Greathorse gave you great advise. I'll add or confirm a bit.
After a hen and rooster mate, it usually takes three days for the eggs to be fertile. This is after the mating, not just them being introduced. Any eggs laid for the nest 10 to 14 days will probably be fertile but this can vary a bit.
The hens will lay eggs, whether a rooster is present or not. The rooster's pesence just means they are probably fertile. A hen either will or will not go broody, whether a rooster is present or not. It is controlled by her hormones, not the presence of a rooster and not with whether or not her eggs are fertile.
A hen will hatch any eggs you put under her. It does not have to be her own eggs.
Further to my other post about the offspring appearance, it does matter which breed is the father and mother. For example, with a Barred Rock rooster and a Buff Orpington hen, both male and female offspring will be marked like the father with the barring, although I believe the roosters may be a little lighter. With a Buff Orpington rooster and a Barred Rock hen, the resulting roosters will be barred but the pullets will be black, probably with some gold color around the neck. If you then breed the offspring, you can come up with a multitude of possible color and pattern combinations.
After a hen and rooster mate, it usually takes three days for the eggs to be fertile. This is after the mating, not just them being introduced. Any eggs laid for the nest 10 to 14 days will probably be fertile but this can vary a bit.
The hens will lay eggs, whether a rooster is present or not. The rooster's pesence just means they are probably fertile. A hen either will or will not go broody, whether a rooster is present or not. It is controlled by her hormones, not the presence of a rooster and not with whether or not her eggs are fertile.
A hen will hatch any eggs you put under her. It does not have to be her own eggs.
Further to my other post about the offspring appearance, it does matter which breed is the father and mother. For example, with a Barred Rock rooster and a Buff Orpington hen, both male and female offspring will be marked like the father with the barring, although I believe the roosters may be a little lighter. With a Buff Orpington rooster and a Barred Rock hen, the resulting roosters will be barred but the pullets will be black, probably with some gold color around the neck. If you then breed the offspring, you can come up with a multitude of possible color and pattern combinations.
