How long does a hen have to be in with a roo before her eggs are fertilized?
Fertility question
3 days?
(can you tell I'm kinda guessing?) I think we waited 3 days to incubate the first ones..
I had also heard 3 to 4 days. Now if she was in with another roo, you would need to wait (I think) about 4 weeks before you could guarantee the new roo was the daddy.
Sheila
Just what i do but i leave mine in for 7 days before i collect eggs and i must have actually seen them mating and then i collect my eggs. If i switch roo's i wait 14 days to make sure he's the one fertilizing the eggs and again i have to see them mating.
This is what i do and it's more of a make sure thing than anything.
3-5 days if no male. to pure them seperate 3 weeks.
This message was edited Mar 5, 2009 8:21 AM
Here's a link that says a rooster can fertilze a egg in as little as 2 days and a hen can be Fertile from a Roo up to 4 weeks.
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/faq-ans1.htm
Sheila & ZZ was right on the 3 days for fertile eggs and Sheila was right on waiting 4 weeks for the new roo to be the daddy.
Glad to know this thanks for asking this question Cayjun
This is a Good read also http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/pubs/is1610.htm
Harm: You gotta settle down and quit being !!! Let's See. Well lets put it this way I have heard of a Peeping Tom before, so if I'm hearing you right are you a Peeping Harm??? Have you no respect for the their privacy. Have you not heard of the Govt privacy act. HMmmmmm. You'r a little dickens harm. LOL. Hay
Yes on the 3 days/3 weeks thing.
That's very helpful if you only have one rooster and something happens to him. You have 3 weeks to find a repacement.
We used to raise exotic chickens & ducks and had over 300 chickens. Polish, Spitz, Serama,Japanese, Silkies etc.....Now we have 4 misc. laying hens and a roo I hatched in a batch 5 years ago from a bucket of unidetified eggs someone gave me.
It is amazing how many people think if a hen lays an egg it must be ready to hatch. No rooster needed......
Many times I have had people ask me why their eggs are not hatching. No rooster.
Ginger
Another funny thing. My friend thought hens could not lay eggs without a roo. She did not think they would form at all with out a roo. I thought that was so cute. But if you dont raise them you think Walmart or your local store grows them. hehehe
WOW. That I have never heard. That is funny.
The funniest stuff we used to hear was over our LaMancha goats. (The ones with no ears) Everyone has a theory as to why they have no ears.....none of it having anything to do with..They're born that way.
Ginger
I remember the first time I ever saw a LaMancha. It was hooked to a cart at the Old Farmer's Day Festival. I felt so sorry for it thinking it must have been in an accident or was deformed. I asked the owner about it and he told me about the breed. I thought they were neat. I've only seen a few in person. Could you tell me a bit about them?
American LaManchas are the only goats native the the US. They were developed in California in the early 1900's by Eula Fay Frey. I am just finishing a children's story about them.
http://www.lamanchas.com/fay-article1.htm
They have a higher butterfat content in their milk making them desireable for cheesemaking. We made a lot of cheese in our time!
I have had Nubiens, Alpines, LaManchas & Grades and I thing the LaManchas have the nicest personality. They are very mellow.
If you go out to check on them at night they pop their heads up and their eyes glow green when light hits them so it looks like you have a yard full of aliens!
Ginger
Those are the cutest things. Almost persuades me to get one.