Embarassing rooster question...

[3goodeggs]

Quote:
Hey now! No laughing! Do you know how hard it is to discuss chicken sex on a family friendly forum. Were it not for the family friendly part I coulda explained it in two words.

umm hum. two words 'Nurse cells'
...but this is a funny thread!

 

[they'reHISchickens]

If consenting adults using the internet ( and assuming we have others who have reached puberty among us)can't ask this question and get real answers, BYC isn't doing its job. *** applause*** for the educators among us.
btw, I had to ask my 60 yr old farm mom this same question about 20 yrs ago because my 50 yr old city aunt-in-law asked me and I didn't know!

 

[OccamsTazer]

Psh, *everyone* is interested in gory details, we're just earthy enough to admit it!

Now, please go on...

 

[Sunny Side Up]

This is from a poultry science journal:
Birds, reptiles and insects (e.g. Hymenoptera) share fundamental similarities in their reproductive strategies due to the presence, in the female tract, of specialized sites in which spermatozoa may reside for prolonged periods upon a single mating. In avian species, two distinct storage sites are present, one located in the utero-vaginal junction and the other in the lower portion of the infundibulum. At both sites, spermatozoa are stored in sperm storage tubules (SSTs) which are discrete, generally non-branched invaginations of the luminal epithelium ...The SSTs located in the uterovaginal junction are considered as the main site of residence of spermatozoa upon their deposition in the lower portion of the vagina. The fertilizing potential of females along the reproductive season is at first dependent on their ability to store and maintain adequate populations of spermatozoa in their SST in order to repeatedly provide the site of fertilization with sufficient numbers of “fit” spermatozoa after each ovulation. As a consequence in poultry species, eggs from females with prolonged sperm storage potential have also a natural tendency to maintain optimal fertility rates for prolonged periods. This situation may be highly desirable to sustain high fertility in the case of partial failure of the males during the season.

To put it simply, they store it in "special little pockets" so it doesn't fall out. If nothing else, this should make you consider your hens with a bit more respect now!

 

[Papadavid]

This is a heck of a lot better than a chat room. Me and the wife are laughing our___ , heads off!

 

[BetterHensandGardens]

Well this is great, I've been wondering for quite awhile how it all worked, but never thought to ask.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I gained more respect for my hens the first time I saw the rooster grab one by the neck, slam her body into the ground and she didn't get right back up and

him a time or two.

 

[underground chickenman]

 

[faykokoWV]

my friends thought I was terrible when I pointed out to them that without a rooster around.. an egg is a chickens period... wait to I lay these "gory" details on them lol.

 

[88Haywood88]

Wow...