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

[speckledhen]

The eggs in the bator will be on Day 18 on Friday already, so coming out of the turner that day. I'll probably candle them as I put them on their sides. I have to get a heat lamp inside the house-probably use a reptile bulb in there since it's getting warmer outside now and there should be a good number of chicksters in that rabbit cage.

Funny story. Two days ago, I reached into the closet for my light jacket that as hanging on the door hook. I had not worn it in maybe three weeks or more. I felt something in the pocket--these pockets zip up so whatever was in there was zipped in snugly. No, can't be. Not that. Yes, that. It was an EGG! How long that egg had been in the jacket, I have no idea, but at least since the last time I wore it weeks ago. Geez.

 

[getaclue]

I had to toss the eggs in my bator. None were fertile. My main breeding rooster is in the infirmary cage getting his feet treated. Not bumblefoot, but he's been jumping at the rooster in the next pen, hitting his feet on the wire mesh that separates them. He's sustained various cuts, and large scrapes on the bottom of his feet, and got them so sore he wasn't treading the hens. I have been soaking them, and putting silvadene cream on them. He's doing better, but he's got a way to go before he's healed, and ready to return to his pen. I put one of the younger roosters with all the best qualities, in with his hens.

I was pretty sure I had a rooster that was shooting blanks in the pen with the older hens. They lay daily in the spring, but taper off later on. I never depended on them for hatching eggs, so it was no big deal. Well, now they're laying good, but no fertile eggs, so I've changed the rooster in their pen too. They're large hens, so I put one of the younger, slightly smaller roosters with the best form, over them.

About a week ago I put a beautiful older, larger rooster in with the youngest gals too. He's such a gentleman to them. It took few days, but now they adore him. Hopefully getting everyone re-arranged will soon give me fertile eggs, with good qualities.

 

[1muttsfan]

bummer. Glad you have spares!

I'll be setting my incubator tomorrow. After that I have some hatching eggs to share out. Once that's done and mine are hatched I'll go to one rooster, I'm sure to the hen's delight.

 

[speckledhen]

@getaclue Cheryl, you made me flash back to Deacon! He would fight with his feet at the wire with his brother Rex all the time. I was always having to bandage his feet and put ointment on them. Rex's comb would be skinned up and Deacon's feet. Sheesh. Thankfully, I didn't need or want Deacon as a breeder. They do themselves in trying to kill other males. Atlas will sometimes leave his hens on range to go back to the barn to see if he can fight with Hector at the pen door. I have run him back out numerous times over that. Hector never does that, he's always with his girls. I think Atlas is going senile to leave his hens that way.

 

[getaclue]

I think I'm going to get some black paint, and see if that helps. To prevent them from fighting before, I used black plastic (looked like plastic hardware cloth) mesh over the welded wire, between the runs. It didn't take them long to figure out they couldn't get to each other, so they didn't fight. At the worst, they would hackle up, bob heads for a few minutes, then go their separate way, because they knew they couldn't get to the other rooster.

When we built this coop, I couldn't find the plastic mesh in the size I needed, at a price I could afford. When I got it before, it was plentiful, and cheap. It got popular, which made it harder to get, and drove the prices up. It was just as cheap to use hardware cloth, so that's what I did. The black plastic mesh was not only a physical barrier, but a visible one too. The hardware cloth is not as much a visible barrier. That's why I'm going to paint the hardware cloth black, and see if it helps. I may look into the rubberized stuff, and paint that on.

 

[speckledhen]

About to put the binding on this quilt, finally. I have to sandwich another quilt to get the quilting done on that one (commissioned) in the next few days. So, then, I'll be done with commitments, I think, and I can work on just stuff I want to get done, projects in my head.

 

[1muttsfan]

Dancing like sugarplums...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have baby bunnies, 9 of them. This litter was planned.

 

[speckledhen]

I have baby bunnies, 9 of them. This litter was planned.

I won't show Finn! Aw, I like baby bunnies. I've rescued many wild ones from my wild kitty killer.

I got a surprise in the mail today from a sweet, thoughtful person on this thread, an adorable little speckled rooster bookmark! Thank you so, so much! I love him! And you know I'm a reader, too, not just on my Kindle, either. There's something about holding a book in your hand and marking your place to go back the next night to read yourself almost to sleep that is so satisfying!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's so cute.