whos the father roo? birds and the bees question

[the Pollo Loco]

O.K. I've been told that a chicken will continue to lay fertile eggs days and even weeks after the roo is taken away. My question is, "If you place a different roo in next, and he does his thing, will the new eggs being layed have from both roos or what happens here?" sure would like to know... still learning.

 

[chickensgalore]

ok i have the exact same question

 

[silkiechicken]

One sperm per egg. Hens can store sperm for at least 2 if not 3 or more weeks.

Usually, the healthiest sperm win the egg game, so you can often get a mix of both fathers, with likely the freshest sperm having the best chance at fertilizing an egg.

 

[the Pollo Loco]

so are you saying that no one chick can have spermazoid from 2 roos?

 

[silkiechicken]

One egg one sperm. No one egg can normally have two sperm in it and survive. The female donates a half set of chromosomes, the male donates the other half in any sexually reproducing species. Be that an egg from a chicken, goose, dog, human or cat.

There are cases of polyspermy , but it is rare in animals and is usually fatal to the egg/sperm combo.

In normal conditions, the first sperm into an egg causes a massive calcium release that keeps all other sperm out of the egg.

ETA: Here is a pretty informative page on fertilization: http://biology.kenyon.edu/courses/biol114/Chap13/Chapter_13B.html

 

[the Pollo Loco]

thank you for the link, very informative... so now i know, and still learning.