefully be empty by early March

 

[Ridgerunner]

This information might help you plan.

It takes about 25 hours for an egg to go through the hen's internal egg making factory. That egg can only be fertilized in the first few moments of that journey. This means that if a successful mating takes place on a Monday, Monday's egg is not fertile from that mating. Tuesday's egg might or might not be, depending in timing. I would not count on it but it might be. Wednesday's egg should be.

A rooster does not mate with every hen in his flock every day, but he doesn't have to. In the last part of the mating act the rooster hops off, his part is done. The hen then stands up, fluffs up, and shakes. This fluffy shake gets the sperm in a special container near where that egg starts its internal journey. The sperm typically stays viable in that container for anywhere from 9 days to a few days over two weeks. But some are not typical, there have been cases where fertile eggs have been laid over three weeks after the mating. Some people use three weeks as long enough to isolate a hen away from an undesirable rooster but to be more sure you need to wait four weeks. It is not an exact science.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

This information might help you plan.

It takes about 25 hours for an egg to go through the hen's internal egg making factory. That egg can only be fertilized in the first few moments of that journey. This means that if a successful mating takes place on a Monday, Monday's egg is not fertile from that mating. Tuesday's egg might or might not be, depending in timing. I would not count on it but it might be. Wednesday's egg should be.

A rooster does not mate with every hen in his flock every day, but he doesn't have to. In the last part of the mating act the rooster hops off, his part is done. The hen then stands up, fluffs up, and shakes. This fluffy shake gets the sperm in a special container near where that egg starts its internal journey. The sperm typically stays viable in that container for anywhere from 9 days to a few days over two weeks. But some are not typical, there have been cases where fertile eggs have been laid over three weeks after the mating. Some people use three weeks as long enough to isolate a hen away from an undesirable rooster but to be more sure you need to wait four weeks. It is not an exact science.

If you were to wait 3 weeks, and then use another male, is it more likely that the more recent male would be the father of chicks? Or does the older sperm have just as likely a chance?

 

[Ridgerunner]

A poultry science professor at University of Arkansas that specialized in poultry reproduction said he believes in the last-in first-out theory. The last rooster to put his sperm in is most likely (almost certainly) to be the father. From the way he said that I got the idea not every poultry science professor agreed with him.

I don't now what the right answer is. With the older sperm maybe not even being viable and his-last in first-out theory I'd think your chances would be really good after three weeks but I hesitate to give guarantees.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

A poultry science professor at University of Arkansas that specialized in poultry reproduction said he believes in the last-in first-out theory. The last rooster to put his sperm in is most likely (almost certainly) to be the father. From the way he said that I got the idea not every poultry science professor agreed with him.

I don't now what the right answer is. With the older sperm maybe not even being viable and his-last in first-out theory I'd think your chances would be really good after three weeks but I hesitate to give guarantees.

That's good enough for me

 

[3KillerBs]

I'd think your chances would be really good after three weeks but I hesitate to give guarantees.

I have 4 black pullets to prove there are no guarantees.

My friend swears that she separated her breeds 3 weeks before she started choosing eggs to set. But the genetics experts here told me that there is no way a Splash-Laced Red Wyandotte over Silver-Laced Wyandotte hens could possibly produce solid black offspring and that they had to have been fathered by the Lavender Orpington rooster before the breeds were separated.

 

[Katix7]

I am super bummed to learn this! I just got my Barred Rocks rounded up and was hoping that a few days together might do the trick. Sigh* I might still do put this weekends eggs in the incubator and see what happens. We only have 5 roosters and the barred rocks hang out all day together anyways…going to take the risk! Might end up with a random mixed but i’m ok with that - they usually end up with beautiful coloring.

@Nenad What ended up happening in your situation? Did you keep they separated for four weeks or try incubating the eggs sooner? I’ve love to know bc I am in the exact same scenario