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

[1muttsfan]

Tail filling in. love the long skinny adolescent neck.

Cute chick, are you thinking of growing him out too?

 

[speckledhen]

Tail filling in. love the long skinny adolescent neck.

Cute chick, are you thinking of growing him out too?

I honestly have no place right now for another male, though Dottie will be keeping it for awhile, if she can abstain from stepping on them. We call her Sasquatch because the first week, when they are not as agile, she tends to step on them occasionally....and she isn't a lightweight.

So, is your impression also that it's male? That was my first gut reaction when it fell out of the egg--huge comb, prominent wattles and Godzilla legs, though the baby fuzz hides that now. Head spot is male, but the darker legs would make some think pullet. My cockerels usually also have some of that, though.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I am still in love with Atlas' tail. It's going to be amazing when it completely fills in. He just keeps looking better and better each day!

 

[speckledhen]

I am still in love with Atlas' tail. It's going to be amazing when it completely fills in. He just keeps looking better and better each day!

Oh, I'm very happy that you think so! So far, I'm pleased as punch with him and if his little brother is anything like him, someone else will have a fabulous breeding rooster some day as well.

Oh, Andrew, are you checking this one out yet? Did your barred one turn out to be male or female? If yours is a pullet, you may end up with this one if you're interested, as long as I'm right about it being a cockerel. I know you wanted one.

 

[gojira]

I am still following this thread. I am still not sure on the gender of the barred chick. The barred chick seems to be growing into the comb, and it is not as pink as it was, so I can still go either way, though I am starting to lean towards pullet. The wattles are beginning to grow, but the comb and wattles are starting to develop on the black pullet also. And the black wash is still present on the shanks. The barred chick has also been feathering in more rapidly than the black pullet. But, the barred chick is a good bit larger than the black pullet, so if the barred chick is a pullet, it will be a really nice pullet. I can try to post a picture, but I think I have to make a few more posts before I can post pictures. I would be interested in another chick if it was ok with you.

 

[speckledhen]

I am still following this thread. I am still not sure on the gender of the barred chick. The barred chick seems to be growing into the comb, and it is not as pink as it was, so I can still go either way, though I am starting to lean towards pullet. The wattles are beginning to grow, but the comb and wattles are starting to develop on the black pullet also. And the black wash is still present on the shanks. The barred chick has also been feathering in more rapidly than the black pullet. But, the barred chick is a good bit larger than the black pullet, so if the barred chick is a pullet, it will be a really nice pullet. I can try to post a picture, but I think I have to make a few more posts before I can post pictures. I would be interested in another chick if it was ok with you.

I'd say by this age, you should be able to see some fairly sure signs of it being a cockerel. If you can, you could send a pic in a PM to me and maybe I can tell better now. I can't recall if you can send a photo by PM, but I can send you my email address, if I haven't already, and you could just email the pictures.

If this one with Dottie is a cockerel, you are welcome to him, perhaps even if it's a pullet-since my main goal is to breed from Atlas and not Rex, per se, I may even rehome a pullet. I'd like for Dottie to raise them up some more before I snatch it away from her-they get such a great education from a broody mama.

The other two are Delaware colored and five days older than the barred chick. Thank God for a good broody because she took this one in readily, though hers were already wreaking havoc and running around with her.

 

[gojira]

I will try to pm you some pictures. I took a few this afternoon, though they may not be the best quality. Looking at Atlas' pictures at this age, the barred chick has similar comb and wattle development, so the chick may be a cockerel.

 

[gojira]

I am not sure if this will work, but here are URLs for some photos.

 

[speckledhen]

Andrew, I think you have a single barred cockerel there, so he should be like his daddy, Rex. That's quite a comb! Let me grow this new little one out some and see what it is and you can decide if you want it or not.

 

[gojira]

That sounds good. And it will give more time to see if this barred chick is for sure a cockerel. I have been enjoying these two. They are characters. The D'Anvers are doing well also. The one with the flat comb is starting to get a bigger comb, so it may be a male also. They are characters also.