Fertility Studies in Poultry

Abstract

THE problem of fertility in the domestic fowl has attracted the interest of several investigators during the last twenty-five years. These investigators working with the most popular breeds of poultry have very definitely established the fact that spermatozoa in the oviduct of the hen can remain active for three to four weeks. A review of the literature on the subject, however, convinced the writer of a lack of uniformity in results as well as the need of further information on many phases of the problem. This report is divided into two sections. The first includes fertility results from single controlled matings and the second offers a direct comparison of fertility under stud mating and pen mating. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Some of the more significant observations concerned with the onset and duration of fertility are the following. On the onset of fertility:* Gilbert (1905), 39 to 65 hours; Pearl and Surface . . .