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

[speckledhen]

They look a little of color but in real life are a lovely light blue.

I have not seen, or found any pics of, buff chicks with that pattern.

My splash Ameraucana always laid light blue eggs so in photos, they appeared almost white. Good luck on your hatch! We're hatching together then. The BRs are due May 25.

 

[1muttsfan]

The first batch from my hens is due the 18 th, second group (shipped) on the 23rd. They are going to have to share a brooder though, not going through the multi-group thing again.

I am happy to have something to look forward to, my mom is not doing very well and right now we worrry if she will be able to return to her home once she is discharged from the hospital. Been sitting with her for the last several days. She's still sleeping this am, but i hope we can go home later. If not we've got a lot of things to work out.

 

[speckledhen]

The first batch from my hens is due the 18 th, second group (shipped) on the 23rd. They are going to have to share a brooder though, not going through the multi-group thing again.

I am happy to have something to look forward to, my mom is not doing very well and right now we worrry if she will be able to return to her home once she is discharged from the hospital. Been sitting with her for the last several days. She's still sleeping this am, but i hope we can go home later. If not we've got a lot of things to work out.

Sorry to hear about your mom. All four of our parents are gone now with my father's passing last July. We were about where you are with DH's younger brother, who has COPD and diabetes. His mind isn't great, probably lack of oxygen, so it's tricky him living alone. Last time in the hospital, we were scrambling to figure what to do with him, but someone is coming to check on him periodically in his apt. so for now, I guess he'll stay there until he just can't.

Chickens are a good distraction from chaos around us, that and making quilts. I have no particular destination for what I'm making now, not even sure they'll end up in the Etsy Shop. Quilts are not really selling in our shop but I can't just do nothing. We do the garden, but I just can't sit and watch mindless TV the rest of the time. I'm happy and thankful that Robin (robhuncor) wanted one of my recent quilts, at least it has a real home other than folded in my cabinet. Quilts should be loved, not stored.

 

[speckledhen]

Wynette's four are 8 weeks old now. So, impressions of these boys? Athena's barring seems a tad better each week, the blurry feathers molting out as she ages.











#3, though still smaller in size overall, seems to have a long back, something improved over his sire. He's still not quite fully feathered.





And my Therese Bugnet pink rose, plus the I think the red is a Mr. Lincoln rose.






AND, because this thread is dedicated to my big guy, Atlas, here are the only photos I could really get today. He was in perpetual motion, trying to keep up with his four hens, who tend to divide up into age groups-two go one way, older ones go the other way. You can see the bare spot his younger hens keep plucking on the side of his neck. Atlas is 2 years old now.






Druscilla is acting off. She is about 5 months behind the original hens, so approaching 5 years old. Her abdomen has always felt weird, like there was a tumor in it that hung down, not bloated but it felt like a roundish growth. It started out about the size of a ping pong ball a couple years ago, I guess, not really sure when I first noticed it. It's much larger now. She seems tired a lot, sits a lot, goes back to the barn rather than stay out with the rest of the group. I just found her sitting in the feed tray when I took Atlas back to the barn from free range time. So, not really sure, but it just does not feel right to me. So, could be that Mary's generous gift of the hatching eggs was very fortuitous.

Dru always winks at me. Her feathers are ruffled because I'd just picked her up and upended her to check her belly.



Incubator holding steady at about 45% humidity. Everything seems good with the 15 in there so far.

 

[robhuncor]

I am enjoying just looking at my new quilt. I have it hung on the back of a rocker in my room. I'll put it on the bed soon - for now I'm admiring it.

 

[speckledhen]

I am enjoying just looking at my new quilt. I have it hung on the back of a rocker in my room. I'll put it on the bed soon - for now I'm admiring it.

I was very happy with how that one turned out. It's very cheerful and homey, I think. So glad you love it, too.

 

[speckledhen]

Took pictures of my #2 guy. There was an uproar in the dust hole pile up today. Wynette and all four chicks were in it and suddenly, someone squealed and my #2 chased big tank-boy #1 out of the pile and ran him off. Not sure what was up with that.










#3 is filling out a bit, maybe it's just that he's finally feathering in all the way.

 

[speckledhen]

Ida's pair will turn 7 weeks old tomorrow. Will weigh the male to compare with the others at that age, but to my eye, both of these are smaller than the other four at the same age, especially the pullet. It's really weird because I do believe both came from Ida's eggs and she is huge, Atlas being her son as well. I've already decided to sell these as a pair. I know one that hatched from the first batch of four was labeled "Ida" and the size of these leads me to believe that it is that #3 male, who has Ida's spectacular barring, but is closer in size to the way this #4 is shaping up than he is to the other two larger boys.

 

[speckledhen]

For comparison, the original weights of the chicks and today's weights.

7 weeks old 9 weeks old

#1 22.5 oz 32.9 oz *why, oh, why does he have to have a crappy comb?!



#2 19.5 oz 27 oz

#3 18.9 oz 27.6 oz (this was a shocker! He's passed #2 in weight? Wow)

Athena 17.7 oz. 25.25 oz

....and adding the weights of the 7 week old pair. The cockerel is heavier than he appears! I'm surprised!

#4 20.9 oz He beat out #2 at this age!

Unnamed pullet was only 15.7 oz. I felt she was a shrimp and you see she is.


So, thoughts about these weights? By looking at them, other than the big guy and the tiny pullet, you'd really never guess they stacked up this way.

 

[holm25]

They look good! So will you keep #3 or still #2?