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

[MistyMountain]

Yes

.... and YES, LOL. If he grows into his head, feet and attitude, he'll be a great rooster! He ran up behind Apollo yesterday and ripped out an entire bunch of butt-fluff feathers, made him jump 2' in the air. He still has sweet Apollo buffaloed, that's for sure. But, he has decided that Xander and Rita are downright dangerous, so he does seem to have a few brain cells!


It's a weird day today. I have this odd, unsettled feeling, almost like I'm having an anxiety attack, sort of out of breath. Something is just off somewhere in my universe. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but it's like something bad is coming and makes me want to RUN far, far away. Ever had those feelings?

I used to get that feeling often. It scared me since my family has a history of heart disease, and my Dad was basically my age when he had a heart attack. It was really scary. I felt like I just had to sit around, afraid to do much more. I decided to quit drinking sweet tea to see if caffeine was the problem and sure enough, I feel great now. Mom was allergic to caffeine. I wonder if I have some sort of sensitivity to it. I LOOVE sweet tea though, and caffeine free is not the same. Now I will only drink Bojangles sweet tea… it's the only stuff that is worth not feeling great after, LOL!

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[speckledhen]

I used to get that feeling often. It scared me since my family has a history of heart disease, and my Dad was basically my age when he had a heart attack. It was really scary. I felt like I just had to sit around, afraid to do much more. I decided to quit drinking sweet tea to see if caffeine was the problem and sure enough, I feel great now. Mom was allergic to caffeine. I wonder if I have some sort of sensitivity to it. I LOOVE sweet tea though, and caffeine free is not the same. Now I will only drink Bojangles sweet tea… it's the only stuff that is worth not feeling great after, LOL!

Hope you feel better soon.

It is just this feeling of foreboding, for lack of a better term. I feel physically fine, but just very anxious for no apparent reason. As far as foods that bother you, I'd have this feeling of pressure through my rib cage, like a sword through my ribs and straight through my back. Turns out, drinking more than one carbonated beverage a day was pretty much the cause so I cut it out for awhile and it is lots better. It's acid reflux, but mostly, I can control it by what I avoid. I drink mostly water, 2 cups of coffee in the a.m., one later if I feel like it and it's cool enough outside, and only one Diet Rite, if that, per day. That is caffeine-free, sodium-free and aspartame-free (and nutrition-free, lol).

 

[speckledhen]

Apollo has developed an odd feather, only barred around the outside edges. Never seen one like that on the males, but the hens of the Stukel line tend toward a few solid black feathers on occasion, like Druscilla in the photo-her mother had several and Dru gets more and more as she ages.
Zara and Apollo



Here it is, pretty cool if you think of a bird who would be like that all over, huh?

You can see Dru's solid feathers scattered around. That face, she always has that expression.


And Atlas's spurs, the reason I don't want him to actually catch Apollo off-guard.





And a video-forgive Atlas's one lone sickle feather that is hanging on when others have already molted out. It sticks up because it has no weight from others to keep it in check and he looks goofy.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Yes

.... and YES, LOL. If he grows into his head, feet and attitude, he'll be a great rooster! He ran up behind Apollo yesterday and ripped out an entire bunch of butt-fluff feathers, made him jump 2' in the air. He still has sweet Apollo buffaloed, that's for sure. But, he has decided that Xander and Rita are downright dangerous, so he does seem to have a few brain cells!


It's a weird day today. I have this odd, unsettled feeling, almost like I'm having an anxiety attack, sort of out of breath. Something is just off somewhere in my universe. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but it's like something bad is coming and makes me want to RUN far, far away. Ever had those feelings?

I have had that feeling more than a few times in my life. Sometimes nothing comes of it that I am aware of, and sometimes something does. For months before I was diagnosed with each of my cancers I talked about what should happen when I die, my father apparently was doing the same before his heart troubles, but as you mentioned caffeine and weather changes can sometimes bring on the feeling. Hopefully it's nothing but the weather, and the approach of the fall equinox.

 

[speckledhen]

I have had that feeling more than a few times in my life. Sometimes nothing comes of it that I am aware of, and sometimes something does. For months before I was diagnosed with each of my cancers I talked about what should happen when I die, my father apparently was doing the same before his heart troubles, but as you mentioned caffeine and weather changes can sometimes bring on the feeling. Hopefully it's nothing but the weather, and the approach of the fall equinox.

