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

[Leahs Mom]

@oldhenlikesdogs
Is your husband the type that might stake out at night with a shotgun or 22 to observe?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@oldhenlikesdogs
Is your husband the type that might stake out at night with a shotgun or 22 to observe?

He is, but it is the busy time of year here and at work. He will keep his eyes open, especially in the early morning. If I lose more I will insist he sits out there. We bought a nightscope a few years back when we had that coyote snatching birds.

 

[speckledhen]

I sure hope you find what got the turkeys. I would hate not knowing. We need to cut the pasture again so the critters can't easily sneak up on free ranging birds. They love to go near the pasture fence, especially Hector.

 

[speckledhen]

I keep forgetting to show you this. My son Chris teaches English to kindergarten kids in Korea and he recently sent me this message and a paper from one of his students, one of a set of twin girls in his class, prefaced by his own comment. YIKES!

Ugh. Psycho twin girls in my class want to murder us all.

 

[1muttsfan]

Whaaaat!!

 

[speckledhen]

Whaaaat!!

Exactly! Yeesh!

Oh, more odd stuff with Sebastian this morning. I let them out to eat the concoction of scrambled eggs, oil, probiotics and vitamins this morning, mainly because of the two crazy broodies in there getting soft, high-protein food for their sensitive crops. A few minutes later, Tom was getting the mower out and I called, asking where Bash went. He said he saw him walking into the back roll-up door, very slowly without the girls. So, I went in to check, gave him some of the 13 grain scratch mix and went to call the girls, who were, once again, in the Leylands by the back road, scared of the mower, I guess. They came running and when I checked inside on Bash, he had not touched that scratch, nor called his hens to come get it. In fact, he had jumped up into a nest box. I went to pet him and he was so lethargic and didn't even talk to me like normal.

Another disturbing thing was this: where he was at roost time, I found a huge liquid puddle of watery urates and green stuff like I've seen so many times from dying hens. That was where he usually sleeps. I'm not sure what's going on with my sweet giant guy. I know it would be easier if I didn't have all the large fowl roosters, but if I have to lose one, why not arthritic, dwarf-gene carrying, elderly Atlas instead of my 3 year old breeding Brahma rooster? I love Atlas, but I can't use him for breeding and he's always creaky and limping from his stiff joints.

This is shaping up to be one hellacious summer for my flock, I think.

 

[speckledhen]

Adding to the above, we checked him over for snake bites, nothing is swollen, can't find a thing. We gave him some aspirin, figured it couldn't hurt. But, he's not talking to me, just lets me pick him up and is so docile and droopy. Dang it.

He's just sitting on the floor now, like all the life has just drained out of him.

 

[getaclue]

Sorry to hear about Bash. I hope he perks up, and pulls through. It does sound like a snake bite, or something toxic, like a plant, that he might have eaten.

As to the student that turned in that paper, I think if I were your son, I'd be talking to the guidance counselor, and the principal, then notifying whatever protective services available there. Either her parents are the problem, or she needs some serious help, fast.

 

[speckledhen]

Sorry to hear about Bash. I hope he perks up, and pulls through. It does sound like a snake bite, or something toxic, like a plant, that he might have eaten.

Wish I could figure it out. No way to know what he might have eaten on this acreage. But, can't find anything on his body anywhere.

As to the student that turned in that paper, I think if I were your son, I'd be talking to the guidance counselor, and the principal, then notifying whatever protective services available there. Either her parents are the problem, or she needs some serious help, fast.

Yes, that would be the norm...in the U.S., but this is an American teacher in S.Korea and they are quite different in the way they think. I'm sure he did whatever was available to him. That's weird for a kid of that age, without question.

 

[getaclue]

speckled, could he have possibly pecked at a Bufo Toad? They're highly toxic. To be honest, I am not sure I'd actually know the difference between a regular toad, and a Bufo Toad. To the best of my knowledge, I've never seen a Bufo Toad, but when we were renting, living in the subdivision, several people had trouble with them. They're deadly to cats, and dogs too.