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

[1muttsfan]

An Easter egg from Maretta what a good girl

Happy Easter!

 

[speckledhen]

Well, that's an everyday egg, LOL. Her egg color is beautiful, usually deeper than this little clunker egg.


Saw a big hole, probably a rat hole, at the back side of the bantam coop where Pooh and her siblings and Cora are housed. Have to get that taken care of. There is no high grass, but there was some old lumber laying back there, which has since been removed. So, we must "encourage" that rodent to leave. It's a good size hole, about 2" across, maybe more. I had filled it in yesterday and it was dug out again today. Geez, always something.

 

[Wyatt0224]

That girl must've known what day it is. Have you ever had your chickens eat rats? My dad caught a field mouse and gave it to the chickens once and he said they went crazy over it. The rats frequently eat out of their feeder but I wonder if the chickens ever catch them.

 

[speckledhen]

That girl must've known what day it is. Have you ever had your chickens eat rats? My dad caught a field mouse and gave it to the chickens once and he said they went crazy over it. The rats frequently eat out of their feeder but I wonder if the chickens ever catch them.

Mice, yes. Rats are a whole 'nother story! Rats can kill adult birds. I hope Finn can catch the one I know is lurking and whatever friends it has, too. No mice or rats in the coops, but they are around the pens to get whatever grains they find. Mice are not a big deal, but the rats....((((shudder)))

 

[speckledhen]

The Atlas grandsons and Pooh-bear

 

[GingersHuman]

So cute!

 

[speckledhen]

Both males are spoken for and being picked up on Saturday (different people). My only concern is that Cora will be left alone with Pooh-bear, who could die at any moment. That little critter is a hot mess! She tried to flog me! Yes, Pooh flogged me. Of course, it didn't work because she can't get her legs past her chest, LOL.

And today, when Atlas chased Athena through the barn, Hector flew off the roost trying to get to his girl to save her, went crazy, almost choked on whatever he was eating. I know he would have gone right into Atlas full blast and probably been annihilated.

 

[Wyatt0224]

That's funny to see such a little chick with a big attitude. She doesn't know who she is flogging though, does she ever let you pick her up? That's a good sign from Hector that he's got the heart of a lion to protect his girls.

 

[speckledhen]

That's funny to see such a little chick with a big attitude. She doesn't know who she is flogging though, does she ever let you pick her up? That's a good sign from Hector that he's got the heart of a lion to protect his girls.

I pet her all the time, even pick her up, but she doesn't care for that part. Usually, it starts with her pecking my finger when I reach for her. She's a hoot! She has heart and spunk, I'll give her that. I shake the scratch jar and she comes waddle-running for her goodies, silly thing.

Hector would defend his girls, no doubt. But with Atlas having big, long spurs, blunted though they are, and his experience, he would trounce poor Hector, I'm afraid. I don't want anything to happen to either one of them.

Remember poor Rex after Deacon got in a lucky hit. And Ladyhawk just lost her only male progeny out of Suede, his grandson, Prince, who was the son of Suede and Meg's red son, Hector that mine is named for, after he and Lancelot accidentally got together and fought it out. He lingered for two weeks then died. There were no puncture wounds, just both were limping and bloody. Prince became weaker and weaker (he was in the house in a dog crate with the door open for him to roam around) and he died just a few days ago. She opened him up and found he had massive internal bleeding, plus a fractured thigh bone. So, these roosters really pack a wallop.

 

[speckledhen]

Atlas & Company got a new feeder today. I had one of the big plastic ones with tray dividers, but they were too far apart to prevent scooping into the floor. Under the hanging feeder was a large, square plastic tray that goes under a washer, but all they did was stand in it, scoop out feed and poop on/in it. And since Lizzie still has loose poop in spite of two weeks of probiotics, that resulted in a lot more waste than even normal.

So, this one is raised up to chest level. I'd have made smaller holes except for Atlas's big comb would have made it difficult for him to reach the feed if it was low. Plus, removing the big tray made the pen seem much larger.

What a coincidence! This is Lizzie in the picture.