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

[speckledhen]

Did they eat they toad

Nope. That poor thing blew itself up and stood on its tippy toes trying to make itself look big and dangerous. They gave it a wide berth and it hid under another rock.


Mark texted that he'd be back on Saturday to finish the land work. We shall see. Not sure if that means including seeding or just finishing the grading or what it means. He's a man of few words. I'll just be happy to start putting our fence back up and adding a new fence to the other lot.

 

[lisa67steve99]

@speckledhen just wanted to share pictures of one of Ty's handsome sons. I think he is a sweetheart!

 

[speckledhen]

@lisa67steve99 , he is a handsome guy! How many boys did you get from that hatch? I'm sure they're sweet as most all the descended males from Isaac's line are. That's what is best about them, IMO.

 

[lisa67steve99]

I got a straight split, five hens and five roosters. They're 9 weeks old today and growing like crazy.

 

[speckledhen]

I got a straight split, five hens and five roosters. They're 9 weeks old today and growing like crazy.

Better than I am getting lately, lol. I like that you got one that looks like a Delaware. The coloring is so strong, it comes out when you least expect it, like when Rex and barred Delia produced Sammie Jo. Sad all three are not with me now.

 

[MistyMountain]

Beautiful pictures! Looks like the pasture is coming along nicely!

We have had a rough week. I am now fully understanding what you mean about the roosters... they really do find their way into your heart. We were visit3d by 2hat I can only assume was a dog on Tuesday and I am now down 1/3 of my flock plus one that is in a pet carrier recovering. It was like a killing spree. Mean old Willie Roo had to have been the first to go... he was free ranging to protect the littles who.slip through the fence. The others were in the run with his son, Blackbeard. Whatever it was bent the door on the run and went wild. We found chickens in all directions. Devastating. Willie Roo had to have out up a good fight. Him, three hens and 4 four week old chicks were killed. I've lost hens before... but Willie... that mean ugly rooster... was special. He was unmatched in his ability to defend the flock. Something so amazing to watch him fight off hawks. He loved the babies, too. Most recently he took on 5 six week old guinea keets.

Oh, I'm rambling on. Forgive me, just a bit broken hearted. One ray of sunshine though, when I was looking over the mess that was leftover, I heard some peeping in the tree above me. There he was... a little cockerel that has looked just like his Daddy Willie since day one. I had no intention in keeping him, until now. We'll call him Willie Two. I hope he grows up just like his Daddy.

 

[speckledhen]

Beautiful pictures! Looks like the pasture is coming along nicely!

We have had a rough week. I am now fully understanding what you mean about the roosters... they really do find their way into your heart. We were visit3d by 2hat I can only assume was a dog on Tuesday and I am now down 1/3 of my flock plus one that is in a pet carrier recovering. It was like a killing spree. Mean old Willie Roo had to have been the first to go... he was free ranging to protect the littles who.slip through the fence. The others were in the run with his son, Blackbeard. Whatever it was bent the door on the run and went wild. We found chickens in all directions. Devastating. Willie Roo had to have out up a good fight. Him, three hens and 4 four week old chicks were killed. I've lost hens before... but Willie... that mean ugly rooster... was special. He was unmatched in his ability to defend the flock. Something so amazing to watch him fight off hawks. He loved the babies, too. Most recently he took on 5 six week old guinea keets.

Oh, I'm rambling on. Forgive me, just a bit broken hearted. One ray of sunshine though, when I was looking over the mess that was leftover, I heard some peeping in the tree above me. There he was... a little cockerel that has looked just like his Daddy Willie since day one. I had no intention in keeping him, until now. We'll call him Willie Two. I hope he grows up just like his Daddy.

Oh, Michelle, I'm so, so sorry! I'm sure Willie did his best to defend the flock. That is their mission in life. If he hadn't fought, maybe it would have been worse.

I was watching my D'Anver rooster, Aubrey, today feeding the three week old chicks that Carly is raising. He is so gentle with babies, such a brat with me. He and his son, Spike, are great with babies, but Spike has the spur-less gene so he has no weapons to use other than his beak. Being bantams anyway, they wouldn't have much of a chance unless one of Aubrey's wicked spurs got something in the eye.

