Hector's World: Adventures and Mayhem at Mountain View Poultry (or Sequel to The Evolution of Atlas

[1muttsfan]

My dad always left us girls alone to sort things out on our own unless things got too serious.

 

[speckledhen]

My dad always left us girls alone to sort things out on our own unless things got too serious.

 

[speckledhen]

Update on Hector and company:

Athena and Zara are still living in their old pen, but run with Hector, Jill, Thea and Rowena every day. Today, I saw Zara allow Hector to mate her for the first time. Also, Athena is clucking ominously just like Thea has been for weeks now. I surely don't need any more chicks, not up for having to rehome more roosters since I am just now close to finding a home for Apollo's two sons who are 7 & 8 weeks old. Sigh. I do have eggs from Jill and Rowena, but I do not trust the shell quality of Ro's eggs to put them under a broody. They always feel sandpapery and break too easily, not sure why.

Hector is being a well-behaved guy still. He loves to have his chest rubbed and to be adored and told what a good boy he is. He just eats it up, LOL.

 

[1muttsfan]

It would be nice to see how his babies turn out

 

[speckledhen]

It would be nice to see how his babies turn out

If one of them actually does brood, I have several of Jill's eggs, plus even one each from Dru and Wynette who don't lay much anymore. Of course, those would be Atlas's chicks. As long as I'm sure that Zara and Athena's chicks would not be sired by Apollo, I could put theirs in the mix. Has it been long enough? Maybe.


Went back to check. it's been 18 days since Apollo left, so probably plenty of time has passed.

 

[1muttsfan]

Yeah, it would not be a good idea to hatch any more Atlas or Apollo boys. I was thinking about some of Hector's girls.

 

[speckledhen]

Yeah, it would not be a good idea to hatch any more Atlas or Apollo boys. I was thinking about some of Hector's girls.

I wish Hector could be over the original Stukel Rock hens because they are 6 years old and won't be laying eggs reliably for much longer. Its rare they do now anyway. But, I won't take Atlas's hens from him. He deserves to keep his girls. I know one of those two, Athena or Zara, carries that dwarf gene, but at least the first generation has a chance to not have one in it. I wish I knew which one it was, though it could be both, not probable, but entirely possible.

 

[speckledhen]

My blue partridge Brahma pullet, Bonnie, has gone full-on broody for the second time. She just rejected her chicks three weeks ago (did someone tell her she was a Silkie??). I gave her 9 eggs, 5 BRs and 4 Brahmas.

Of the BRs, three belong to Jill so Hector will be a dad in three weeks, if these make it through. I could not see giving him Rowena's egg because of the shell being not super strong. They could be incubated, but not a big butt Brahma gal sitting on them. The other BR eggs belong to Wynette and Druscilla. Wyn is six years old and I dont know how long I'll have her. Obviously, Atlas is the sire, but it won't be a dwarf, though it could carry the gene. If it's a male, I'll let it go, but if a pullet, will raise it up for Hector or his son. Druscilla is the daughter of Dottie and the original Stukel male, Rex #1. She rarely lays, is close to six years old and it's a miracle that I even have one of her eggs here now. I want to see what she produces. Again, cockerels are rehomed, pullets can be raised up for Hector or his son if I keep one.

If I hatched from Rowena with Hector, it would be the same, she is Atlas's sister so she may be a carrier herself. Can't hatch Thea's due to her wry tail. So, I chose three of Jill's, one of Wynette's and one of Dru's-well, I only had one from Dru, plus the four Brahma eggs.

 

[1muttsfan]

 

[GingersHuman]

Yay! Can't wait!