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

[speckledhen]

I get overrun with eggs a lot. I scramble them up and feed them back to the chickens to offset the feed bill. I used to chase people around with cartons of eggs, but now this way is easier and benefits me and my birds.

Yup, we do that, too. I don't try to sell eggs anymore, but if I get lots of extras, will let the neighbor know I have them. Extra protein for the birds is a great use for the extras. Dress them up with olive oil, garlic and plain yogurt or whatever supplements you want to give them and they'll scarf it right up.

 

[1muttsfan]

My hens happily pay for most of their feed, selling eggs at 2.50/dozen

 

[GingersHuman]

My hens happily pay for most of their feed, selling eggs at 2.50/dozen

That's cheap! The best price around here is $3 per dozen. Everyone else is $4 or more.

 

[MistyMountain]

That's cheap! The best price around here is $3 per dozen. Everyone else is $4 or more.

Looks like I am even lower, at $2.00 a dozen. When we have an egg boom, this one particular "customer" will buy 9 or more dozen at once. Makes it easier on me.

So sorry Hector is being forgetful of his manners, Cyn. I know how frustrating that can be. I am SO nervous about choosing a new roo out of these mottled java chicks. The two that made their gender known at a young age both have nice 5 pt combs. It looks like two more might be roosters, too, out of the 9. These take a long time to mature, too. Hopefully they are as nice as their daddy!

Fun news on the homestead. My good for nothin' half lame half sound horse now calls this place home!! This has been 12 years in the making, and truly a life long dream of mine. I've had him for 20 years now. DH built a paddock for him right in view of my office window. So happy my Valentine can live out the rest of his life right here with me.

 

[1muttsfan]

That's so nice

 

[holm25]

Brahmas would do very well in MN with their "leg warmers" and pea combs. Maybe you'll have some one day. We'll have to see about how to get you some, Isaiah.

I have some hatchery buff Brahmas and they do great here! And they don't get frostbite!



Cyn I will have to double check but my grandpa has multiple deer paintings of his! Not that one in particular by others from his collection! I will check when I go to his place!

 

[speckledhen]

Looks like I am even lower, at $2.00 a dozen. When we have an egg boom, this one particular "customer" will buy 9 or more dozen at once. Makes it easier on me.

So sorry Hector is being forgetful of his manners, Cyn. I know how frustrating that can be. I am SO nervous about choosing a new roo out of these mottled java chicks. The two that made their gender known at a young age both have nice 5 pt combs. It looks like two more might be roosters, too, out of the 9. These take a long time to mature, too. Hopefully they are as nice as their daddy!

Fun news on the homestead. My good for nothin' half lame half sound horse now calls this place home!! This has been 12 years in the making, and truly a life long dream of mine. I've had him for 20 years now. DH built a paddock for him right in view of my office window. So happy my Valentine can live out the rest of his life right here with me.

I have some hatchery buff Brahmas and they do great here! And they don't get frostbite!



Cyn I will have to double check but my grandpa has multiple deer paintings of his! Not that one in particular by others from his collection! I will check when I go to his place!

Awesome! I'm a huge Terry Redlin fan (Redlin passed away, sadly, a few years ago) and like others of the same style. I had an Andres Orpinas painting in a frame I got somewhere of ducks flying and I took two prints from my late father's house that I remember growing up that I've loved and was surprised when I saw the same artist's signature on them! I guess I'm really consistent, huh?

This is the one I have had for years here at this house, I think I got at a yard sale:



And these are what I brought back from Dad's, not even realizing it was the same artist:

 

[GingersHuman]

Fun news on the homestead. My good for nothin' half lame half sound horse now calls this place home!! This has been 12 years in the making, and truly a life long dream of mine. I've had him for 20 years now. DH built a paddock for him right in view of my office window. So happy my Valentine can live out the rest of his life right here with me.   

Nice! Happy for both of you (you and the horse

).

 

[GingersHuman]

Speckled, thought you might want to see pics of my birds when you have some spare time. My thread is here... https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1135521/my-flock-breed-guessing-game/60#post_17598529

 

[speckledhen]

Speckled, thought you might want to see pics of my birds when you have some spare time. My thread is here... https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1135521/my-flock-breed-guessing-game/60#post_17598529

You have a nice little assortment of birds there. Definitely some Old English Game Bantams in the group. It's fun to have a bunch of different breeds and even the crosses can be fabulous. My favorite trio of little hens, sisters with the same father and Barred Rock mothers, were appropriately named The Poufy Head Sisters. Kate, Tux and Olivia were the most precious hens, all three different sizes who each laid a correspondingly sized egg. I miss those sweeties a lot. They were an accidental breeding from a friend's flock. She had an elderly Cochin-Silkie cross rooster that she thought was infertile. Surprise! He sired these girls and one brother (I sold him) and then kicked the bucket a few weeks later.
One of my sweetest hens now is my dark red hen,Rita, another unauthorized breeding. She hatched from a blue egg out of a BBS Ameraucana flock, but the breeder's husband's BLRW rooster had gotten in with the Ameraucana hens and I got Rita. She looks nothing like either breed and lays a brown egg when, by all rights and genetic rules, it should be green. So, a mixed flock can be a ton of fun!