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

[1muttsfan]

What a good girl! My Maggie cat is like that - rushed in from outside to use the litterbox

 

[speckledhen]

What a good girl! My Maggie cat is like that - rushed in from outside to use the litterbox

Emily is a good girl, though she is not one to like to be picked up and petted, usually. We even let the group out so they'd be out of our way and not scared by lumber and hammering, etc, but she refused to go outside and watched every single thing we did until she got a place to lay her egg. Em is one of the younger, old ones, just over 6 years old, hatched with the Tiny Terrorist and Rita. She is in there because she has some sort of tendon damage in one leg and walks flatfooted, always limps, keeps chronic bumblefoot at one stage or another because her toes on that leg don't flex at all. So, a rooster is hard on her.

 

[robhuncor]

What a good girl! My Maggie cat is like that - rushed in from outside to use the litterbox

 

[speckledhen]

Having to do quite a bit of behavior modification with Hector, especially today. First, let me tell you something that happened yesterday with him. He was outside in the pen and Atlas's group, including Apollo and the two pullets, were locked in theirs in the barn. Tessa was being really nasty so I went in to rescue Apollo. Behind my back, one of them apparently bumped the door and Atlas and Tessa went outside the barn, walking right into Hector and his three, who are now 11 weeks old tomorrow. When I turned and saw Atlas's tail feathers out the door, I rushed out to find Hector facing off with Atlas, acting like he was just as big as the big guy. Atlas pretty much was rolling his eyes while Tessa was flaring up to give him a butt-whooping when I snatched both Tessa and Atlas up at the same time, one under each arm and took them back inside. I was afraid to leave either one out there because it seems that Hector doesn't know what's good for him. So, the boy has cajones.

Hector always yells and struggles when I have to pick him up and he has been biting me occasionally. Today, no exception. He bit me when I reached down, twice. So, I snatched him up, held his beak with a firm, "NO!" and a little shake and put him down, whereupon he danced at me! Say wha?? The kid is 11 weeks old, for cripes sake! I picked him up again, admonished him. Put him down. He does this head bobbing/threatening thing they do, sidling toward me. So, DH grabs him up, puts him pretty much on his back (DH is sitting in the lawn chair by the spectacle happening between me and Hector) on DH's chest, holding his feet, Hector is struggling and yelling and eventually, he shuts up. DH holds him for quite some time, then he uprights him and makes him sit there, which he does very sweetly. But, every once in awhile, I see that head bob thing even after all that.

So, Hector is doing some major boundary-testing right now. I told him that this is his intelligence test and he has only a few weeks to pass it. I don't breed stupid, so we'll see if he calms down. This little monster sure thinks he's all that and a box of cracker jacks! It would be a real shame if this ramped up to worse behavior. Biting is not in and of itself that bad at 11 weeks old, but it is sometimes a precursor to more ominous behavior. Even Apollo, with all his skittishness, has never bitten me or acted aggressively in any way toward me, which is what I've come to expect from any males descended out of Isaac's line-if you recall, Atlas is 1/4 Delaware.

Hector is so gorgeous, a stunning head on him, but pretty is as pretty does. As he gets older, it satisfies me to see that I picked the best one, looks-wise, but the temperament, we'll have to work on. Of course, I have his three girls, who are awesome. Unfortunately, Thea is not growing as much as she should, IMO. The difference between her and Mary and Jill is even more pronounced than it was weeks ago. Not sure why, if there is any real cause to point to. All are super sweet and beautiful, though. If the worst happens and Hector ends up elsewhere (and I'll give him every benefit of the doubt and training I know to do), then this may not be optimal, but I do have Apollo, Athena and Zara and the three can be added to that group and live where Hector is now with his girls. It still brings in unrelated blood that Mary saw I needed if I was to improve my BRs.

 

[1muttsfan]

That's right. I do not allow Any bad tempered roos around my place (or horses, dogs,etc)

 

[speckledhen]

Tried for pictures just now, but didn't do so well. Got Hector, not standing tall, unfortunately, and Thea, who is an absolute doll. And this first one is a not-so-great picture of Mary, who just refused to pose. Mary and Jill are very broad gals (the actual chicks, not the ladies, LOL).









Oh, forgot this pic of Atlas dustbathing. He has the kindest eyes, just like his grandpa, Isaac.

 

[chickenneighbor]

Looks like Atlas is getting an earfull from the lady behind him! (He's thinkin "yes, dear.") Such a beautiful flock!

 

[speckledhen]

Looks like Atlas is getting an earfull from the lady behind him! (He's thinkin "yes, dear.") Such a beautiful flock!

Thank you. Those two are his youngest hens, his daughters Lizzie, right behind him, and Tessa in the dust hole. They do give him a lot of trouble but they follow him around like lovesick puppies.

 

[1muttsfan]

 

[speckledhen]

Poor Atlas either molted out all his sickles except one very ratty one or he's pulled them out over those crazy wenches. Poor guy.

Tessa's behavior has changed and not for the better. DH came in this morning and said, "I almost killed a hen just now." When DH was petting the teenagers on their roosts this morning, he said Tessa was on a nest below and came off and just started attacking him. I know she had been semi-broody and then, during that time, I tossed her into another group several times to give Apollo and the girls a break from her incessant harassment, and ever since, she's been different. She might end up with her neck wrung if she continues this. He puts up with Tiny being aggressive, but he has zero patience for another hen going psycho on him. I am concentrating on picking her up and soothing her more to see if I can get the old Tessa back. She was never like this before; she was a sweet girl.