The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[speckledhen]

Thought you might like this tribute to Atlas's grandsire. Best viewed in larger form on YouTube

I worked on this for five dang hours and found one typo at the end anyway. Good grief. Wasn't worth going back to edit, re-collate and reupload. An editing genius I'm not. I did this on my laptop, leading to things I should have changed in text as far as color, but whatever, I think it shows the magnificent guy our Isaac was.

 

[speckledhen]

Was just snapping a few pictures yesterday, thought you'd like them. I'll put pictures of the younger group in their own thread.

Bats under the porch roof. They'll be gone when it gets really cold to hibernate in a warmer place

 

[speckledhen]

Thought I'd report on the main guy this thread is dedicated to, Atlas. He is coming out of the hard molt, still very quilly and thin. His keel is like a razor. His comb now lays on his head like Hector's did at the end. He's been off his feed. Usually, his favorites from the 14 grain scratch mix were the corn and dried peas, but he began to leave those in his bowl. A couple of weeks ago, we began to bring him special food every morning just to get him to eat something-scrambled eggs with grits and a sprinkle of cat food, fat cut off our steaks, tuna, etc. He would perk up and almost fall over his feet getting to his bowl so I kept making the King his breakfast every morning. He is still not getting his weight back. His crow began to sound very weak, like he didn't have much breath. The last two days, he hasn't joined the chorus at all. I can't imagine he will make it to 9 years old after the first of the year, that he'll survive this winter. Atlas is the oldest living large fowl rooster we've ever had.

 

[h2oratt]

Thought I'd report on the main guy this thread is dedicated to, Atlas. He is coming out of the hard molt, still very quilly and thin. His keel is like a razor. His comb now lays on his head like Hector's did at the end. He's been off his feed. Usually, his favorites from the 14 grain scratch mix were the corn and dried peas, but he began to leave those in his bowl. A couple of weeks ago, we began to bring him special food every morning just to get him to eat something-scrambled eggs with grits and a sprinkle of cat food, fat cut off our steaks, tuna, etc. He would perk up and almost fall over his feet getting to his bowl so I kept making the King his breakfast every morning. He is still not getting his weight back. His crow began to sound very weak, like he didn't have much breath. The last two days, he hasn't joined the chorus at all. I can't imagine he will make it to 9 years old after the first of the year, that he'll survive this winter. Atlas is the oldest living large fowl rooster we've ever had.

I am so sorry. Sad to see our animals age. I am seeing my two favorite dogs go down that path. It is never easy.

 

[speckledhen]

Atlas did not crow for two weeks, then suddenly, he found his voice again. It was very weak, but at least he is trying. And when he sees Mina, my little old Belgian D'Anver hen, he crows. Actually, so does she, LOL. She's been doing it periodically since her own 11 year old rooster died. Atlas is lonely and he likes having someone to look out for; thankfully, she's too fast for him to catch...and trust me, he still has the inclination, but it's 20 oz vs 8 lb (or was about that until he lost a lot of weight)

 

[robhuncor]

It's so hard when they get old. I hope the 2 of them can keep each other going.

The day before Thanksgiving, I lost my 8 year old rooster, Augie. He was my absolute favorite rooster, the only one in a long line of roosters who actually acted like he liked me! He would always greet me, gently, and act like he was glad to see me. He loved to be picked up and fussed over. He had hatched with 5 other roosters and they were all very agressive. One of them scarred my leg for life! And also knocked out one of Augie's beautiful amber eyes. I'm afraid that one had to be "dealt" with! But Augie was a sweetheart and so good to his small little flock of hens. He was down to one old frizzle hen. Ruffle. They were devoted to each other. I had a small coop of 3 other roosters, sons of Augie, nearby and they crowed at each other but didn't meet their father physically. I had some tree work done beginning of this week and the guy that did the work loved the 3 younger roosters, they really were spectacularly beautiful, and offered to give them a good home where they could have time out of the pen every day roaming with his flock of 30 hens. He has 4 LG dogs and claims he has no predator casualties. Since my chickens are all locked up in pens all the time, it was a much better life for them so I gave them to him. I'm not sure if their sudden disappearance had anything to do with it but Augie died the next morning! Ruffle was standing next to his body where he had fallen from the roost. So sad. It was Thanskgiving, company was coming and I couldn't deal with what to do about her so I took Augie out and left her alone in their barn. The next morning she was still standing right next to where he fell. She wouldn't eat or go outside. I never saw a chicken grieve like that. So I moved her into my last chicken house with 3 other younger hens, one is her daughter with Augie. Even though they are not yet interacting, she is eating and drinking, comes to me when I call, and going out in the pen. I'm now thinking she is not going to die of a broken heart! Poor little girl. I will miss my beautiful Augie.

