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

[speckledhen]

This video shows how Georgie's doing.

 

[1muttsfan]

She's doing well! Smart enough not to lie down until she was back inside too I see

 

[getaclue]

She's not doing too bad considering.

Awhile back I was looking for a potential SQ, SOP, Black Australorp cockerel/rooster. I did get one. Before I got him, I had ordered some eggs from a top-of-the-line breeder. I paid $55.00 just for the eggs. They beautifully packed, and were sent in a nice foam egg shipper. When the eggs got here, they were scrambled inside. Nothing really developed. I was so glad to have gotten the cockerel from another source.

3 weeks ago, my daughter comes in with a dozen eggs. The eggs were in a cardboard egg carton, and there was shredded paper in each of the egg slots. The eggs were nested in the paper, then there was more shredded paper on top. The egg carton was in a box with bubble wrap, but she didn't bring that part. Anyway, she wanted me to hatch the eggs she bought.

I asked her about the eggs. There was a lady on e-bay selling them. She contacted the lady, and asked which hatchery her stock came from. The lady said it was not hatchery stock. She said her mother had gotten her original stock from a breeder that showed his chickens. Her mother showed chickens for years, but recently her health had gone downhill. The lady was taking care of her mother, and the chickens. She moved all of the Black Australorps into a big coop and run to make it easier to care for them. She didn't know anything about breeding them, but had plenty of eggs, and decided to see if she could sell some. She was asking $10.00 a carton, plus a minimal shipping cost.

My daughter ordered a dozen. When they arrived, they were in perfect condition, air cells intact, except for 1. 1 of them had a small crack in the shell, but the membrane was intact. I got a blue birthday candle, and filled the crack with wax. I let them sit for 12 hours, then popped them into the incubator. I really want to keep my line up, so I didn't really want a bunch of lesser chicks, but like she said, we can always eat them.

I wondered aloud, how in the world her eggs, which were not packed nearly as nice as the ones I got, managed to arrive to her in such wonderful condition. She explained that, I live in the country. Like my driveway, all the driveways here are 1/2 a mile long, up to 2 miles long. Most of them are not paved. Most of them have pot holes, and/or are washboarded. My postal carriers drive up, and down these driveways at high speeds (40+mph), and at times when they hit a couple good pot holes, they bounce so high, they aren't even touching the ground, then boom they hit the ground. Now picture these poor eggs going up, and down at least 300 - 400 driveways like this, before they get to my house. It's like putting the insides of them in a blender. On the other hand, she lives in the city, much closer to the airport, where the mail comes in. All the roads are paved. The houses are so close together that the mail carrier coasts from one mailbox to the next. No bouncing, no jostling the eggs. She told me next time I ever order eggs, send them to her address.

Before the fist day of lockdown was over, 2 hatched. This morning which was day 3 of lockdown, 3 had hatched, and one was zipping. Tonight, 9 of them are out, and doing fine. All of them have absorbed their yolks, all of them are strong, and doing fine. 3 more to go for 100% hatch rate, and they're trying. I am fit to be tied. I paid good money for some good eggs, that were nicely packed, and got nothing. She paid under $20.00 for "unknown" eggs, that were not packed to great, and they're hatching like gang busters. Sheesh!!!!

 

[speckledhen]

She's doing well! Smart enough not to lie down until she was back inside too I see

Yup, hawks were everywhere as you could see. She wasn't about to stop until she was safely inside. But, she walked a good distance and was acting pretty normal for awhile there. Spunky gal.

Hey, Cheryl, I truly am not impressed by the foam shippers for eggs. I really am not. I've gotten eggs packed like the other batch you mentioned and they hatched beautifully.

 

[getaclue]

10 out so far. IF I ever order eggs again, I WILL have them sent to my daughter's address, then she can bring them to me. I never considered that it could make that much difference.

Dd #1 is at the dentist getting a tooth filled. When she gets home, we may head over to the fair. This county give the kids off from school for fair day, and they give each student a ticket to get in free. I may go with them. I was there yesterday, and got pretty tired. My neighbor really is a professional dog trainer, and she is the one in charge of the Paw Palace. It's a dog exhibit. There are about 20 Purebreds there daily, that people can walk up and see, pet, touch, and ask questions about the breed. There are a couple rescue groups represented. There is a show ring. At least 1 Law enforcement group does a show several times a day, on how their K-9s are trained, and some of what they do. There is another show, a few times a day, that the dogs do tricks. There is another show, a few times a day, that they show how dogs pull carts, and people can get a ride in the dog cart. Another show is about how to teach your dog the basics of obedience training. Yesterday, I mostly showed her dog Garbo, a Havanese, and her dog Bruce, a Papillon. I showed Maggie, her Yellow Lab for a little while too. Last night, I was a tired cookie. Today, I'm not needed, so get a chance to rest up, but the family wants me to go with them to the fair. LOL!

 

[1muttsfan]

Just doesn't seem fair, does it? All of my eggs are shipped to the post office and I pick them up there, so no bad roads, but I still sometimes get scrambled eggs.

 

[speckledhen]

I got new glasses today, two pairs. So, which pair do you like best? The darker, rounder pair with blue tortoise shell on the inner part of the frame (generic women's) or the Sofia Vergara Fernanda with more color and the turquoise earpieces?

#1 Generic (has blue tortoise shell on the inside part of the frame)


#2 Sofia Vergara Fernanda frames

 

[Leahs Mom]

I think I like #1 best. They are both quite nice

 

[1muttsfan]

I like the shape of 1 also, but both look great.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

#1