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

[speckledhen]

You need more hens, so there are too many for Apollo, and Hector can get the spoils. That might cut down on the sparks between them.

Technically, they are two separate groups. They run together now when I let them out because, for one, Hector is too young, and I'm not ready to add anyway. Hector has three and Apollo has his two. Apollo also runs when Atlas's group does and I'm hoping one day he gets up the courage to not run from Tessa, to actually make her run from him trying to mate her. Apollo actually is a "free-floater". He runs with all groups except the Old Hens group that contains very crippled hens like Amanda and Snow in it. There are old hens in one other group but they are not frail in the least, though, by age, they are as old as the actual Old Hens. But, they keep Apollo in his place pretty well. So, generally, Apollo has his pick of quite a few hens, if he gets up his courage enough. Hector just won't allow him to pick on Thea, Mary and Jill (not to mention, Hector would like to have Zara, who is not a whole lot bigger than Mary is, though she is 23 weeks old this week).

I let Hector run with all groups other than Atlas's and the Old Hens. I fear he'd rile up Atlas too much. He doesn't know when to back down yet.

 

[speckledhen]

Three things today, first two unrelated to Atlas or Hector:

1) 6+ yr old Rita's crop is back down and hopefully, she can begin regaining the weight she lost, though her molt is still in progress.

2) June, my 8+ yr old EE hen, just prolapsed again, second episode this year. Probably will literally be the death of her. It's back in and she is separated for a bit, in the wall cage where Rita was for four days. She never had any egg issues, though her eggs have been humongous from the very beginning, until this year. She was my latest ever layer, first egg at 40 weeks old.

3) Finally, some Hector news for you-Hector, the precocious little imp, was showing his three girls where to lay. He was crouching down like he was in a nest, clucking to them to come lay their egg. Wish I could tell him it may be a couple of months or more before that happens. He's way ahead of development schedule in that regard, it seems to me.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Is that normal behavior for a rooster that young?

 

[speckledhen]

Is that normal behavior for a rooster that young?

Well, I've never seen it in a cockerel under 14 weeks old. It was definitely the "lay your egg here" thing.

 

[getaclue]

Sorry to hear about your 8 year old.

It sounds like Hector is going to turn out to be an exceptionally good rooster.

 

[speckledhen]

Sorry to hear about your 8 year old.

It sounds like Hector is going to turn out to be an exceptionally good rooster.

I do believe he has great potential.

 

[uphilljill]

I started getting pullet eggs last week from my 18 week olds, so it may be sooner than you think. ;-)

 

[speckledhen]

I started getting pullet eggs last week from my 18 week olds, so it may be sooner than you think. ;-)

Wow, that's as early as my Delawares! The earliest I had laid at 17 weeks old and the latest ever was 24 weeks with that breed. The pure Stukel Rock hens didn't lay until, I think, around 26-28 weeks old. I think Lizzie, Atlas's daughter, didn't lay until even 30 weeks. I know she was fairly late. I prefer not to wait that long.

 

[uphilljill]

My Roy based pullets sometimes took as long as 30 weeks, but Fred's line has been faster maturing for me. Since these chicks are a cross, it may vary. I'm sure Hector senses something, so it wouldn't surprise me if you have at least one early layer.

 

[speckledhen]

My Roy based pullets sometimes took as long as 30 weeks, but Fred's line has been faster maturing for me. Since these chicks are a cross, it may vary. I'm sure Hector senses something, so it wouldn't surprise me if you have at least one early layer.

That is one disadvantage of some of the old heritage lines, the delayed laying onset of most of the pullets. But, if the laying is pulled back to a more normal start time, that is definitely good, IMO.