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

[holm25]

I see what you're talking about with his comb. Thats a bad trait to get into a breeding program. Other than that they all look beautiful!

 

[speckledhen]

I have quit threads over ignorant rude comments so nothing would surprise me.

I see what you mean about the comb points. I'm awaiting #4 for comparison.

Me, too. I can already find another home for the smaller one. I gave them eggs and yogurt this a.m. and very definitely, the one with the less-than-perfect comb is the largest male of the three. He is very wide. I'm not sure how long his back will be, though. It's not short in comparison with the other large male, but they definitely need to grow more. I do not have room to keep more than one of these and even then, if Atlas doesn't allow another male in with him, even a young one to grow up into his group with the pullets, I am not sure what I will do. I may have to make a choice between Atlas and his son, something that you can imagine would prove difficult.

Sometimes, I think how much easier things would be if I just kept hens again, but with no way to reproduce my birds, I'd be always having to find more hens, hatching from shipped eggs and rehoming all the males, a task that is often daunting, or reverting to sexed hatchery pullets, not something I am inclined to do. The last time I gave a hatchery a chance a few years ago, Mt. Healthy, with Buff Orps and NHs, I was sorely disappointed in the Buffs after having good breeder stock, skinny un-typey pullets, so I sold them as layers to a friend/customer at point of lay. And they sell their EEs as "Araucana/Ameraucana" which bugs me to no end. I mean, they even give the Araucana first billing, sheesh.

Isaiah, I think your pkg/envelope is being delivered today rather than Monday. Cool! It can fit in the box, though. I was thinking when I saw it, it was something different than what it was at closer inspection, but anyway, you'll see what I mean.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, crapcrapcrapcrap! My decision was made much, much easier today but I'm perplexed as to a couple of things. The big tank boy with the odd comb? Upon much closer inspection, now that he has grown, I got a better look at it. He has side sprigs at the back, or bumps that will become sprigs!

The ONLY way, and I do mean, the ONLY way that he could have those is if he is actually Gloria Jean's son! My black Rock, Emily, has a side sprig. She and Gloria Jean are sisters. There were other blues in that batch that had sprigs and I gave them away and never allowed Emily to reproduce. But, NEVER, Never, NEVER, have any of my BRs or my Delawares had side sprigs, not EVER! So, unbeknownst to me, Gloria Jean must have laid one egg and I picked it up, not recognizing it as hers. I doubt more than that because of her reproductive issues and I never even thought she was laying at that time. She's been so on and off for a year.

Now, in the past, folks have said you cannot have a black barred bird from a splash, that is has to be blue barred, BUT, my splash Ameraucana produced a black barred son years ago. Gloria Jean produced a son with black hackles and tail (LH owns him now, owned the other one, too). I've seen more than once a splash produce a black, not a blue. I have seen genes do crazy things. That said, this cockerel absolutely cannot be out of any of my BRs (unless I screwed up again and Lizzie is GJ's, but I just can't imagine that. I know that Tessa is Ida's daughter for certain) so it has to be GJ's. SO, he is out as a keeper. I am giving him away, he can be a good free range male since he'll have some real bulk to him.

Now, I have only the other large boy and will have to wait on the younger one that I know for sure belongs to Ida. (or do I know ANYTHING for sure, ACK!!!)

 

[getaclue]

Speckled, just keep hatching until you get what you want. Don't be afraid to sell the culls, grow them out to eat them, or just flat out cull them.

 

[speckledhen]

Speckled, just keep hatching until you get what you want. Don't be afraid to sell the culls, grow them out to eat them, or just flat out cull them.

I may have to remove Gloria Jean from that group. I had no idea she was even laying and I can't risk that again. Hope the younger male will turn out nicely and I'll have a choice at that point, not have to go with the cockerel #2 because that's all that's suitable.

 

[1muttsfan]

Oh too bad! But at least the issue is clearly visible.

I had a Rooster Dumping Event at my house - went to let the big girls out for a while now that the snow is substantially gone, and there they were - 3 really pretty boys, probable OEG's, two gold and one silver duckwing. My roosters are beside themselves! What the heck do people think when they do such things. Now I will have to try to get hold of them, and we all know what happens next. Ugh.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh too bad! But at least the issue is clearly visible.

I had a Rooster Dumping Event at my house - went to let the big girls out for a while now that the snow is substantially gone, and there they were - 3 really pretty boys, probable OEG's, two gold and one silver duckwing. My roosters are beside themselves! What the heck do people think when they do such things. Now I will have to try to get hold of them, and we all know what happens next. Ugh.

They think, "not my problem anymore", that's it. Poor roosters. Thankfully, no one has dumped birds here, but they are all around me so I have often wondered why one has not wandered up here before now.

I guess I wont take GJ out of Atlas's pen. I'll just have to be more careful about the eggs and make sure who laid what. Hers were always a tad shiny and I don't remember a shiny egg in that batch. But, the evidence is unmistakeable that it has to be descended from that BBS line of Rocks. GJ does not have a side sprig and her older son doesn't either, but she has to carry the gene that caused it in her siblings.

 

[speckledhen]

With Ida's pair, something struck me. At going on 4 weeks old, they have almost identical tail growth, though the pullet should have a longer tail by now, but the male is feathering faster overall than the pullet! That is odd. I cannot imagine the darker one is male, the lighter one certainly is but it's a little confusing as to why this cockerel would feather faster than the pullet, unless his barring is not going to be as sharp as it started out to be.






Wynette, first time she voluntarily left the immediate area around the barn to free range with her chicks. Will have a short video of them in a bit. Miss Independent (Athena) running off to find her way home. Silly girl.


The guy in front is what's left to choose from in this group, the one in the back is the small guy (small but not wussy, that's for sure)



ETA: Video for you

 

[holm25]

They look amazing!!


Guess who had a calf a few hours ago!? Lady the milk cow!! Pics tomorrow!! And my gift from u should be here tomorrow!!

 

[speckledhen]

They look amazing!!


Guess who had a calf a few hours ago!? Lady the milk cow!! Pics tomorrow!! And my gift from u should be here tomorrow!!

According to the delivery confirmation# it was delivered Saturday. Congrats on the calf!

Delivered, In/At Mailbox AUDUBON, MN 56511 April 16, 2016 9:41 am