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

[holm25]

The package was in the mail!! I love it! Thank you so much!

 

[speckledhen]

The package was in the mail!! I love it! Thank you so much!

See, then I saw "Breeders Guide", I was thinking it was something else, not just an association type guide. So sorry for getting your hopes up! Hope your mom can use the hotpad/dish cloth!

 

[holm25]

See, then I saw "Breeders Guide", I was thinking it was something else, not just an association type guide. So sorry for getting your hopes up! Hope your mom can use the hotpad/dish cloth!

I stll love it though! We have been wondering how to start with registered cows amd hpw they are ID'ed differently. Now we'll know! And my mom will love the hot pads/dish clothes! Again thank you!

And the Lady baby! Its a cute little heifer calf!

 

[speckledhen]

I stll love it though! We have been wondering how to start with registered cows amd hpw they are ID'ed differently. Now we'll know! And my mom will love the hot pads/dish clothes! Again thank you!




And the Lady baby! Its a cute little heifer calf!

Wonderful, a heifer! Interesting coloring. Congrats!

The book may be outdated, not really sure if anything much has changed. I saw ear tags, like I said in the note, but I had no idea if they would be valid or anything and not sure where the applicator was, though I thought I had seen it in there at some point. But, I sure had no use for it and thought at least you might find some of the information interesting.

 

[speckledhen]

And they still grow. They don't think so because someone keeps trying to roost on top of mama. Male #1 was my first choice until the comb flaw showed up. Male #3 is the smallest but best barred so he's out due to size alone. At this point, Male #2 and the little guy with Ida are the two I'll be choosing between, barring any other surprises. Tell me what you think. I don't see any appreciable difference in barring between #1 and #2, seem the same, not thrilled that they are not as sharp as #3, but there's still the little man with Ida to wait on.














Younger pullet

Little man is feathering faster than his sister. Hmm. Not the norm.





Scavenged this roost from another coop that wasn't being used and made it fit. They are just too big for the little chick size towel bar roost we had in there. And of course, Wynette is probably sick of sitting down on the floor at night anyway.



Chicken Puddle Alert!

 

[1muttsfan]

They look HUGE until you see them next to Ida and Wynette! Then they look like midgets

 

[speckledhen]

They look HUGE until you see them next to Ida and Wynette! Then they look like midgets

Yeah, I know. And poor Wynette, she cannot walk with one on her back anymore. He made her fall off the roost.

If anyone has any observations about these that might help me choose, please feel free to comment. You won't hurt my feelings in the least. I mean, though I like them, they aren't my own children (and even if they were, well, I know their faults, too, lol).

 

[1muttsfan]

I'd like to see them when a little more feathered and older, especially the younger guy

 

[speckledhen]

I'd like to see them when a little more feathered and older, especially the younger guy

Of course. This is a process, but just like with the comb issue on the largest boy that I saw at the right angle as soon as it was large enough, you might see something off or really good as they grow that I don't. Helps to not be so close to it, you know?

When Atlas was a chick, I had no choice, it was keep him or have nothing, because it was him and four pullets. I chose to go with him, though I saw his barring was not going to be the perfectly straight barring of the original Rex. Made sense, coming from a single barred male as he did. But, he's produced nice pullets like Lizzie and Tessa, though Tess could stand to have some more size on her. Not sure why, really, because she is Ida's daughter, but then, males tend to take traits from the mothers more and daughters from sires.

 

[speckledhen]

My #2 possible keeper boy showed a little potential today. I let Wyn and all her hoodlums out of the barn fence. She started digging at the fence line, but they all went running toward Finn, who was laying about 20 ft away. They were getting closer and closer when he moved his paw and they all screamed and ran back to mama, who clucked nervously but didn't react much when she saw it was just the LGC (livestock guardian cat).

So, they began digging at the fence with mom and Finn walked about 10' over and laid down again. I was watching and saw #2 break from the group and begin stalking the predator, closer and closer and closer, he walked about 15' away from his group, head high in the air, tensed to run if necessary. Of course, Finn completely ignored him, then when he was about 3' from Finn, he stopped and watched a minute then trotted back to mom and the siblings. Good boy, assessing that nasty predator!


I guess I'm going to name the other pullet. I was asking DH about letting them all go, but he still thinks we really need to keep them both because of the mass die-off we still have yet to see from the elderly girls. It's just easier to refer to them by name rather than "Atlas's youngest daughter" or "the one with the curvy comb" or whatever. People think we are stupid to name birds, but it helps when they learn their names and come when called and when having to have a conversation about them.