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

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I bet it's better than you think. We're our own worst critics. Tom can copy stuff, but he has zero imagination (he says that all the time).

Imagination is harder than it should be when it comes to art. Most great painters had subject or landscape to look at. His technique and ability to reproduce an image so well is in itself a wonderful ability. He should keep painting.

 

[speckledhen]

I agree! I want a painting of Sebastian. He has such beautiful colors, so many shades. I'd love for him to have painted Zane, but alas, a BR has to be super hard.

 

[1muttsfan]

I think he should immediately do paintings of each of our favorite birds!! He does wonderful work, copying or not. And BTW many painters do their art from photographs, so he should not feel lonely. Capturing not just the appearance but the feeling and emotions of an individual or scene is what makes you an artist.

If you want your birds to run together like that they will need a lot more room! As in free range all the time. Of course then predators knock your numbers down. That is quite the flock - I find myself when watching old movies trying to figure out what breeds the chickens are

 

[speckledhen]

I think he should immediately do paintings of each of our favorite birds!!

I'll tell him to get right on that. When he did the Lancelot portrait, it took forever to dry and I think it was still drying when LH got it in the mail, LOL.

If you want your birds to run together like that they will need a lot more room! As in free range all the time. Of course then predators knock your numbers down

I know! Trust me, if mine all ran together like that, it would be free range time every minute we were home. But, can you imagine trying to call them all back to the pen when we had to go off? No way I'd know if they all came back.

 

[Leahs Mom]

A long handled broom comes in really handy when trying to herd birds where they had no intention of going

I'm talking as an extra-long arm...not to hit or anything like that. You can steer them around pretty well that way.

 

[speckledhen]

A long handled broom comes in really handy when trying to herd birds where they had no intention of going

I'm talking as an extra-long arm...not to hit or anything like that. You can steer them around pretty well that way.

We use a length of PVC pipe, but the trouble is actually locating them in order to herd them. They have so many places to hide all over this property, which is great for predator evasion, but not fun if a stubborn bird does not want to come home and we are looking under every shrub and tree for it. I've had times when a hen would get scared and hunker down and make herself invisible. We've gone around and around this place looking for her, only to finally find her still as a rock under a long-hanging Leyland Cypress or rhododendron that we looked under more than once already.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I am lucky in that my chickens literally are free range and can come and go as they please, no need to round them up or do head counts. The way we are set up plus the donkeys keeps loses to predators to a minimum. Most years I see nothing. My birds are smart enough after 2-3 months of age to put themselves to bed.

 

[speckledhen]

I am lucky in that my chickens literally are free range and can come and go as they please, no need to round them up or do head counts. The way we are set up plus the donkeys keeps loses to predators to a minimum. Most years I see nothing. My birds are smart enough after 2-3 months of age to put themselves to bed.

Sounds heavenly to me!

 

[speckledhen]

Trying to start quilting again. I found two cute airplane fabrics at Walmart and the other stuff is what I have here, so trying my best to make-do with it. I'm already out of the gold fabric so have to see what other golds are here to continue cutting squares. Just doing something very simple, no complicated blocks to get back into the swing of it. After being away from it, it's sometimes hard to get back in the groove. Waiting on the guy to show up to get the two Brahmas boys so killing time.

 

[speckledhen]

The guy came and took both Brahma boys for their Orpington girls. It seems he is one of my YouTube subscribers, coincidentally, so my YouTube ad was a great idea! Whew, a big relief to have no extras left now! Their coop is really super nice, too-his partner showed me a photo on his phone of it. So, I feel very good about their future.

Lizzie seems ever so slightly more steady on her feet today. Both of us saw improvement. So, maybe there's hope for her. But, there's recovery and then there's being able to handle a rooster's attention.