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

[lisa67steve99]

How lucky I am to have meet the gorgeous little Atlas in person. He is going to be a fine specimen when he is grown. Can't wait to follow his journey.

 

[speckledhen]

Lisa! Thanks for checking out Atlas's progress thread. Whenever the phone company gets the new modem to us, I'll upload some new photos of the little man. He really acted like a rooster today while out with his mama and sisters. I saw him foraging a few feet from the rest of them when suddenly, he spotted something, stretched out his neck and alarmed. He was pointing like a hunting dog with his outstretched neck. I was inside so didn't see what the problem was, but suddenly, Dottie and his sisters, led by Atlas, hotfooted it back to the coop.

 

[lisa67steve99]

Oh, he is going to be a great leader.

 

[crazyhen]

Such a smart fellow. He reminds me of my Adam. My Delaware, he is my nice rooster. He dances for his ladies and they comply. No bad backs and broken feathers here. The eggs are fertile too. I have hatched one batch of 4 and another sitting started Sunday. If you want eggs let me know and you can get them. My 4 hens are laying nicely right now. All are A!, NPIP and ms/mg tested. Another testing will be done in June. I love the look of your barred rocks they are so uniform. Ps found some Buff orps. They have a slight tough of English but less than 1/16th so should be fine.

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you, Gloria Jean. Right now, I have way too many birds as it is. I still expect to lose some of the older hens and one of my 1 yr old hens has something wrong with her, no idea if it's infection or injury, so may lose her, but that only makes way for Atlas and his sister(s). No idea if I'll keep more than just one of the barred pullets or all four pullets. They are super sweet, all of them.
Glad you found your Buffs!

 

[speckledhen]

New modem is up and running FINALLY. Was like pulling teeth to get it here. Stupid company has a monopoly on internet in this area and can't go anywhere else. Slowest DSL on the planet (5 MG) but that's all we can get. And then the customer service is in India, of course.

Well, enough griping. Here are the most recent photos of Atlas & sisters at 8 weeks old. I notice he has a thick neck and round shape at this age.

 

[1muttsfan]

Look at all the feathers! They are growing up so quickly.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm expecting Dottie to begin rejecting them soon. It usually starts at least by this time with most broodies, sooner with many. I may end up keeping one of the black pullets because her one year old sister, Raven, isn't doing well. Suddenly, she has lost a lot of weight, quit laying and seems weak and uncomfortable. We did just worm her group a week ago and she's been like this for four days, at least since I noticed her laying around and walking gingerly. I hope she hasn't had an adverse reaction to the invermectin. This was the first worming for that group, just mainly because they had never been wormed and the rest of the flocks already have this spring. Never had a bird react to the invermectin, but there's always one who might be extra sensitive, I suppose.

ETA: We lost Raven overnight to what I believe to be Spotty Liver Syndrome (not fatty liver syndrome-she had very little fat in her body at all and none on the liver). Never saw an abnormal liver here until hers, which was double the normal size with lesions, plus inflamed intestines. It's an odd condition relegated to free range flocks, it seems. I wonder if clearing the woods and allowing all sorts of new and different growth to come up that would never have thrived in dense woods has something to do with it. Her age, condition, free range life, onset of symptoms and what we found on necropsy all fit to a T. It was more prevalent in the UK but was also seen more in the US before the 1960s and is making a resurgence. It doesn't seem to be actually contagious bird to bird, per se, but more something they from bacteria they find on range, though no one has ever been definitive as to the real cause of it. Leave it to me to come up with something weird here. http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla-en/files/pub-vet-spotty-liver.pdf

 

[speckledhen]

I may end up just keeping all five youngsters, the barreds as breeders, the blacks as layers. That, plus the one Buff Orp and one NH pullet I got awhile back who are now 14 weeks old, would be my replacement layers and I'd need no more for quite some time to come. If I can get rid of my Delawegger male and after Isaac passes on (he's really showing his age now), I may use the original side of the coop for Atlas and a few BR hens as a breeding group and give the rest to Rex and Deacon for the laying flock that free ranges the most. The Delawegger, Scout, wouldn't survive if I put Deacon over there now because the poor guy is already being hammered by Rex on a daily basis, so will have to wait till Scout has a new home and then it's only a matter of time before the big man, Ike, is no longer with us.

I'm just thinking on "paper" here. All chicken plans are subject to change and lack of funds.

 

[1muttsfan]

Look at those BIG FEET! He certainly has an air about him.