Why are my chicken eggs still fertile?

[RedfogsFlock]

We HAD a rooster and hens. Then two months ago we got rid of our rooster in the process of getting ready to move. Now we've moved, and have been without a rooster for over 2 months. I had not been feeding our hens layer feed because of the whole move and getting settled in thing. I started back with the layer feed a week ago. I started getting eggs from our girls immediately! YAY! This morning while making sunday breakfast I noticed our eggs are still fertile?

Why? Better yet how? I had to show hubby just to make sure I was seeing this right, a bullseye in the yolk!

I thought two weeks tops till the fertile eggs stopped? We were without a rooster for close to a month before moving and were getting eggs the whole time, but I never thought to actually look at any for the bullseye.

 

[Jloeffler]

From what I've read here from other posters, hens have an organ that allows them to store semen - probably a holdover from their wild genetics when a hen never knew how long shed have access to a roo to lay a clutch of eggs to hatch. The semen can be stored there in a viable state for several months!!

Someone with more chicken knowledge may come along and correct me, though, so don't take this as gospel! Good luck!

 

[sourland]

Even on non fertile eggs the nucleus is readily visible. This may be what you are seeing. Two months is way beyond the 'sperm storage' capability of a hen's reproductive system.