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

[1muttsfan]

I have hated every closing I've been involved with.

 

[speckledhen]

I have hated every closing I've been involved with.

As a buyer or seller, me, too. As the realtor, some were good, but mainly because I made them good by doing my job and everyone else's and trying to use or get others to use lenders I knew did a great job. Some were not so great. Some sellers were nightmares, some buyers were nightmares and some were very nice, conscientious repeat clients. But, real estate is just way too complicated, IMO. Now, the internet makes it a different world than it was in 1995 when I started.

It's a job that wears on you. I put my two sons through college with it, the part that the Hope Scholarship did not cover (which was considerable), but I retained a lot of very bad memories from it. ((((shudder))))

 

[uphilljill]

Hector's big brother:

 

[speckledhen]

Hector's big brother:

He reminds me a bit of Apollo, just a little rounder in the chest. Handsome guy! Hector has been good all day, you'll be happy to know.

 

[speckledhen]

Got a few shots with Hector and Apollo not too far apart. Apollo 24 1/2 wks, Hector 15 1/2 wks (and tail-less, ack!) with Athena staying closer to Hector than Apollo.








Hector's three girls all decided to be in one frame for once.



And Zara. She and Hector would make pretty chicks, I bet.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, just when you think it's safe to go back in the water..... LOL. *obscure Jaws reference*

Hector disappointed me this morning. Apollo was already out running with my late Deacon's hens (Rita, Georgie, etc) so I decided to let out Hector and his three. I opened the pen door and began walking back down the aisle toward the main entry door when I heard thundering feet behind me (the usual small elephant sounds) and was hit in the back of the leg unexpectedly. I turned quickly and Hector was in a sort of head-down ready position so I knew he'd not accidentally run into me. At first, I wasn't sure if he'd bitten me or flogged me but I have two marks, one from his upper beak and one from the lower beak, a small welt and bruise, so he bit me in the back of the calf. I grabbed him up, him struggling and yelling, and popped him on the back of the head then dumped his butt on the floor and he ran off.

I realize roosters are a little rowdy in the a.m., grabbing girls left and right, but he cannot aim that at me or my husband, period. Atlas never has, Apollo never has, Rex, Deacon, Isaac nor any of the others who've gone to live with Ladyhawk or her elderly neighbor in Kentucky have ever done it. In fact, that sweet old lady loves to get roosters from me because of their temperament so I have not had to deal with any sort of aggression in a very long time.

I grabbed a switch I'd cut off the pear tree yesterday, separated Hector from his girls and ran him around the barn for awhile. I can't have that behavior. If he flogs me, his days here are probably over. So far, it's only biting, but he's pretty darn stubborn. He will be 16 weeks old Wednesday so hormones are beginning to flow. When they are in full swing, we'll see how he is, but if he continues to show aggression, well, you know how I feel about that.

Last night, on the roost, I went into his pen and rubbed my hand down his back, then proceeded to rub his chest and wattles as a test, and he was as sweet as could be, so I truly did not expect this today. Sigh. Still not giving up yet, though, but the end of the road is in sight if he continues this. His super early physical maturity may be in play here, so he may be having a more difficult time controlling himself, but that's just a guess.

 

[1muttsfan]

Yes I have few uses for a rooster who is aggressive, although I've had a few grumpy hens and I was willing to put up with a few bites from. One young rooster was always edgy, but did will until he was about a year old, then suddenly one day flogged me. Twice. And that was his last day on this earth.

 

[speckledhen]

Yes I have few uses for a rooster who is aggressive, although I've had a few grumpy hens and I was willing to put up with a few bites from. One young rooster was always edgy, but did will until he was about a year old, then suddenly one day flogged me. Twice. And that was his last day on this earth.

Yeah, I have a scar from a vicious bite from Tessa. She is getting better, though, now that I don't have any subordinates in the group with her. She sort of lost her mind for awhile. Lizze, well, she will always attack me if I try to take an egg from her or reach my hand toward her when she's on a nest. But, generally, they are really not aggressive, Lizzie is just skittish (and we all know Tessa had a mental breakdown when I put those three in with her group)

I've always seen that biting can usually be fixed, if they are pre-hormone stage. Hector's unwillingness to "stay fixed" when his pent-up energy bursts out is the problem, but he hasn't progressed to flogging yet. I hope he never does, but that sneak attack was a new thing entirely. My leg still smarts. Within the next month, we should see if he's going to ramp up or back off. By then, he will be in full hormonal swing.

ETA: if the worst happens and I am left with the three pullets, I still have Apollo and that still injects new blood into my BR line.

 

[Wyatt0224]

That is disappointing to see what Hector did. Have you ever thought about letting Atlas teach him a lesson with you on the outside so that way you can intervene? And is it normal for Hector to not have a tail at that age?

 

[speckledhen]

That is disappointing to see what Hector did. Have you ever thought about letting Atlas teach him a lesson with you on the outside so that way you can intervene? And is it normal for Hector to not have a tail at that age?

Actually, I sort of had that thought today, to let Atlas out and see what Hector does with the big guy. Hector certainly won't back down Atlas. He don't back down Xander, either, but Xander is a bantam Cochin, not all that intimidating, size wise. Atlas is a different story. Not sure if that would help with his behavior toward us, though.

As far as the lack of tail, it's not been normal on my own BR line so I'm not sure what Jill would say about it, but the BBS Orp males were slow to get their tails. I can't count the number of times someone asked when Suede was going to grow a tail, LOL.