If multiple roosters mate with the same hen which determines who fertilized it?

[cupman]

Kind of an oddly worded question I wasn't exactly sure how to put it. My situation is that I have a flock with three different types of roosters, welsummer, polish crested and barred rock. I have seen some of these roosters mate with the same hen and wasn't sure how that would work if I were to ever hatch her eggs. Is it just whoever mated with the hen most recently to her laying the egg?

 

[tadkerson]

Female chickens have seminal tubes that collect and store sperm from the rooster that she mates with. The sperm from the most recent mating is on top of the sperm from the earlier mating. The egg passes by the tubes and sperm is released to fertilize the egg ( before a shell is added). The sperm could be from either male. The sperm can be viable for up to three weeks after a mating. A rooster could die and you could hatch eggs that would be his offspring for three weeks.

Tim

 

[nicalandia]

Kind of an oddly worded question I wasn't exactly sure how to put it. My situation is that I have a flock with three different types of roosters, welsummer, polish crested and barred rock. I have seen some of these roosters mate with the same hen and wasn't sure how that would work if I were to ever hatch her eggs. Is it just whoever mated with the hen most recently to her laying the egg?

if they have the same genotype(say same breed) its going to be imposible to tell.. BUT if they are different breeds or different color then just wait on the chicks to hatch...

 

[Georgia Boy 1970]

Female chickens have seminal tubes that collect and store sperm from the rooster that she mates with. The sperm from the most recent mating is on top of the sperm from the earlier mating. The egg passes by the tubes and sperm is released to fertilize the egg ( before a shell is added). The sperm could be from either male. The sperm can be viable for up to three weeks after a mating. A rooster could die and you could hatch eggs that would be his offspring for three weeks.

Tim

This breeding season I have set up my brood pens and will alternate roosters every few days.How long would I need to leave my roosters in the brood pen to assure that I will have offspring from each of the roosters that I have decided to use?A week?

 

[SixHix]

I think the answer would be 3 weeks if tadkerson's info is correct.

 

[tadkerson]

This breeding season I have set up my brood pens and will alternate roosters every few days.How long would I need to leave my roosters in the brood pen to assure that I will have offspring from each of the roosters that I have decided to use?A week?

What is your breeding plan? I can not say unless I know what you are doing.

Tim

 

[Georgia Boy 1970]

What is your breeding plan? I can not say unless I know what you are doing.

Tim

Some of the hens that I have in my brood pens,I want to mate to different roosters.Example: one pen has mixed naked neck hens that are feather legged,one dark skin,two are light skinned.I want to have more dark skin skin birds out of these hens so rooster #1 that I am using is a partridge silkie which will give more leg feathering,better crest size and dark skin.I also want to add frizzle to the gene pool so rooster #2 is a frizzle cochin or if I am lucky to find one a frizzled sizzle.And rooster #3 is a mixed feather legged naked neck to hopefully get some totally naked necks.I plan to use all these roosters in this pen so my solution was to rotate them out a week at a time.I am hoping to be able to get chicks from each male by doing this.

 

[tadkerson]

If you rotate the roos in every week- the first week will be ok all chicks from the 1st roo, assuming no roo has mated with the hens in a month

second week will be first roo + second roo offspring mostly second roo

third week will be second roo + third roo offspring mostly third roo (small number of 1st roo possible)

Tim

 

[mstricer]

Female chickens have seminal tubes that collect and store sperm from the rooster that she mates with. The sperm from the most recent mating is on top of the sperm from the earlier mating. The egg passes by the tubes and sperm is released to fertilize the egg ( before a shell is added). The sperm could be from either male. The sperm can be viable for up to three weeks after a mating. A rooster could die and you could hatch eggs that would be his offspring for three weeks.

Tim

Tim, I like the way you explain things. It makes it easier for those of use that don't know genetic terms, nor do our brains wrap around it. We want the information in ways we will understand. I don't think you need to know genetics to be a breeder.

 

[tadkerson]

Tim, I like the way you explain things. It makes it easier for those of use that don't know genetic terms, nor do our brains wrap around it. We want the information in ways we will understand. I don't think you need to know genetics to be a breeder.

Thank you. No you do not need to know genetics but you have to have a good eye.

Tim