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

[speckledhen]

You just keep handing out good information and hopefully more folks listen to it. You have taught me a thing or two over the past few years

That is a bigger compliment than I deserve! Thank you!

Cyn I feed my birds feed with fresh whey but its usually gone in ten minutes after being put out.

Perfectly acceptable practice. I'm not sure but I may recall my grandfather doing that. I believe our current processing of dairy products make them less than digestible, whereas, raw and natural ones are probably just fine. Farmers have done that for centuries.

9 years is old for any chicken.

Fresh whey is a great source of protein, and animals seem to really love it.

Yes, Dusty, Gypsy, Amanda, Panda, Snow and June have all lived a long life. And the two I lost before Rita died unexpectedly, Caroline was even older than them all, with Becca the same age as Amanda, having hatched together. Georgie is 8 years old next month as Isaac would have been had he still been with us. I hope I haven't forgotten any oldsters, but those are my oldest living birds now. After all the hatchery stock passed away, they tend to live a heap longer. Caroline was my only exception, being a hatchery gal, but I really think that the hatcheries may not have messed up the Brahmas as badly, them not being the first breed you think of as a layer.


Going to get my bath and a cup of coffee pre-primetime TV. I worked on this quilt all day, have lots of blocks left to make.

 

[1muttsfan]

Pretty

 

[speckledhen]

Pretty

Thanks, it is a commissioned piece. She wants teal and rose, with the log cabin blocks in the barn raising arrangement. I did one for Ellie in California for her winter quilt, not sure I've posted it here. Same quilt, different colors, slightly larger center square on the current one.

 

[holm25]

Holy Cyn those are beautiful!! How is dear old Dusty today?

 

[speckledhen]

Holy Cyn those are beautiful!! How is dear old Dusty today?

Thanks, Isaiah. Dusty is still bloaty, but maybe a tad less. I've tried everything I know and even have now resorted to the red wine treatment some folks swear by. She seems to like the taste. I haven't shot it down her throat, not wanting to choke her, but added some cheap Merlot we keep for cooking into her couple tablespoons of yogurt and she ate it right up. She's really hungry, I'm sure, having been off her feed for close to a week now. All she's had is yogurt and a tiny pullet egg or two scrambled and mashed into it. If she lives, I may have a wino hen on my hands, LOL! I figure I have nothing to lose by trying it since, if I can't get her fixed, she's going to die anyway. And that may be what's happening anyway, a system malfunction in prep for her exit. Tom keeps trying to push stuff down the tube and massage the crop, but it's hard with so much bloat.

 

[GabrielBane]

Bah, sorry to hear Dusty's crop is still acting up. I think you're right in guessing that her body is getting ready to make the great exit. You're making it very comfortable for her. If she pulls through, she'll be grateful I'm sure.




We picked up 5 Wyandottes from the Feed store. I couldn't resist.

 

[speckledhen]

Bah, sorry to hear Dusty's crop is still acting up. I think you're right in guessing that her body is getting ready to make the great exit. You're making it very comfortable for her. If she pulls through, she'll be grateful I'm sure.




We picked up 5 Wyandottes from the Feed store. I couldn't resist.

Well, she likes the Merlot, which surprised me. Maybe she'll feel no pain if she does go.

Oh, my, where does your feed store get the Wyandottes? Were they sexed?

Not trying to be the voice of doom and gloom here, but everyone I know has the worst luck with hatchery Wyandottes, me included. Maybe the breeder ones are better-well, they'd have to be, really. Mine, just like all my original flock, were from Ideal. Never buying one single bird from them again. Every Speckled Sussex I got from them also had serious issues and did not make it to adulthood. I hope yours will do well for you. They are really good layers and simply gorgeous birds, so round! All mine, both SL and GL, died of reproductive malfunctions. I hated that so much. They are great girls, all of them, but they don't have the best genetics. Violet was the last of the three SLWs to go and was head hen at the time, a very dignified lady; Lacy was my very first loss of all, just after she turned 2 yrs old, with Lorelei following maybe a year later. I did get two later on but sold them after they turned a year old. My GLW had EYP at a year and a half old and passed away. I really enjoyed them while they were here, though, wish they'd lived longer.

 

[GabrielBane]

Well, she likes the Merlot, which surprised me. Maybe she'll feel no pain if she does go.

Oh, my, where does your feed store get the Wyandottes? Were they sexed?

Not trying to be the voice of doom and gloom here, but everyone I know has the worst luck with hatchery Wyandottes, me included. Maybe the breeder ones are better-well, they'd have to be, really. Mine, just like all my original flock, were from Ideal. Never buying one single bird from them again. Every Speckled Sussex I got from them also had serious issues and did not make it to adulthood. I hope yours will do well for you. They are really good layers and simply gorgeous birds, so round! All mine, both SL and GL, died of reproductive malfunctions. I hated that so much. They are great girls, all of them, but they don't have the best genetics. Violet was the last of the three SLWs to go and was head hen at the time, a very dignified lady; Lacy was my very first loss of all, just after she turned 2 yrs old, with Lorelei following maybe a year later. I did get two later on but sold them after they turned a year old. My GLW had EYP at a year and a half old and passed away. I really enjoyed them while they were here, though, wish they'd lived longer.

He told me they ordered from ideal at some point, but they stopped last spring. I forget the place he said they order from. Something farms in Ohio. I wish I had written it down, I think I was excited and ready to get them home.


I actually raised SLW from Ideal in High-school in 2010 when the Central Florida Fair chose them as the breed for the market hen program;

They were flighty and ornery and I never truly bonded with them (albeit I was also a teen going through teen things, so it could've been an environmental thing also...) and the only year I didn't win Champion or Reserve out of my 4 years doing the program. These five are my hopeful re-introduction to the breed and variety. i wish they had the BLR, that would've put me in my glory.

 

[speckledhen]

He told me they ordered from ideal at some point, but they stopped last spring. I forget the place he said they order from. Something farms in Ohio. I wish I had written it down, I think I was excited and ready to get them home.


I actually raised SLW from Ideal in High-school in 2010 when the Central Florida Fair chose them as the breed for the market hen program;

They were flighty and ornery and I never truly bonded with them (albeit I was also a teen going through teen things, so it could've been an environmental thing also...) and the only year I didn't win Champion or Reserve out of my 4 years doing the program. These five are my hopeful re-introduction to the breed and variety. i wish they had the BLR, that would've put me in my glory.

Well, good luck with them. They are so beautiful. I also love the BLRWs. My original girls, Lacy, Lorelei and Violet






Lorelei was single-combed.

 

[1muttsfan]

unfortunately all the wyandottes I have had were pretty flighty too, especially the blue laced red