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

[speckledhen]

I think that for his very young age, he has a nicely shaped round chest-sure beats most Ive had. I ought to check out some young photos of the original Rex at his age to compare their forms. Naturally, Atlas should fill that chest out even more as his matures. Let me see if I can find any pics of his Uncle Rex at 12-14 weeks old in a similar pose. Though Bob Blosl said that he was spectacular, those Stukel males always take ages to really fill out their frames.

 

[speckledhen]

Found one! Here is the original Rex at about the same age with Atlas beside him. Atlas has better wing carriage than Rex did. Gosh, I see a family resemblance around the eyes, I think.



And that scruffy looking youngster turned out to be this:

 

[Happy Chooks]

Oh yes, I didn't mean to imply he was lacking in that area - just that it takes 12-18 months for the breast to fill in.

 

[speckledhen]

Right, I know that from having the others, but I was just saying the shape is there already, much more so than many that have come through here. *sorry, it sounded like I thought you were criticizing the little guy, which is also totally fine, too! This line is a work in progress* The original Rex was an awkward, lanky, almost disjointed teenager. I don't see the lankiness in Atlas at this point that I did in his Uncle Rex, which makes me wonder how he will progress. He seems more filled out at this age than the other males I've raised.

Atlas's barring is really great for being 1/4 Delaware and he has several things over the original Stukel male-wing carriage, comb and leg color is better. Though the Stukels do have decent yellow legs, my Delawares have bright yellow legs so that helped to boost the leg color, I feel.

That being said, I've had odd ones turn out to be spectacular and ones I thought had promise end up not as great as it seemed they would at first.


ETA: adding that the 2nd of my three over 3-year-old Stukel Barred Rock hens is broody now. Dottie has been broody multiple times, but neither Ida nor Wynette had ever shown any inclination. Wynette is on Day 15 with 5 eggs. And now, Dottie's daughter, Druscilla, is clucking a bit, so not sure if she'll actually do it or not. In Wynette's clutch, there are 2 of Wynette's own, 1 of what I think is Dottie's, 1 BR egg that is rather porous and I think I'll be pulling that-seems like a quitter, and 1 from my splash Rock hen, so could be blue or blue barred. Could be another Atlas in there, though I don't need another. Maybe someone else might.

 

[1muttsfan]

OK, now I see what you mean about the barring - Rex's is very clean and distinct.

 

[lularat]

Love following this thread. I knew and still know very little about the barring and physical characteristics of what makes a spectacular rooster, but I'm learning. Rex was one beautiful rooster and looks like Atlas is following suite.

 

[speckledhen]

OK, now I see what you mean about the barring - Rex's is very clean and distinct.

Yes, it was what everyone who saw it called "test pattern" barring. Some folks said it even hurt their eyes, LOL.

Love following this thread. I knew and still know very little about the barring and physical characteristics of what makes a spectacular rooster, but I'm learning. Rex was one beautiful rooster and looks like Atlas is following suite.

I think that breeding Atlas back to his mother and aunts and cousins might just get us back closer to that sharp, precise barring of the original male, which is my fervent hope. Rex #2 produced Atlas with the Stukel hens, obviously better than himself, however, you sure can't count on that and the odds are certainly better with Atlas over those same hens than with Rex over those hens.

 

[drumstick diva]

That's funny, I just felt the same way - the test pattern bars do hurt my eyes. It's like the old days - when the flash bulbs would go off, you saw spots. I keep seeing bars in everything, the background etc.

Beautiful birds tho

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks, Diva. Love the zebra chickens, as a friend says her daughter calls them.

Speaking of color, I saw some BRs recently with what I call "gravy-colored" legs. And they were supposed to be high quality. Then, folks talk about feeding corn to get leg color? HOGWASH, I say! That is genetics, pure and simple. If it ain't in the genetics, you shouldn't be feeding to try and get it. You need different genetics. If you overfeed corn, you get all sorts of bad stuff in addition to what you're trying to get, like brassy whites you really don't want. My Delawares have bright yellow legs and they don't yellow in their plumage. That is genetics. Some Delaware lines just have a yellow tinge apart from their feed regimen, unfortunately. That is also genetics. Now, if I overfed them corn, they'd start to yellow, even though they genetically are not predisposed to that (though Ike sure loves to pick out the whole kernel corn in his 11 grain scratch mix, LOL) If it isn't in the genes, you are fighting a losing battle, JMHO.

My Stukel BRs have decent yellow legs. The Dellie males have bright yellow legs, the hens slightly less so, which is normal, but they do not have that whitish or greenish yellow we see sometimes. So, Atlas, being 3/4 Stukel BR and 1/4 Delaware, has super leg color and if I fed him a bunch of corn, he might develop brassiness in his white areas, just like my last Hawkeye came to me with, being raised on an all corn diet until I got him (shame on that FFA kid!)


Hawkeye as he came to me, malnourished, thin, pale and very brassy-gold (poor comb had been destroyed by the huge turkey they had him penned with)






After just over one month of proper feeding, etc:





And just after that, out of quarantine:

 

[drumstick diva]

Speckled Hen,

Wow what a difference I thought you used Pepsodent ("you'll wonder where the yellow went, when you brush your "feathers with Pepsodent."

That sure proves the point of what corn, corn, corn can do to birds.