Which Rooster fertalized these eggs?

[Flowers of Abba]

O.k. I made it through last winter incubating 47 eggs. Hatched 44. 43 lived. The coyote got some. Gave some away. So I ended up over the summer with a beautiful 100% Barnvelder rooster and 13 of my top pick hens. One of them was a red bantam frizzle that started crowing last month! ARGGGGGG! So, I thought o.k. I'll just make sure he has been gone from the coop for a bit before crossing my Barny roo with my favorite hens. Heres the problem... I had to isolate three of my barnny hens because they were getting picked on. I just went with their eggs in to the closet to candle (to compare with other eggs) and there is the biggest darkest moon on the end of the eggs! How is this possible. They have been in there for 3 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought since they lay every day that that day with the roo would be the fertilized egg? I can't find any info about this wierd question anywhere..... HELP

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not sure I'm following your question, but maybe this will help. It takes 25 hours for an egg to make its way through the chickens internal egg laying factory. The egg can only be fertilized during the first 15 minutes of this process. If a rooster mates with a hen say on Monday about the time that Tuesday's egg has started its journey through the hens egg laying factory, Monday's egg will not be fertile. Tuesday's egg will not be fertile. Wednesday's egg will probably be fertile. If the mating occurs early Monday and Tuesday's egg is laid later in the day, it is possible Tuesday's egg will be fertile, depending on the time of mating and the time the egg starts its journey through the hen.

After a rooster mates with a hen, the hen will probably lay fertile eggs for 10 to 14 days, even if she does not mate with a rooster again. Sometimes it is less and sometimes it is more, but the average is around 10 to 14 days.

A rooster does not necessarily mate with every hen in the flock every day. Just because a rooster has been with your flock for a few days does not mean that all eggs are fertile.

In all this, did I answer your question?

 

[Flowers of Abba]

YES. Thank you so much. YOUR FAST!

I can't believe one shot lasts ten to fourteen days! Very interesting stuff. I have got to get rid of that frizzle. If he weren't a bantam and so grumpy, maybe.... but he is a rude little thing. Thats it, no more picks for the girls at the feed store! (Sierra's pick)