Atlas's little son is so calm and sweet, I would love to keep him but with no peers to enter the flock with, he would be at a real disadvantage. I'll have to rehome him and wait until Dottie goes broody (she's showing the first signs now) and let her hatch a few.

ETA:
When DH went to turn off fans tonight, found Isaac wandering around the floor crying to himself, like he was upset or confused. It's happened a few times when he fell off the roost in the middle of the night due partly to the inflexibility of his hock joints. Hubby hugged him and talked to him and put him on the lower roost shelf but before he left the area, he heard Ike fall off. So he went back inside, made him a bed of thick shavings on the floor and settled him down there. Poor sweet angel of a rooster. I'm scared because he's approaching 6 1/2 yrs old now but I know his time is coming. I'll never be ready. Neither will Tom. We both love that rooster so much. He's so smart and still does all the roosterly duties, no matter how much his legs hurt. He's an amazing, wise rooster who has produced amazing sons, grandsons, great grandsons, etc., most all with the same easygoing personality he has.

 

[1muttsfan]

Good old man.

So sorry Misty, what a sad thing to have happen.

 

[speckledhen]

Have I got a homesteading story for you! Today, we decided prior to Mark's return tomorrow to supposedly finish the land work, we would cut down a dying tree that was not only leaning, but also leaning downhill. DH cut the wedge from one side then proceeded to cut the other necessary cut from the other side, but he made a mistake and the bar and chain became pinched in the tree as it shifted. We worked for well over an hour, trying to remove the saw from the tree without damaging the bar and chain, which meant me having to hold the heavy Husquvarna saw up in the air so the bar would not bend, all the while DH treks up the big hill back to the house several times. Once he brought back an old McCullough saw, but found the chain too dull to do much good. Then he goes back up the hill again to get a chisel and hammer to chip out part of the piece holding the bar/chain in the tree, can't find a chisel, uses a flat screwdriver. Can't find his regular axe, brings a short handled axe. Nothing was working. He's becoming tired, I'm becoming tired. I'm afraid that he will bring the tree down on himself, not being as able to get out of the way fast as he thinks he can. I'm thinking to myself, "Lord, please help us with this tree. He's going to hurt himself."

Sometime during this sweaty ordeal, I had suggested that he bring a socket and remove the body of the saw from the bar, buying another bar/chain and then using that to bring down the oak, thereby releasing what I felt was an already damaged bar/chain on the Husky. He didn't do it, was making too many trips up the hill to the house, hurting his knee and his back and I was afraid of the pain he'd be in for the next few days if this continued, worse if the tree suddenly released and fell on him or his legs. So, as he's chipping away at the tree again, I casually glance down and, lo and behold, see this buried half way into the dirt on its side, laying beside my right foot.


I had not noticed it before. I picked it up, tapped the dirt out of it, and say, "Well, what do you know? Do you think this will fit your saw?". DH says, "Probably". Guess what? It did. He removed the bar/chain and we were finally able to get that chipped out of the tree, back onto the saw and it works just fine!

Now, DH says this tool does not belong to him, that probably Jamie and his dad lost it when they was logging that 3 acres for us a few years ago. Even more astonishing is that of all the places it could have been on over 3 acres of land, it was right by my foot, next to that oak, the very moment we needed it, and after Mark had run his bobcat and bulldozer over that spot numerous times. All I could do is say a prayer of thanks and tell DH to not lose that miracle socket wrench! I'm still shaking my head over this one.

 

[seminolewind]

LOL. I wish I could just clear and seed. But we live on beach sand and it's difficult to do anything but weeds.

About Isaac, it wasn't that many years ago that no one ever talked about their senior chickens and problems with age. I have a JG, my first hen who is 8 years old and she waits for me to lift her up onto a small table every night . I have a 7 year old silkie roo who needs to be lifted out of the coop in the morning because he can't walk the ramp down. So I do understand all the posts you write about your elders. They are worth it, aren't they!