Should I Separate rooster while on vacation?

[Jessie_james]

I plan to leave for a few days while I work on my rental home between tenants. I’m not sure how long we will be gone but it could be up to 5 days. I currently collect the eggs everyday except the ones that I previously left to be hatched. I don’t know if I feel comfortable coming back after 5 days and discarding the little eggs or another batch started. If I do separate him, how long should I separate him before I leave so the eggs aren’t fertile?

 

[Ridgerunner]

About a month.

In the last part of the mating act the rooster hops off, the hen stands up, fluffs her feathers, and shakes. This fluffy shake gets his sperm in a container near where the egg starts it's internal journey so that egg can be fertilized. The sperm can reman viable in that container anywhere from 9 days until over three weeks. So to be very sure no eggs will be fertile you need to wait longer than three weeks, more like four.

 

[MROO]

Do you have a neighbor who could collect eggs for you while you're gone? Free eggs in exchange for a daily check-in on your birds seems like a pretty fair trade. If you have a broody, just make sure they know NOT to collect or try to eat those ... unless you never want them to speak with you again!

 

[Jessie_james]

Yeah I’m probably leaving in two weeks or less so that won’t work.... but I guess I can ask our one neighbor... our dog can be selective. Or at least, our dog is intimidating thank you both for the advice!

 

[speedy2020]

It should be fine to leave the rooster with the hens. If you don't feel comfortable eating the eggs, just cook them up and feed to the chicken later. The chicken do have short memory and depend on the breed. There may be issue after reintroduce back to the block. If you are lucky enough, ask the neighbor to pickup free egg and keep an eye out when there.

 

[sourland]

The eggs will not develop unless incubated by one of the hens. If one goes broody, simply discard the eggs she is setting on.

 

[aart]

I currently collect the eggs everyday except the ones that I previously left to be hatched.

You leave fertile eggs in a nest hoping one of your birds will go broody?
Waste of eggs, gather them all every day and leave the cock/erel with his girls.