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

[Peanutsmomma]

Ok, that makes sense because I remember reading that ecoli bacteria could play a part in EYP.

Poor Rachel, she certainly has had a rough few months! How about Nugget? Is she still hanging in there?

 

[speckledhen]

Ok, that makes sense because I remember reading that ecoli bacteria could play a part in EYP.

Poor Rachel, she certainly has had a rough few months! How about Nugget? Is she still hanging in there?

Yes, Nuggs is doing pretty well, as well as you'd expect at her age, I guess. Dusty has been much more subdued herself lately. They are both 7 years old and I guess I'll just let them be chickens and do chicken things until they can't. Poor Xander, though. I fear he'll be left alone soon.

 

[1muttsfan]

That Lizzie is a lovely girl - she has great substance even at her age.

 

[speckledhen]

That Lizzie is a lovely girl - she has great substance even at her age.

Thank you, I think so, too. She's a definite keeper.


Thinking about this pup but DH is an obstacle. She's the big beigey colored supposedly Great Pyr X gal. If the link doesn't work, check out on FB Humane Society of Blue Ridge any reference to Lilly. I told them I'd have to change her name since I have an evil stepmonster named Lily, plus my neighbor has a fat Boston Terrier names Lilybelle. Ick and double Ick. I've always hated that name even before my lonely old father married that illegal alien.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=888241737923361

They posted a photo of her after she'd been playing in the mud, LOL. Only now, instead of a Great Pyr mix, they're calling her a Husky-Lab mix. Good grief. I do not want a dog that is anything with Husky in it, much as I admire their looks. Great Pyr, yeah, Husky, no way.

 

[1muttsfan]

She does not look (or sound from their description) anything like a husky anything to me - their prey drive is very strong, and it says she does not chase chickens. She looks like a Golden Retriever cross to me, maybe another hunting-type dog. She has a nice face, good relaxed happy expression.

 

[speckledhen]

She does not look (or sound from their description) anything like a husky anything to me - their prey drive is very strong, and it says she does not chase chickens. She looks like a Golden Retriever cross to me, maybe another hunting-type dog. She has a nice face, good relaxed happy expression.

I agree with you. I could see some sort of collie over a husky. Dhe does have big feet. I did meet her at one of the adoption days and she's a really great dog. Whatever vet they consulted orginally said she was over 90% Great Pyr. I can see maybe half but not that much. If she doesn't chase chickens or cats, and that foster family has both, she'll be great for someone in this county. I don't know if I could get DH to even consider a dog. He thinks he's too old or something.

 

[holm25]

I have a dwarf chicken. Its a SLW and has hardly grew at all compared to its siblings and chicks I hatched. The chicks I hatched r 3 weeks younger and r much bigger than her. In this pic she's with a chick that is 3 to 4 weeks younger than her. What do you all think? Is she a dwarf or slow grower?

 

[1muttsfan]

Tell Hubby that he may be too old, but you are not

I also have an undersized bird, he/she is the size of the chicks a full week younger. A late hatcher, we call it Leftover. Just happens sometimes - it is not always genetic. It is very active and runs around just like all the other birds, just has stayed small.

 

[speckledhen]

I have a dwarf chicken. Its a SLW and has hardly grew at all compared to its siblings and chicks I hatched. The chicks I hatched r 3 weeks younger and r much bigger than her. In this pic she's with a chick that is 3 to 4 weeks younger than her. What do you all think? Is she a dwarf or slow grower?

It's hard to say. A dwarf is a particular gene and it's not all that common. It isn't just a small chicken. So, she could just be stunted in her growth. Is her head an odd squarish shape? Do the eyes look like a Down Syndrome child? Is her body too big for her leg height? She just looks stunted in your photo but I can't say anything for sure.

 

[speckledhen]

I've told most of this to Angela through PM, but decided to post here, too.

Nugget is very slow but she did eat scrambled eggs today. I just noticed she has that sunken look in her comb and around her eyes, not a good sign.

Gloria Jean was on the nest several times, obviously trying to pop out something but she is very bloated. Sammie is lethargic and extremely thin. She was recently wormed with the 5 day Safeguard treatment to get the tougher worms, but the yolk on the roost shelf tells me it's reproductive. Goes in keeping with the losing younger birds over the past year. It's like a housecleaning and eventually, I'll be left with Atlas and his hens, a few old ladies and the handful of Belgian D'Anvers. If I didn't have the two d'Anver roosters, I'd move those little hens in with the old ladies. I may end up with Atlas and a few BR hens, an Old Hens' Home with d'Anvers included and I do plan to have guineas again some day for tick control and watch dogs (in addition to an actual dog, I told my husband).

What's surprising is Tiny. She isn't herself for the last few days and I wonder if the other hens hurt her in some way. She usually is a PITA every morning asking for her separate pile of scratch in her little cup that hangs in front of her special roost bar. She didn't do that and went straight outside to sit on the roost bar in the pen, not eating. I'm not sure what's wrong. She also quit laying and she's one of my best layers. But, I have to remember, she is 5 years old now. I lost my Blue Ameraucana hen, Nora, at about Tiny's age or just over that, a natural death, not egg related. And, though she doesn't lay a blue egg and has obvious Sumatra influence, she is genetically an Ameraucana. So, though we all joke about her living to 20, that may not be the case. She's a royal pain but I don't want her to be sick or hurt.

I have a mental list of about 5 birds I am expecting to lose relatively soon, plus there will be the one or two I don't expect at all. My numbers will plummet if that happens.
C