Would this work? (Collecting eggs for hatching from 2 roosters & the same hens)

[Cloverr39]

I have a plan and a single pen for 2 different breeding projects.
The same hens (I might take away some hens if I'm not looking for chicks from them from a specific roo), 2 diifferent roos.
Let's call them roo1 and roo2.

I want to collect/set eggs from roo1 in early February. I would seperate off roo2 in early January to ensure all those chicks would be from roo1. Then once I set all the eggs I needed from roo1, I seperate him from the hens and let roo2 be with them. When the first batch start to hatch in late February/early March, I start collecting eggs from roo2 and set them in like mid March.

Do you think this could work? Hens can hold onto sperm from one rooster for about 30 days, so I'd just have to make sure 30 days go by before collecting eggs for hatching, right? Hopefully this will just be a next year thing, because I need to test breed one rooster before adding him to my main flock.
Are there any issues this could cause for my two roosters? After I'm done with breeding I will let them both live together again. They grew up together and don't fight right now. They won't suddenly get aggressive towards each other after being separated for so long, will they? I could keep them both in the flock, but then I won't know how many chicks I will get from each rooster and I'd have to guess the father based on what traits the chiks have. I feel like it would be an even bigger mess.

 

[NatJ]

Do you think this could work? Hens can hold onto sperm from one rooster for about 30 days, so I'd just have to make sure 30 days go by before collecting eggs for hatching, right?

Yes, I think that sounds right.
I have read of a few (rare) cases where hens held onto sperm from one rooster for longer than 30 days, but in most cases it will be long enough.

Are there any issues this could cause for my two roosters? After I'm done with breeding I will let them both live together again. They grew up together and don't fight right now. They won't suddenly get aggressive towards each other after being separated for so long, will they?

Unfortunately, I do not know the answer to that.

I could keep them both in the flock, but then I won't know how many chicks I will get from each rooster and I'd have to guess the father based on what traits the chiks have. I feel like it would be an even bigger mess.

I agree, that probably would be more difficult, although it depends on what traits the roosters and hens have.

There are a few cases when it can be fairly easy. If all hens and one rooster have a recessive trait (like silkie feathers or single combs) and the other rooster has a dominant trait without carrying the recessive, then you would be able to sort chicks by checking that trait (normal feathers or v-combs would have to come from a rooster with that trait.)