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

[speckledhen]

Whats your gut feeling about the sex of this BR chick that Aimee is raising? It's 3 weeks old, no pink in the comb, very dark leg fronts, pullet-like barring, but I'm still wondering about the sex. There is an outside chance that I mistakenly picked up an egg from Wendy or Robin, the black hens, which would give me a single barred cockerel or normally barred pullet, though I tried very hard to avoid theirs and get only BR eggs. I'm sure Deacon's Delaware-looking chick is a cockerel, but this BR is giving mixed signals.













Maretta's little ones. Again, if they are all BR x BR, none belonging to Wendy or Robin, then I'd say I have a BR cockerel, two BR pullets and of course, Deacon's black chick is a pullet (gawd, she's adorable and sweet!).






Below is the BR cockerel. Completely different barring, much slower to feather, no dark leg fronts.

 

[1muttsfan]

That bottom pic of the first chick just looks SO boy.

 

[drumstick diva]

I'm thinking that way also

 

[speckledhen]

That bottom pic of the first chick just looks SO boy.

I'm thinking that way also

I know! That's what's confusing me. Everything else is pullet-like, but behavior is more on the cockerel side. I hesitate to sex by behavior at this age, but sometimes, they do tell on themselves that way.

 

[speckledhen]

Mr. Finn got too close to a broody mama this morning and got his fluffy behind kicked. Maretta is a fierce mama. Poor Finn was only wanting to get from Point A to Point B and she was in his path. Hehehe.

And I have another broody! ACK! It's mean Wendy! Geez.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

Mr. Finn got too close to a broody mama this morning and got his fluffy behind kicked. Maretta is a fierce mama. Poor Finn was only wanting to get from Point A to Point B and she was in his path. Hehehe.

And I have another broody! ACK! It's mean Wendy! Geez.

Oh no! Poor Finn. I bet he will be giving your momma hens a wide berth from now on.

So Wendy is already mean, huh? Is this her first time or is she an experienced momma?

I sure wish one of my girls would get in the broody frame of mind because I want some Atlas babies.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
Wendy is Atlas's hatch-mate, one of Rex's black daughters, and has never been broody before. I will NOT, repeat, NOT, be giving her eggs to hatch. I can't deal with another untried broody, or any broody, really, right now. Maybe later on when the chicks Maretta and Aimee are raising have gone to new homes, but not at this point in time.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm not sure how much of the Delaware mind control these chicks will have, having less and less Delaware blood in them as time goes on and it's bred out, but Beware the Delaware, folks. This is why I don't have an entire flock of them (caption courtesy of my friend Amy in Washington, Serrin on BYC). I found it and it cracks me up every time! This chick grew up to be a super handsome rooster named Solomon, the last one that Nugget raised back in 2011. Just look at that face! If you ever get a bunch of them, avoid the eyes, fair warning.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

I'm not sure how much of the Delaware mind control these chicks will have, having less and less Delaware blood in them as time goes on and it's bred out, but Beware the Delaware, folks. This is why I don't have an entire flock of them (caption courtesy of my friend Amy in Washington, Serrin on BYC). I found it and it cracks me up every time! This chick grew up to be a super handsome rooster named Solomon, the last one that Nugget raised back in 2011. Just look at that face! If you ever get a bunch of them, avoid the eyes, fair warning.

This is HILARIOUS! It is the chicken version of vampire glamouring. LOL!

 

[speckledhen]

@Serrin you remember this one, lol?


Atlas is 51 weeks old today. Rowena is in here, too, with her saddle on, but Rachel is living with Deacon and much more peacefully than the big old Stukel hens and her sister would allow after her extended broody absence.

Here are some photos. He has such a sweet face. It's the perfect combination of the original Rex, his own daddy, Rex, and grandpa Isaac. He's such a love.












The third point on his comb lost the very tip this cold, wet winter, but otherwise, still a perfect 5 pointer. Just look at those kind eyes.