ROOSTER CURIOSITIES...

[Nateness01]

I have a few questions pertaining to roosters, and hens in general, and havn't been able to find answers anywhere else. Perhaps some of you fine foks know. Of our three hens, one of them came from a lady that had no rooster at all, so obviously none of her eggs would be fertile. However the other two came from a gal that had 2 roosters present. We picked them up 2 days ago. The question I have is...Is it possible that any of the eggs they're laying could be feritle, or is it only possible for the rooster to fertilize one at a time. So basically is the only potentially fertile one the first one that they laid since we had them?...

 

[elfkin2001]

It is a possibility for the eggs to be fertile. Avian sperm can survive in a female chicken for 80 days. Therefore it is possible for her eggs to be fertilized for a few weeks after copulation.

 

[speckledhen]

I've never heard 80 days; it's not probable. You most likely have two to three weeks of fertility at the outside, although, on occasion, someone has hatched a chick from the wrong rooster after 30 days. My own experience with that was when my flock rooster died. Eggs were fertile for three weeks with some hens.

 

[elfkin2001]

Avian sperm can last up to 80 days in a hen's cloaca. I mistyped on the 12 weeks, it's more like 3-4.