Rooster switch, how long until I'm sure the new rooster will be the actual father

[CSKA]

Hi,

I have 3 breeds which are kind of free to move in a fenced land all mixed together, but when I want to incubate I will need to separate the lucky rooster and the selected ladies in a closed area for a while, until I get fertilized eggs from that rooster, then I need to switch the selected breed for the round I want to hatch next.

I need to know how much time is necessary to be almost certain that the choosen rooster is the father and any previous sperm is no longer valid. Maybe we can separate the answer by almost certain and totally certain (because in some cases a minor error is acceptable others I want to be sure).

Thanks

 

[sourland]

Hens can retain sperm/fertility at high levels for one week, moderate fertility for two weeks, some fertility for three weeks, and occasional fertility for up to four weeks after the removal of a rooster.

 

[growanstede]

We do preservation breeding and wait five weeks after separating until we start collecting eggs. Four weeks is generally a good plan and we like to give a little extra time. There's always the odd outlier, and we like to make sure we're giving our customers exactly what they ordered.