# Boy have I got a mystery



## Cockadoodledoo (Jan 28, 2016)

First off. The roosters don't mix with my laying hens. They would have to get out of a totally enclosed (top also) 10 gauge wire enclosure and then get over. 7 1/2 foot fence. It's not possible AT ALL.

Today I saw a chicken mounting another....went through the motions just as always. Except they are all hens. I know this sometimes happens. Maybe an alpha hen or something.

I have never heard a crow come from the hen enclosure...EVER.

They all squat submissive ly.

They all have hen appearance.

But then this.....










Does this not look fertile!!!!???!!

I'm mind blown!!!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I don't see the outer ring that would indicate fertility.


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## Cockadoodledoo (Jan 28, 2016)

Maybe the photo isn't great, there's a ring!


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

You might consider putting a rooster in with your hens for a about a week or two. Then you wont have hens treading each other. The rooster will square them away pronto.


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## Cockadoodledoo (Jan 28, 2016)

That was the first I had noticed it! I have customers who don't like eating fertile eggs (we do) so we keep them seperated. I'll have to reconsider if it continues.


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## Cockadoodledoo (Jan 28, 2016)

Adjusted the color to show the ring. Still a mystery to me. We did move a few into this pen probably 5 or 6 weeks ago, I don't see that there is ANY way they could still be fertile from the other pen????


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

A hen can generally hold a roosters sperm for 2 weeks more or less, sometimes 3 weeks but it's rare. 
I once had a Black Australorp hen that stopped laying eggs and changed sex. I didnt have any roosters and didnt want any at that particular time, so I culled it.
I currently have one of my hens that attempts to crow in the mornings. Just as long as she continues to lay eggs, she's safe.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I guess you'll just have to keep checking, or comparing egg yolks to eachother. Maybe roos can fertilize by osmosis thru a fence. Who knows.


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## Cockadoodledoo (Jan 28, 2016)

This has me second guessing some of my younger chickens! I've had plenty type of roos that looked more hen-like. Small spurs, smaller combs and waddles, no crow. Crazy things!!


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## profwirick (Jan 24, 2013)

Tell me more. I didn't know there was a way to determine a fertilized egg.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yep, a fertilized egg develops what is called a bullseye on the yolk. They're sort of like candling, until you get used to seeing them they can be hard to interpret. I never bothered to work at reading the yolk because I didn't raise layers.


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## Cockadoodledoo (Jan 28, 2016)

Yes, this had a bullseye...the picture was bad. It was a fertile egg....but no roosters in there at the time. Ive heard of hens holding sperm for more than 3 weeks. This must have been the case.


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