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

[speckledhen]

Sadly, my 8 yr old EE, June, is dying. I suspect she has cancer, never has had any health issues her whole life other than an eye injury once. Her abdomen is rigid and you see her loyal subjects holding vigil under her as she sleeps on the roost today.



When she is gone, I think I may move Xander into that coop, or I might wait until big old Dusty has passed on, not really sure yet. He, Rowena and Wendy will fit in there. I have plenty of lumber to add a roost to the right of the step roost for more space. Then, I can maybe more the handicapped ones like Amanda and Snow and maybe Caroline into that smaller pen and perhaps the bantams with their two little roosters can move in with the other hens. That frees up their pen in the back. I'm not sure but I think there will be some "shuffling" with the groups in the near future, especially if my very old ladies begin dropping. One of the blue Rocks, Neela, has been acting off herself of late.

 

[holm25]

I am so sorry Cyn! She has lived a very long life with a great home and owners!

 

[speckledhen]

I am so sorry Cyn! She has lived a very long life with a great home and owners!

Thank you, Isaiah. She could make a liar out of me like Gloria Jean did and recover on her own, but June is years older than Gloria Jean and I just don't think she'll pull through, though I don't really know how long she'll hang on.

 

[speckledhen]

Sadly, I had to check Gloria Jean today after she went on the nest again w/o producing an egg. She seems to be bloating up again. Geez.



Wynette's little ones scared me to death today. I had them in the barn aisle running around with screen locked so they could not go out on the damp ground. When I went back later, there were 3 chicks, not 4, in her pen with her. I started looking. No sign of the pullet. No cheeping. I was running all over, pulling things out to look behind them, becoming rather frantic. I mean, there is a gap at the top of the screen that a hawk could fly into if he saw it, but there had been no commotion.

My poor husband heard the chaos and came running in a panic himself, not realizing what was wrong. We searched and searched, thinking she had gone under one of the pen floors where there are gaps and gotten stuck or hurt. There was nowhere else she could have gone, certainly could not have gotten outside. Suddenly, from underneath Wynette's pen, from a tiny 2" x 3" gap, shoots little girl. She was just lollygagging under there, apparently exploring, not at all concerned with all my yelling and panic above her. She hopped up into the pen with her mama and the others like it was nothing. Oh, my, talk about being scared! Of course, if something happened to one of them, it would never be a cockerel, right?

 

[holm25]

She gave u quite the scare! Glad u found her! Yes of course! Its always the pullets that get hurt or killed while the cockerels r just fine!

 

[robhuncor]

So glad all was well, even if you did end up with a few more grey hairs!!

 

[speckledhen]

She gave u quite the scare! Glad u found her! Yes of course! Its always the pullets that get hurt or killed while the cockerels r just fine!

So glad all was well, even if you did end up with a few more grey hairs!!

That little vixen is going to end up with a bell around her neck if she pulls this stunt again. My goodness, I did panic, I admit. I guess I should have stayed calm, knowing she had to be in there somewhere, and I probably would have....if it had been one of the males. She may be my only pullet in that group, though I'm still on the fence about one of them.

 

[getaclue]

When I was reading your post about the frantic search, I kept thinking to myself, did they pick up mama to see if the chick was hiding under her..... Glad you found her.

 

[speckledhen]

When I was reading your post about the frantic search, I kept thinking to myself, did they pick up mama to see if the chick was hiding under her..... Glad you found her.

Haha, didn't have to. Wynette was walking around the pen, watching me search for her daughter, LOL. I guess she can't count so well. They're getting pretty large now, those four, but yes, one can still hide under her butt fluff.

 

[getaclue]

That little vixen is going to end up with a bell around her neck if she pulls this stunt again. My goodness, I did panic, I admit. I guess I should have stayed calm, knowing she had to be in there somewhere, and I probably would have....if it had been one of the males. She may be my only pullet in that group, though I'm still on the fence about one of them.

Little tracking collars with gps locators for you phone, so you can track them down. LOL!