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

[Happy Chooks]

Checking in............He may not have the barring you are looking for, but he looks really good right now! Your progress is coming along nicely! I'm sure putting him over your Stukel hens will give you the barring improvement you are hoping for.

 

[speckledhen]

Checking in............He may not have the barring you are looking for, but he looks really good right now! Your progress is coming along nicely! I'm sure putting him over your Stukel hens will give you the barring improvement you are hoping for.

Appreciate the input, Kelly. Yes, any double barred male would be a step up from a single factor barred one. Add his body type to that, plus hopefully, the usual temperament I see out of this line (Isaac passed to Rex and so on...) and add the stupendous type and coloring of the pure Stukel hens, I should see a better generation next time, overall.

I love Rex as a flock leader so he isn't going anywhere. He can watch over the laying flock who will continue to free range. I just have to figure out what to do with Atlas in the interim until his grandpa passes on because Isaac also isn't going anywhere and I won't risk Atlas by putting him in with Rex, who isn't the sharing type.

 

[crazyhen]

Do I hear a new coop area being planned.??????????? I seem to constantly need just one more space or need to devide and conquer one that I have now.
My setting hen has babies?? num. I will not aggravate Katie today. I put water in a low container and chick feed in a low containner for them inside the coop. The second broody, Lizbeth, does not have babies. They are due tomorrow but I noticed her off the eggs more than Katie my olive egger. I gave her less eggs to ,even though she is twice the size feather wise. Last time she rejected her babies at one wk and I had to take them in.
I guess that fowl can be a lot like people. Some people love their babies and others detest them. Poor babies when that happens.
I hope Atlas continues to grow and give you what you want in your program.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote: Well, not really, but I think maybe a small, temporary type for Atlas and the two barred girls might be in order. I mean, Ike killed Indy and Rex in the other section is just like his daddy with his inability to share, which is why Scout went to a new home today rather than suffer Indy's fate. I could see it coming and, though I really liked Scout, I did what I thought was better for him. I miss him already. He is just super sweet. I can't risk Atlas by putting him in with Isaac or Rex.

Isaac is hanging in there, though he is 5 1/2 now and I have never heard of an old Delaware rooster. After his fungal lung infection three summers ago along with his very tough last winter, I'm not sure how long he'll be with me. Just had to scold him for trying to go after poor Deacon in their coop rather than settle down and go to sleep. You should have heard the yelling and thumping in there.

If he keeps that stuff up in this heat, he may just keel over. If I do lose him, Deacon and those six hens go in with Rex (again, poor Deke) and Atlas gets that coop with the barred hens.

 

[lisa67steve99]

Yay! Scout found a forever home.
Just wanted to quickly update you on Ty and Miss Georgia, he hasn't crowed once since we got him until yesterday morning. I thought it was a dog howling until I figured out it was my sweet boy trying out his crowing. This morning I set my alarm at 06:15am so I could be up and on the porch drinking my coffee when hubby opened the coop door. Ty ran out, flew around a bit and belted out three amazing crows. So proud of that roo!!!!! Miss Georgia is growing, growing despite the fact that she is still lowest girl in the pecking order. She still hasn't learned to fight back, but I see it in her. One day she is gonna stand up for herself. She is getting more beautiful coloration in her feathering, the gorgeous hues of blue and violet when the sun hits her back and the tiny bits of white around her neck are just so pretty. Can you tell I love my birds?
Atlas is going to be a monster size rooster and is just as handsome as he can be. Hopefully I will visit him again one day.

 

[speckledhen]

Yay! Scout found a forever home.
Just wanted to quickly update you on Ty and Miss Georgia, he hasn't crowed once since we got him until yesterday morning. I thought it was a dog howling until I figured out it was my sweet boy trying out his crowing. This morning I set my alarm at 06:15am so I could be up and on the porch drinking my coffee when hubby opened the coop door. Ty ran out, flew around a bit and belted out three amazing crows. So proud of that roo!!!!! Miss Georgia is growing, growing despite the fact that she is still lowest girl in the pecking order. She still hasn't learned to fight back, but I see it in her. One day she is gonna stand up for herself. She is getting more beautiful coloration in her feathering, the gorgeous hues of blue and violet when the sun hits her back and the tiny bits of white around her neck are just so pretty. Can you tell I love my birds?
Atlas is going to be a monster size rooster and is just as handsome as he can be. Hopefully I will visit him again one day.

Thanks so much for the update on Ty and Georgia! Sounds like they are very well loved for sure. You and Steve are welcome anytime. Actually, I may end up with a few D'Anver chicks for you in a few weeks if you are still interested in those. I have 7 chicks being raised by broodies in that coop now, 5 porcelains and 2 Mille Fleurs about a week apart in age, the oldest are 3 weeks old now. I don't plan to keep any of them, just want their moms to mother them a bit longer. I have one guy who has first choice, but he hasn't contacted me in some time, so if he doesn't claim them when they need to go, you're next in line if you want to be.

 

[lisa67steve99]

Oh yes ma'am I am definitely still interested and would love to be next in line. Just let me know if and when they are available and I will be there. Nothing better than more precious babies to love and those are beautiful. I will build them their own separate coop and run and they will be loved beyond measure. I can't believe how enjoyable this endeavor has been, Steve actually thought I would lose interest after a few weeks. He admitted that I have surprised him. I am hooked for life on my chickens.
Thanks Cyn!

 

[speckledhen]

Oh yes ma'am I am definitely still interested and would love to be next in line. Just let me know if and when they are available and I will be there. Nothing better than more precious babies to love and those are beautiful. I will build them their own separate coop and run and they will be loved beyond measure. I can't believe how enjoyable this endeavor has been, Steve actually thought I would lose interest after a few weeks. He admitted that I have surprised him. I am hooked for life on my chickens.
Thanks Cyn!

You are most welcome! I know you'd have a better chance of getting chicks than eggs, the way these broodies are going now. I have only one hen laying. Penny and Carly are raising chicks, as well as Maura. Aimee and Mina are flirting with being broody as well, but for now, they settle for being babysitters for the ones that Maura leave when Penny and Carly harass her.

It is an addiction, for sure! I don't know what I'd do without my birds. I may have fewer at some point, but I can't see a day when I'll be completely chicken-free. They keep me moving and active and give me something to hug when things are not good (other than hubby, of course). They can be as affectionate as dogs and they are more intelligent than folks give them credit for.

 

[speckledhen]

Almost 11 weeks old. He's maturing faster than Maverick, my BR x Blue Rock cockerel, who five weeks older than Atlas. Definitely, Atlas has the proper body type over Maverick, who has a refined, almost feminine head. (ignore the yogurt on Atlas's head-they were getting a cool treat in the heat)












Here is Maverick. He's got the coolest coloring and is very good natured, but as you can see by the rehoming ad, he will be leaving.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Atlas is getting beefy. And it looks like his type is coming in nicely.