If a female was paired last year, reabsorbed, and is now being paired with a new male this year, can the first male still be a possible sire?
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Depends on how long the timeframe actually is, I believe females can retain sperm for up to a year or longer if kept in good condition…
So yes it is a possibility.
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Yes, absolutely. I had a female store sperm for 2+ years and ovulate and lay a clutch that ended up being sired by the male she was paired to almost 3 years prior.
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I work with corns rather than BPs but I had a female lay fertile eggs two years after her last pairing.
Gotta say, the more we’ve learned about sperm retention the more amazing it is. Also the more potentially confounding it can be for breeding plans. I have usually given females a year off after laying anyway. Now I can’t imagine pairing one in two successive years unless it’s to the same male.