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

[speckledhen]

He's getting some nice tail feathers! Wings are nice and tight too.

Isn't he handsome? Here's another one I took when I TRIED (yes, tried, sigh) to take pics of the Dirty Dozen. Love his comb and wing carriage and his barring has sharpened up, too. I wish his head was a tad broader, but he has a nice look to him, I think. He acts like a baby most of the time, very skittish because he's already running for his life. I've been trying to corner him and just stroke him, not pick him up, just have a session where I pet him and talk to him then let him go, all the while, his feet are still on the ground. He will calm down when he feels safer and more mature, I know from experience.






And the only pictures that weren't entirely blurry of the Heathen Horde. Geez, yep, just the one-all others were blurry/grainy. The smallest male insisted on sitting on my arm the entire time so hard to snap a steady picture.



Have some new Brahma pics for the other thread to upload, too.

 

[speckledhen]

I did get more photos of the Dirty Dozen yesterday, slightly better than the first attempt. And I think I've chosen my keeper male already. Will weigh him and the 2nd choice and we'll see how they match up to each other.




















ETA: Weighed the two largest males and the smallest male. Surprisingly, the one who appeared larger is 2 oz lighter than the one I have almost decided to keep. The did seem to be very close in size just to look at them. One reason I am choosing #2 is that I just like the way his head and comb look better, just more pleasing to my eye.

#1 male was 20.7 oz while the one I will probably keep is 22.6 oz. I went back to look at the weights of those three cockerels hatched with Athena. At 7 weeks, that humongous boy with the side sprigs was 22.5 oz! This male I decided on is over that at a week younger! I never would have guessed that.

The smallest male, best barring, friendliest little thing ever, is just under 14 oz! Wow. That's a big difference. I wonder if he'll bulk up later.



Went back and got photos of just those two males. #1 is the one the we thought was larger, but #2 is the one who is actually heavier, has a better look to him, IMO. So, what do you think?

 

[1muttsfan]

I also like the way #2 looks, over #1, although they are all nice birds and barring side sprig and small one, you could probably pick whichever you liked best and do well.

I have not been paying much attention to the girls but my they are a sturdy, solid bunch!

 

[speckledhen]

I also like the way #2 looks, over #1, although they are all nice birds and barring side sprig and small one, you could probably pick whichever you liked best and do well.

I have not been paying much attention to the girls but my they are a sturdy, solid bunch!

I agree. The top three are so similar in size, the 4th slightly smaller then the little guy (gosh, he's a doll), so I'm just going to go with the one that I like best overall. I almost wish I had room to keep both of the top males but I have not had any luck rehoming Apollo with his sister so far-one could go in with Atlas to just hold onto him (maybe... Atlas may reject Apollo soon, still watching for that).

The girls are all nicely built. There is one small pullet with lovely barring, but the others are all good size.

 

[speckledhen]

Horrible night. Pounding thunderstorms, BOOM! Lost power around 10:30 p.m. and the drama continued. Huge CRACK! and BOOM! in the house sometime during the night. If we had not unplugged everything, we'd have lost it all, I bet. I saw they had lights up on Watson Mountain so it was very localized. Heard a truck going down the power line easement sometime around 3 a.m., heard them working on the transformer at the edge of our property for awhile, then they left. Still, no power. Heard a huge truck go down our main road into this little alcove around 5:15 a.m. and about 5:30 a.m., power was restored. Finn slept at my feet on the bed for most of the night-he sure didn't want to go out there! I was afraid we would not have power for the hot, humid daytime and the birds, but thankfully, they are all okay and fans are blowing.

This nightly fireworks show is getting to be a habit.

 

[1muttsfan]

We had storms in Michigan yesterday too, but the bad storms parted and passed to our east and west each time a new front blew through. It did rain cats and dogs though - over an inch of rain in just a few hours.

