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

[speckledhen]

Since I have yet to experience the joys of a broody hen...lol Does Ida take Wynette's eggs while she is sitting on them or does she wait until Wynette gets up to eat? I know Ida is big ole girl but if she takes them from Wynette while she is still on the nest, that is pretty amazing.

She goes into the nest with Wynette and beats on her until she has to leave, then sits on the eggs and stays. Wynette takes that time to eat, drink, dustbathe and poop. She can't get back so why not, right?

Ida has not quit laying yet-she laid her egg in there today and yesterday with Wynette's incubating clutch. Today, I thought maybe she'd lay then leave Wynette's eggs eventually but when I went back to the coop, Ida was still on Wynette's eggs and Wynette was on the nest below on Tessa's one egg she laid today. So, I removed big Ida, not an easy task because she's huge and I have to make sure she doesn't pull an egg out of the nest and break it with her big feet as she's protesting the move, took Ida's egg she had deposited and moved them both to the nest to the left and also gave her Tessa's egg and put Wynette back up on her own nest, which she gratefully settled back onto. I thought Ida would just eventually leave then, but she didn't and tonight, she was still on those two eggs (which I did mark, just in case).

This is why I really don't like a broody in the coop with the flock but right now, I don't have much of a choice. The flocks will be moving out before Wynette's eggs hatch and I'll have to decide what to do with Ida, who is pretty hostile to Wyn in her present state.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

So Ida is all, "Get off those eggs Wynette and let me show you how it is done!" LOL!!

Lord have mercy, I can see why you don't want Tessa to join the broody bunch right now.

 

[getaclue]

Sounds like a couple mama cats we had. They kept stealing each others' kittens.

 

[speckledhen]

It's official, I guess. Ida sat on those two eggs all night long. So, I gave her two more, one of her own and one I think might belong to Gloria Jean. If it's blue barred, I'll know. So, Wynette is on Day 14, Ida on Day 1 today. What the heck do I do with these two? My new barn is going to get a broody workout, LOL. I'll have to let Wynette hatch, then move her to the extra pen immediately and then figure out what to do with Ida, who is must more hostile to other hens in her state than Wynette is. Heck, Ida is hostile to other hens when she isn't broody! Looking at her all puffed up, she's larger than Atlas. That's one big tank of a hen!

Poor Atlas's leg is really hurting him. He loses his balance on the roost sometimes when he flexes it backward. I'm afraid he'll fall off and literally break his neck. The roosts in the new barn in his pen are very wide except for the first step so I think it will be better for him, though the one thing I do not like about wide roosts is they collect a lot of poop. Naturally, I can throw shavings up there to catch some of it. But, I'm going to paint these like I've done the bantams' and see how that does. It works well with the littles so we'll see.

 

[holm25]

Ida tried her theft again. I took her egg she just laid and moved her to the nest with it. At roost time, she's still there so I have two clucking fools. Wynette is on Day 14 tomorrow. Ida, well, she has her own egg and one of Tessa's and if she sticks to the nest, I guess she'll hatch them. BUT, ominously, I think I hear Tessa clucking, too. What the heck will I do with all these girls in the same coop broody? Poor Atlas!

Come on Ida! Dont be such a pain in the rear!LOL your going to have lots of chicks! I hope poor Atlas gets better!

 

[speckledhen]

Come on Ida! Dont be such a pain in the rear!LOL your going to have lots of chicks!


I hope poor Atlas gets better!

Ida will always be a pain, LOL. She is the oldest first timer I've ever had. I hope she "gets it" when they start hatching, if she keeps going all the way to hatch day.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

Well, I cannot wait to see Wynette's babies next week.

The Atlas babies from last year were so precious and I am sure these will be just as precious. I remember those chunky monkey legs.

Speaking of Atlas, gosh I hope he recovers from his injury (?). Since you are puzzled as to how he could have hurt himself, could it be some genetic thing just now showing up?

Just hung up this sign that my stepson and his wife gave me. He got it from chickenart.com. I was totally surprised!! And even more surprised that Miss Duncan and Cupcake posed for the pic. Lol!!

 

[speckledhen]

Well, I cannot wait to see Wynette's babies next week.

The Atlas babies from last year were so precious and I am sure these will be just as precious. I remember those chunky monkey legs.

Speaking of Atlas, gosh I hope he recovers from his injury (?). Since you are puzzled as to how he could have hurt himself, could it be some genetic thing just now showing up?

Just hung up this sign that my stepson and his wife gave me. He got it from chickenart.com. I was totally surprised!! And even more surprised that Miss Duncan and Cupcake posed for the pic. Lol!!

Cute sign! I just need the DANGER: Enter at Own Risk! BROODY ZONE! sign for my barn.

As far as Atlas's leg, it seemed to start up about the time Dottie was hurt or whatever happened to her the first time. If he hurt her, he may have gotten her in a bad position to mate that she was struggling to get out of, maybe under the coop or against a tree or whatever, and in doing so, she and he both were injured. If not, then he could have early arthritis in his hock joint on that side, same as his grandpa, Isaac, had. But, Ike's came on with age and Atlas is just now turning 2 years old. I've never heard of arthritis in a rooster this young but I guess it isn't impossible. Hard to say. All I know is he is having a lot of trouble with it, seems to be in pain or maybe just very stiff. As you know, with humans as well as animals, any injury of a joint can lead to arthritis of that joint. Case in point, my broken ankle six years ago now has arthritis in it. I'm no spring chicken, but still, I think that would happen even if I had been in my thirties.

 

[Peanutsmomma]

LOL!!! You do need a "Danger Broody Zone" sign! I have seen the "Warning Attack Chicken" sign but not a "Danger Broody"....sounds like a product that needs to be offered to the chicken keeping public.

Bless Atlas' sweet heart and leg. Hopefully, he is just taking a while to heal.

Are y'all painting today? The latest pics of your barn look fantastic!

 

[speckledhen]

LOL!!! You do need a "Danger Broody Zone" sign! I have seen the "Warning Attack Chicken" sign but not a "Danger Broody"....sounds like a product that needs to be offered to the chicken keeping public.

Bless Atlas' sweet heart and leg. Hopefully, he is just taking a while to heal.

Are y'all painting today? The latest pics of your barn look fantastic!

No painting until Saturday. Today, we're having a sudden pop-up blizzard. It was warm this morning, temps dropped, suddenly couldn't see Watson Mtn and here came the snow. It won't last, will be in the 60's this weekend, then up to 70's by Mon-Tues. It's snowing like crazy but melting when it hits. Tom needs to practice his violin today and has a lesson tomorrow. Saturday will be sunny and warm so we'll paint then. I did bring in Tiny's "princess roost" to paint inside. Forgot to install that for her. She is a pariah so roosts separate from everyone else on her own little bar and we'd forgotten to put one in the Old Hens' pen.