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

[gojira]

I candled the eggs again late Sunday night, and the 14 were still developing great. But, last night my power was out for just over 6 hours, so I hope they still make it. If they do hatch, it should be in roughly a week (set late Monday night on Feb 2). I hope all is well up your way.

 

[speckledhen]

I candled the eggs again late Sunday night, and the 14 were still developing great. But, last night my power was out for just over 6 hours, so I hope they still make it. If they do hatch, it should be in roughly a week (set late Monday night on Feb 2). I hope all is well up your way.

I've had a power outage during incubation, too. In fact, if I incubate, that's a cue for the weather to go crazy and all heck to break loose, lol. I'd not lose hope on those. But you know where more are, my friend.

What I'm scared about is this for Wednesday night:
Lo -4° RealFeel® -18°

If our power goes out, I'll lose birds, especially my older ones like sweet Snow, who is already going downhill.

 

[gojira]

I still have hope, and will move on like normal. Things were going great until then. Yes, Wednesday night has me worried also. Hopefully if we can make it to the weekend, they are predicting it to warm a little.

 

[speckledhen]

I still have hope, and will move on like normal. Things were going great until then. Yes, Wednesday night has me worried also. Hopefully if we can make it to the weekend, they are predicting it to warm a little.

It's all we can do, eh? I guess my cat will have to sleep inside that night and maybe the next, predicted to be 2*. I can't always go by that because I'm about 400 ft higher in elevation than the actual town is, if you can even call it a town. DH is going to Blue Ridge today to buy more heat bulbs, hay and Knockout, especially so Rachel can have one for her and her chicks, who still are not feathered out all the way at 4 weeks old. They have a little 75 watt reptile bulb but at those temps, I'm going to help her a little more. She's such a wonderful mama, I'm so proud of her.

If the power stays on, we'll all be fine. Guess our own heatpump will have to be fired up at those temps. There goes my electric bill, through the roof.

 

[1muttsfan]

That is bitter cold for sure. Our high today is supposed to be much warmer, around 15, which is 30 degrees warmer than it was on Sunday am (high of -4 that day). Then back down into the minus digits for a while. People do sometimes seem to have trouble understanding the impact of such deep cold on animals. I do not try to keep any birds that are not cold-hardy or have big combs, just does not seem fair to them, as the cold lasts here from December to March.

 

[speckledhen]

That is bitter cold for sure. Our high today is supposed to be much warmer, around 15, which is 30 degrees warmer than it was on Sunday am (high of -4 that day). Then back down into the minus digits for a while. People do sometimes seem to have trouble understanding the impact of such deep cold on animals. I do not try to keep any birds that are not cold-hardy or have big combs, just does not seem fair to them, as the cold lasts here from December to March.

I experienced much colder temps living in Ohio for almost 12 years at Wright Patterson AFB, as low as -25* actual air temp, but I'm in GEORGIA, the deep south, for cripes sake. Still, I'd rather be in the mountains in summer since I can't deal with high heat/humidity.

I love my Brahma girls. RIP, Miranda, but 8 year old Caroline is still trucking along. They seem to do great in heat (loosely feathered) or cold and I rarely have any issues with the foot feathering. Then again, hatchery stock probably has pretty sucky foot feathering compared to breeder stock. I'd like to have more Brahmas in the future. They were good layers of big roundish eggs, pleasant personalities both of them. Naturally, the pea combs are great in the cold.

This is absolutely WAY off topic, but my dad sent up two pictures of me as a baby/toddler when my son went down to visit. I remember that bouncy horse. believe it or not! Later, he got me a real pony and she was bred several times and we raised the foals up and sold them, my fondest childhood memories other than my grandfather's farm.

I already had these:


This is my older son as a baby and older. I guess we know who he looks like. That is my adoptive mother holding him. He's not as adorable now, but he'd say he is, lol.

 

[1muttsfan]

Oh does he ever look like his mom!

 

[speckledhen]

Oh does he ever look like his mom!

Right now, he looks like a scruffy old grizzly bear. He's a big-un, about 6'2", not sure how much he weighs but since he has been a restaurant manager on his feet all the time, no time to do his karate workouts, he's gained a lot. It's like a ton of bricks, though. He looks less like me now, though it's hard to see under all that wiry scruff. Here he is with some guy from a band he likes.

 

[speckledhen]

Back to chicken business! The progeny of Atlas are 4 weeks old now and you don't need to be told the sex of these at this point, I'm sure.




Below, check out the pullet in the pan so you can see her entire back and tell the huge difference in barring on her compared to her brothers. Plus she has more feathers down the middle of her back as well.




Oh, just look at this future flock leader eying me!




And here is Sammie Jo, Atlas's half sister. You'd never know her mother was barred as well as daddy Rex.

 

[1muttsfan]

Love the little rooster 'tude

How's the goober doing since you decreased his harem?