I don't think it's health-related, at least not my health. Forgive me while I rant a little bit. Had that dreaded colonoscopy a few years ago, clean as a whistle, JUST AS I TOLD THE DOCTOR it would be. But the prep drink made me deathly ill for hours before going to the clinic. I threw up for 4 hours prior to that and got a migraine. Still, perfect results so no more of those. And, I just had a mammogram, against my will, but completely clear. I balked at it for 15 years after the last one was excruciating. Irritatingly enough, no doctor ever thought to mention that they no longer used the medieval torture devices of 25 and 15 years ago that made me swear off them forever, but I relented after they refused to do an ultrasound. It was nothing like those other two times. WHY, oh WHY did no one tell me it was not the same anymore??? I still will wait another ten years because I don't trust the test at all, but at least, I'm not afraid of terrible pain anymore. Me, I think some of the tests are just money-makers for the system, not good for the patients. And forget telling me to get ANY vaccination after learning every one gives the gov't 75 cents in their coffers. That's why they push all the new, barely-tested ones, IMO. I'm healthy dang it, but that doesn't get the medical community and all its adjuncts any income. I have to take meds daily for my hypothyroidism but that is genetic, not self-inflicted and it raised cholesterol as well, so again, my higher cholesterol numbers are not related to what I eat, at least in my case.

I have more muscle mass at my age than in my 20's. Back then, I couldn't lift a 50 lb feed bag from the back seat of the car, truck it over my shoulder down to the barn, open the can, dump it in and go back for another one. And I bet few women my age can. I have good blood pressure, never smoked, don't drink, eat what we raise, rarely get fast food, etc. So, yes, age is changing stuff, but I'm not going down without a fight. Makes me crazy when they show two people and judge only by their weight which is healthier. Saw that with photos of two males in politics, won't name names, but they were declaring that the thin one was automatically healthier than the other. I happen to know that the skinny one smokes and the one with the slightly pudgy waist never has. A skinny body can hide high cholesterol, high blood pressure, COPD and a host of other issues while someone with a slight weight issue may ONLY have that issue. I've lost too many smoking family members to COPD/emphysema and am losing more right now (BIL younger than my DH, on oxygen and still smoking)to think anyone who smokes is healthier than someone who does not. So, soap box is folded and put away, sorry.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm glad you are as healthy as a horse as the saying goes. I am an ex smoker and have learned my lessons, but it is hard to quit. You do need to be your own advocate when stepping into the medical arena, as they will use you and spit you out, but occasionally you meet some folks that are kind and are genuinely concerned for you. I have learned to speak up over the years, sounds like you have to. I haven't had the pleasure of a colonoscopy yet, that's a hard one to volunteer for.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm glad you are as healthy as a horse as the saying goes. I am an ex smoker and have learned my lessons, but it is hard to quit. You do need to be your own advocate when stepping into the medical arena, as they will use you and spit you out, but occasionally you meet some folks that are kind and are genuinely concerned for you. I have learned to speak up over the years, sounds like you have to. I haven't had the pleasure of a colonoscopy yet, that's a hard one to volunteer for.

Good for you! I'm glad to hear you were successful. I realize how difficult it is to quit that habit, I really do. My mother smoked. The only time she really quit was when she got Alzheimers and forgot she smoked, but by then, she was already in her 80's. My in-laws were chain smokers, and DH's older younger sister smoked but did quit. His youngest sister never did, but her husband does (I could never marry a man who smoked-the breath, the clothes, yuck). His younger brother is terminal, as all COPD patients are-he copycatted his father in chain smoking. Both my FIL and MIL had COPD. MIL died in early 60's. FIL died in early 80's with both lung cancer and leukemia. DH and I somehow met, never having smoked ourselves. My older son did for awhile and I think he's quit, but I blame my in-laws for making it glamorous to him in some way.

Yeah, some of those tests I bet cause issues rather than bring them to light. I am leery of any of the newer ones. The system is rigged to keep us sick so others can line their pockets so that makes it all suspect to me.

BTW, can we be any more off topic now? My fault! Sorry!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I only have hatchery barred rocks, yours are fascinating to look at, there back on topic.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Oh, and it took me getting cancer to quit smoking, how sick is that, it should really be outlawed as an illegal drug, as it destroys people. Chickens are now my drug of choice. They make me happy.

 

[speckledhen]

I only have hatchery barred rocks, yours are fascinating to look at, there back on topic.

Haha, I fell in love with BRs from two hatchery gals in my original flock, as you may know. Ivy and Lexie will never be forgotten.

Oh, and it took me getting cancer to quit smoking, how sick is that, it should really be outlawed as an illegal drug, as it destroys people. Chickens are now my drug of choice. They make me happy.

You are not alone in that opinion, on cigarettes or chickens! They are my addiction, too, but they are also my therapy, so got both sides of the fence represented there, ha!