Ladies choice!

Did you hear on the CBC science show Quirks and Quarks that research says that while a hen cannot choose who to mate with, she can choose to keep or reject the semen from any male that mates with her!

If for some reason she does not like this guy, he does not meet her high standards, she rejects his sperm. Boom. Gone. Take that!

This puts a whole new slant on some of the barnyard business! If you have been thinking one hen constantly lays infertile eggs, perhaps the problem is not her genetics, but that she simply does not fancy the rooster you've tossed in with her! It would seem the hen has far more influence over what genes get passed on than we first thought. We have viewed the hen as a hapless producer of eggs from whatever rooster we want to sire our next batch. And yet this new research says she's not quite the patsy we had imagined! The lady can say no!

Some interesting information to ponder.

I had to get out of the truck just as they were about to talk about this - so thanks for the summary!

Wonder if this is where the Republican candidate started thinking women could do this too????

But really, yes, I think maybe changing roosters might change the fertility count.

I just heard this on CBC as well. They were also saying that a hen tends to choose the most virile rooster to keep sperm. This may make people who keep all their roos and hens together sit up and take notice. You could have a flock with five roosters but if the hens are selecting the same male, your genetic diversity may not be what you think it is!

They also said the rejection takes place promptly after mating.

Uno, I was just going to write about this. Great minds think alike. I guess this is part of why we are so wonderful. Hee hee!

This is some interesting info indeed! I bought a pair of SLW a while ago and she has stopped laying fertile eggs. Looking back I see that it has in fact been since I separated the two. She is a persistent little thing and it almost seems like she has chosen him as her sole mate. She makes this awful racket everyday in front of his pen as if to protest their separation and at night does not go to roost with the others. Instead she will settle in right next to his pen and they sleep there together on the floor feathers touching through the wire. She is with other roo's and I have seen them doing there job but nothing in the eggs. I am going to put her back in with him and see what happens??

Yah, i read this a few months ago. I for get where. So having more then one rooster may increase your odds of active healty chicks

KlassyChic wrote:This is some interesting info indeed! I bought a pair of SLW a while ago and she has stopped laying fertile eggs. Looking back I see that it has in fact been since I separated the two. She is a persistent little thing and it almost seems like she has chosen him as her sole mate. She makes this awful racket everyday in front of his pen as if to protest their separation and at night does not go to roost with the others. Instead she will settle in right next to his pen and they sleep there together on the floor feathers touching through the wire. She is with other roo's and I have seen them doing there job but nothing in the eggs. I am going to put her back in with him and see what happens??

Aww! Sweet! Yup, they need to be together

I remember reading about this a while back. It's pretty interesting.

I was just laughing because I could picture us crazy chicken people spying in on mating chickens to see if the hen is rejecting the sperm afterwards...

Chicken birth control.

I posted a link on this 6 months ago. I think Quirks and Quarks is following me.

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When are you starting YOUR radio show, Fowler?

Schipperkesue wrote:When are you starting YOUR radio show, Fowler?

Good idea! It can all about me! Jerks and Dorks!

Are those breeds of chicken?

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Ba ha ha, Jerks and Dorks, good one! Sorry Fowler, either missed or forgot about your link. So that darn CBC is playing re-runs! Bummer.

I shall tune in at the same place, the same time, for the weekly installment with Fowler, International man of mystery, as he conducts his covert poultry observations and reports back on his show, Jerks and Dorks. Oooh, I can hardly wait.

KlassyChic wrote:This is some interesting info indeed! I bought a pair of SLW a while ago and she has stopped laying fertile eggs. Looking back I see that it has in fact been since I separated the two. She is a persistent little thing and it almost seems like she has chosen him as her sole mate. She makes this awful racket everyday in front of his pen as if to protest their separation and at night does not go to roost with the others. Instead she will settle in right next to his pen and they sleep there together on the floor feathers touching through the wire. She is with other roo's and I have seen them doing there job but nothing in the eggs. I am going to put her back in with him and see what happens??

They have always been together!! You can't seperate young lasting love like that!! lol

Ya, this seems to be the way of the hen and the rooster. I made a post some time ago with a link about chickens and these ways, pretty interesting eh? [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] have a beautiful day, CynthiaM.

I think you are right Smokey! I put them back together yesterday morning and her awful racket has subsided. Oh feeling the chicken love Good timing too as hubby was ready to send her for butcher over the noise violation ! Sooo... in two weeks I will crack open a few and see?!?!