 

[robhuncor]

By the way, Cyn, it was so nice of you to recommend me for a free BYC calendar! I received it, thank you!

 

[seminolewind]

2022 is probably the worst year I've ever had. After self admitting to a hospital x 2, and examined by 8-10 different docs and every test and scan under the sun- all to find what this severe stomach pain is, One doc, the gastro guy, did an endoscopy and colonoscopy followed with appropriate biopsies, and Finally, the answer. CA in the stomach. So now I'm on chemo and TPN (food thru an IV), I am finally feeling pretty good. I weigh 104 , down from 136, and was labeled "Failure to Thrive". I had developed a huge aversion to food-just seeing it made me gag, I could not eat . I have now started with soup, then adding things that I could do okay with. Thanksgiving, my highlight was cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and green bean casseroles. I think what I've learned in the past few days is that I can tolerate wetter food vs. bread, meat or drier food. So the eating is going better.

Can you imagine being unable to eat because food made you gag and nauseous? I cried nearly every night because of this. To sit at a restaurant, order a good meal , and by the time it comes, I can't eat it, and looking at it makes me gag.

I do have good support. I feel good at this time. I had to rehome my horse, she went to green pasture retirement nearby. I couldn't do the work any more. My hubs helps with the chickens. Thank God for my chickens. They certainly help mentally more than most people know. (I know we know, LOL). Some of mine want to be held and will close their eyes and nap in my arms.

I had to rehome 3 BR hens because they were making my others' heads bloody with pecking. They went to some nice people.

I hope we are all looking forward to Christmas. I think I have more Christmas spirit this year than the past few years. I even did some baking!

Hope you all are doing well . and your flocks are flourishing!

 

[robhuncor]

I'm so sorry Seminolewind, what a time you have been having! Even though it's a serious diagnosis, at least they know what you have and how to treat it. And I'm glad you are finaly feeling better and your spirits are good.

 

[speckledhen]

Karen, I am so sorry for your health issues. I have had aversion to food at times, just did not want to put anything in my mouth even when I was hungry, not sure what that was about, but I get that. I'm glad you were able to find a few things you could eat. I'm eating basically beef, butter, bacon & eggs plus some tuna, light Greek yogurt and heavy cream in my coffee. I'm almost never hungry, lost my extra weight, but could stand to lose about 10 more pounds (though my older son said " Mom, you're tiny" and a nice lady I struck up a conversation with in the makeup department at Walmart said the same thing. I feel like they were talking about someone else, LOL.) Wishing you a full recovery. Digestive stuff is hard enough to deal with, no matter what, but cancer, I can't imagine.

Robin, gosh, I completely understand how you feel! I'm so sorry for your loss. Your poor hen. When my friend Ladyhawk got my late Suede's big splash son, named him Thor, she was completely in love. She moved across the country with that boy, adored him. His favorite hen was one of my Delawere Isaac's daughters. She found him dead near the door one day, no explanation, with the hen sitting next to his body. That hen grieved for weeks, always sitting the last place she was with him. They do grieve and people just don't understand until they see it.
I'm glad you like the calendar. They always ask me to nominate two people to receive free calendars and it's hard because there are so many lovely BYC folks who have been with me for many years and they all deserve one. I value my friendships here, wish we could meet in person. I met Ladyhawk (Cetawin here) on BYC and we bonded over our love of Blue Orpingtons. She got her Lancelot because she loved Suede. We were closer than sisters for all those years and her visits were bright spots in my life. You can make real friendships online through shared interests and it's a great thing, considering online, people can pretend to be something they are not. I love you ladies; you've been such wonderful bright spots in my life as well.

You may remember this beaded masterpiece portrait that Ladyhawk made for me of my Suede. There are over 30, 000 beads on it, created on brain tan deer hide that she tanned herself with feathers from Suede, his favorite hen, Meg, his and her son, Hector, and others. I use canned air to clean it.