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

[speckledhen]

Welcome to Atlas's thread.

 

[speckledhen]

Help! Is this BR chick a male or female? This head spot is making me nuts. Do you see any "frosting" or are my eyes deceiving me? The black one is a pullet of course (Rex over the Stukel BR hens), but what about the barred chick? Atlas had a confusing head spot as well, I remember, but it was more obvious than this one, if this is a cockerel. it has some dark wash on the leg fronts, but it's sketchy. Dang, hatchery BRs were so much easier to sex than these. At least they had that going for them, LOL.

What's your gut reaction on this one, experienced BR sexers?

 

[1muttsfan]

My instinct is cockerel, but I have no personal experience with sexing BR's. It just LOOKS like a boy.

 

[speckledhen]

My instinct is cockerel, but I have no personal experience with sexing BR's. It just LOOKS like a boy.

Though I've had great success with sexing BRs over the years, when I got this line, those rules were much harder to apply. And you touched on something that I keep telling folks. When you have experience raising a certain breed, you get a sense about the chicks, apart from any established sexing rules, that gut feeling that just says "male" or "female". It's when I ignore that, I get into trouble, LOL.

 

[drumstick diva]

I have no idea on sexes but, they are cute as the dickens. Maverick has gorgeous coloring, of course he is a good boy too - he's one of yours!

So nice to read your posts and hear about GOOD roosters for a change.

 

[speckledhen]

I have no idea on sexes but, they are cute as the dickens. Maverick has gorgeous coloring, of course he is a good boy too - he's one of yours!

So nice to read your posts and hear about GOOD roosters for a change.

As you know, I keep only easygoing roosters and breed for temperament. So far, Maverick has behaved perfectly, not even a nip. Hopefully, that will continue.

 

[speckledhen]

The littlest critters are about 9 days old and I am still vacillating on the sex of the one with the head spot. The barring is not bright white, more pullet-y, but then, Rex being single barred could possibly produce another like him. More waiting....


The flash makes it look lighter than it really is here.

 

[speckledhen]

Atlas is 15 weeks old now. His buddy, Maverick, the birchen-look Rock, is 20 weeks. Was snapping some photos of them together today as they free ranged. Yes, they are getting along now.

Atlas had a little lesson today from DH. He was sparring with my Mille Fleur Belgian D'Anver rooster, Spike, at the bantam pen fence when DH reached down and sort of shoved him away from Spike, telling him to stop it. In the heat of the moment, Atlas flared his hackles and sort of pecked at DH's hand. He was promptly swept off the ground, held close and his head pushed downward in a submissive pose for a few seconds, then when DH allowed him to lift his head, he held his beak shut for a few seconds and told him NO! in no uncertain terms. Then, when he put Atlas back down, the little man seemed a little apologetic, coming over to "talk" again and let himself be picked up. He reacted in the adrenalin rush of the moment, first time, really, and he has to learn not to do that. His sire, Rex, had a period where he was biting my shoes in a not so playful way and he had to learn a lesson about that, too. I think Atlas is just as intelligent as his father and will learn what is acceptable and what is not. He is only 15 weeks old, not hormonal yet, not crowing or trying anything with the girls, so he should be able to get his head on straight.

 

[1muttsfan]

What a big difference in both the size and shape of those two boys.
Sounds like he just needs a little schoolin'.

 

[speckledhen]

What a big difference in both the size and shape of those two boys.
Sounds like he just needs a little schoolin'.

Atlas surely got his first manners lesson. Since it happened in the middle of his little sparring match with Spike when he was all pumped up, I'm not too worried that it's a sign of things to come. He hasn't shown signs of any aggression so far. It reminded me of when Suede and Hawkeye had adjoining coops and somehow, a latch was unhooked, allowing Suede into Hawkeye's domain. I came outside and they were already engaged in a battle, both out of breath but still fighting. Both were super sweet roosters, but I'd never stepped between two fighting before and didn't know if in the heat of battle, one might attack me. Thankfully, as I scooped up one, the other backed away, didn't even accidentally tag me.

It's wild how Atlas is really as big as Maverick, wider across the back, definitely, even though he's over a month younger. He has a really different body shape than Maverick, who is also filling out in the chest, but will probably never end up as big as Atlas will. Atlas is coming into a gangly stage where he has put on height, but his body has to catch up to those much longer legs. I'm wondering just how large he'll end up.