Lynn in Bristol Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 On 14th January we bought two new chickens. They were both running around in a field, and one of my children noticed that there was at least one cockerel in there with them. Lavender has excelled herself by laying an egg nearly everyday since we got her. Only the kids won't eat them because they think they've got chicks in them ("and I'm a vegetarian!" said middle child). Cecily hasn't laid any eggs yet as she's just a baby. So my questions are: How long will Lavender lay 'fertile' eggs? Can we assume that as Cecily is not yet laying that she's 'intact'? Resident chicken Parsley isn't laying any eggs at all after a run of laying thin shelled ones! Help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feemcg Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 I think if a hen has been...emm... 'in contact' with a cockerel, she can store sperm and fertilise her eggs for up to 3 weeks. I also read somewhere that if she has been with a few different males her body can 'select' which sperm it wants to use to fertilise the eggs - how clever is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynn in Bristol Posted February 2, 2007 Author Share Posted February 2, 2007 Sorry for bringing up such a delicate and shocking subject! I can tell my daughter that after 3 weeks the eggs should be back to normal. There was a tentative suggestion (from her) that we should buy an incubator and hatch Lavender's eggs. I'm not about to go there! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