 

[speckledhen]

We had storms in Michigan yesterday too, but the bad storms parted and passed to our east and west each time a new front blew through. It did rain cats and dogs though - over an inch of rain in just a few hours.

It's a steam bath out there. Still in the upper 70's but so humid, it feels like 90* already. I hate when everything is soggy. Makes the compost pile smell, too, ick. Have to get some ag lime for smells at the co-op. I'm almost out of DE anyway so will get that, too.


There are leaves turning red out at the pasture's edge already.


ETA: I may go ahead and pick out the three pullets I'm keeping then put the remaining chicks in the bantam coop and move the Brahma chicks into the barn with my keeper BRs. I'm fairly sure about the male I'm keeping, though either of the other two larger males would be just as nice of a choice. If I didn't have the Brahmas, I might be able to keep the top two but I just can't. And on top of that, I have no idea if Apollo will ever find another home so he may be here for the duration. I just cannot keep that many roosters. Eventually, my very old hens will pass on (I didn't expect to have them going on 10 years old and still laying!) and I may have more room but I can breed from whatever I keep if I need more, which is the whole point.

 

[speckledhen]

I did it. I picked three pullets to go with my keeper cockerel, put the others in the bantam coop and took the Brahmas back to the barn pen. They are getting harassed and will until the BRs decide it's not as fun or they tire out. They don't realize that the Brahmas will tower over them pretty soon and payback, well, it can be brutal. But then, it's not size, it's attitude.

I was debating on one pullet. The one with the very faded barring is one of the largest pullets but I really like the slightly smaller gal who reminds me of my first BR pullet, Lexie. She has much more prominent bars. So, I may just keep her instead of the super dark pullet. What would you do? I just like her.

If Andrew( @gojira they are ready whenever you want to come) doesn't want the dark one, and he can decide when he sees her, I guess I can keep her, one way or another. She can go in with Atlas or the older hens just so she stays and later on, depending on room that opens up, I can put her back with the group or something like that. I know we are supposed to go with body type first, but sometimes, it isn't what the heart wants to do. I know how to cull and what to cull, but I want her to stay here. Don't get me wrong, she isn't a cull, just isn't as large as the really dark pullet. I was going with size on the pullets but there is only one really small pullet, the rest are all good size, just some larger than others. If I had room, I'd keep a couple more, but I just don't, not having the Brahmas, too.

 

[MistyMountain]

Wow,Cynthia, glad you all are ok and power is restored. I type this as I listen to the not-so-quiet hum of the generator keeping our refrigerator and freezer running. We are just an hour shy of being without power for 24 hrs. We got hit bad yesterday shortly after 5pm. Major winds. We have trees down or partially down all over the property. Lots of work to do and sad to lose some mature shade trees.

In the end, thankful we are ok and the house only had minor damage to the gutter, very very close to being bad, though. Chickens are all ok and so is the calf. Praying for power now. Just to run the well pump, that's all.
I'll post a pic to share if you don't mind me gumming up your thread.

Also, awesome you were able to make your picks!! Can't wait to watch them grow!!

 

[speckledhen]

Wow,Cynthia, glad you all are ok and power is restored. I type this as I listen to the not-so-quiet hum of the generator keeping our refrigerator and freezer running. We are just an hour shy of being without power for 24 hrs. We got hit bad yesterday shortly after 5pm. Major winds. We have trees down or partially down all over the property. Lots of work to do and sad to lose some mature shade trees.

In the end, thankful we are ok and the house only had minor damage to the gutter, very very close to being bad, though. Chickens are all ok and so is the calf. Praying for power now. Just to run the well pump, that's all.
I'll post a pic to share if you don't mind me gumming up your thread.

Also, awesome you were able to make your picks!! Can't wait to watch them grow!!

I am so tired of crashing thunderstorms! Why, oh why, can't we just have a gentle soaking rain once in awhile? Why all the drama? ACK!

Of course, Michelle, you are welcome to post any picture you like.