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

[speckledhen]

That's understandable about letting the birds live their life out. Will you still be breeding at all?

Well, I don't plan to let my small breeding group of BRs and my Brahmas go, but all others can be without a rooster (or with only Xander until he's gone, if you can even consider him one, the little munchkin). I have two hens who cannot be harassed at all, my Amanda who can't walk and Snow, who can barely walk, both from arthritis, so they can't even be around Xander so they would have to be in their own small pen for the handicapped. Anyway, without any rooster, I would be back to buying hatchery chicks again. I need a rooster to get more birds when I do need them. I can't see being 100% without a rooster, but I can cut down to two, eventually, one for each breeding group.

That is really just four groups, down from seven occupied pens now, though the D'Anvers have to be separate from everyone until the two roosters are gone. Spike is a snarky little man who hates all hens other than his own little gals. He is a pain and fights with the hens, doesn't try to impress or breed them, just wants them away from him and his tiny girls. Anyway, time will tell. Time will reshape the groups I have by attrition and me selling off Apollo, which will free up that last little pen we pilfered from the Old Hens' 8x8. That divider wall can come down at some point since it's put in with screws.

 

[1muttsfan]

I understand what Tom is saying. There are days that doing chores after working all day is just hard, and with Mom's health problems and all the traveling that involves there are days I could get by pretty easy with fewer animals and less property upkeep.

If for some reason you don't keep Hector, I am sure Atlas will continue to provide you with good quality offspring well as enjoyment.

And hey now let's not cut down the little guy! Xander is a hoot

We pretty much lost all our bats to White Nose Disease. Hopefully some day they will recover and multiply again, but it is sad knowing they are gone. Same with Monarch butterflies, I think I saw 3 all summer. There used to be hundreds.

Here is the other AB thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/874920/arkansas-blue-egg-layers

 

[h2oratt]

This is what I use.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Dremel-4...ary-Tool-7300-PT/202713166?keyword=dremel+pet

I use the round sandpaper tips that are pictured.  It's easy to use, holds a charge for me to do all my my flock, and makes quick work of it without leaving jagged edges, like trying to cut them.  Just be sure not to hold it onto longer spurs for too long at a time, because the friction causes the nail to get hot.  

I did dremel his nails. I use a pumice stone on my dogs nails so I used the same on him. Works much better than the sandpaper. I am sorry to say it hasn't help my gal. I guess next step is an apron.

 

[uphilljill]

Quote: LF BR males are tough. They take forever to fully mature. The brother I showed is 20 weeks old. How old is Hector now? You can cull early for DQs, but then I usually wait till they're 5-6 months old to cull down to the few I want to grow out, then wait till they're close to a year old before making final choices. Females are easier and you seem to have some nice ones.

 

[speckledhen]

LF BR males are tough. They take forever to fully mature. The brother I showed is 20 weeks old. How old is Hector now? You can cull early for DQs, but then I usually wait till they're 5-6 months old to cull down to the few I want to grow out, then wait till they're close to a year old before making final choices. Females are easier and you seem to have some nice ones.

Hi, Jill. Hector will be 16 weeks old on Wednesday. So, if you showed his brother at 20 weeks, he obviously had his tail in. I have not so far seen any physical traits to cull for on Hector. He is slow to get a tail, from my experience with all the BRs I've had in the past years, but slow is just that, slow. Surely, he'll get one at some point, LOL.

Two minor things on him are his comb blade could sit closer to the curve of his head and he has that extra point, but otherwise, he has a very nice comb, very balanced. And his leg color could be deeper. Otherwise, as long as his temperament mellows out, I think I picked a good one from the bunch to keep. What do you think of Hector, overall, Jill? He's hard to photograph, always walking with head down or in stalk-mode to intimidate, but I think I've captured him upright a few times at least. Apollo, though he now chases grown hens for lustful purposes, is still afraid of Hector.

 

[uphilljill]

His comb is fine. Not perfect, but better than most I've seen at shows. Diet has a huge effect on leg color. I notice a big difference between the pullets I keep out on grass and the ones ranging in more woody areas.

Hard to tell from just pics, but Hector seems to have decent wing set, nice barring, and a nice head. You're already ahead of most there. He's got the start of *something* coming in tail-wise, but still too early to tell. In another month it should be more obvious. He might not end up with the longest, most flowing tail, but it will be something to work with. A nice, rounded breast in BR males (like you see in the Whites) is rare and something to work on with this variety. Of course, temperament could be the deciding factor and remains to be seen.

You've got some nice females, and I'm really curious to see what the Stukel genes bring to the mix. Look to balance out the weaknesses in one bird with the strengths from another. If it were me, I'd use him with your older Stukel hens. They might also teach him manners.

 

[uphilljill]

This is the kind of tail I normally see on a 20 week old. (He's also one I'm keeping to grow out.) I had to hatch 80 chicks this year to find the tail on that other male, and we still won't know how that tail will fully fill in for a few more months. These guys will teach you patience. lol



Which *might* turn into something like this:



His uncle from last year who was 2nd place cockerel at the Congress. (A Roy hen won Best of Variety and the 1st place cockerel was Reserve.) Notice he has 7 points on his comb, so Hector is already better there.

 

[speckledhen]

His comb is fine. Not perfect, but better than most I've seen at shows. Diet has a huge effect on leg color. I notice a big difference between the pullets I keep out on grass and the ones ranging in more woody areas.

Hard to tell from just pics, but Hector seems to have decent wing set, nice barring, and a nice head. You're already ahead of most there. He's got the start of *something* coming in tail-wise, but still too early to tell. In another month it should be more obvious. He might not end up with the longest, most flowing tail, but it will be something to work with. A nice, rounded breast in BR males (like you see in the Whites) is rare and something to work on with this variety. Of course, temperament could be the deciding factor and remains to be seen.

You've got some nice females, and I'm really curious to see what the Stukel genes bring to the mix. Look to balance out the weaknesses in one bird with the strengths from another. If it were me, I'd use him with your older Stukel hens. They might also teach him manners.

I have heard that about leg color and diet before, however, if it's a breed trait, then it should be exclusive of diet, JMHO. Apollo and Hector were raised the same, diet and environment. When Hector was with the entire group, I let them out on the grass quite a bit under supervision. My males almost always have the bright yellow legs so I do truly believe there is an inherent difference in the yellow intensity, aside from just grass or no grass. But, Hector's legs are yellow, as you can see in the photos, don't get me wrong, just not to the shade of the other males I've had. Maybe they will "yellow up" more as he grazes, which he is doing more now. They don't just stay in the barn pen anymore now that they have good size on them.

The original Rex is what I am, or was, working back toward when this Stukel male was killed, the one Bob Blosl said was one of the best he'd seen in the last ten years. That was just prior to his sad passing not long after he told me how to breed back up toward this guy using what I had. His only true fault was his wing carriage, a tad droopy, but he had the gravy boat chest and the fullness in the tail at just 24-25 weeks old.









Sigh, that was such a loss. Anyway, his two half sisters that I still have, Wynette and Ida, are 5 yrs 5 mos old now. They don't lay all that much. Druscilla, the only one I got out of him with his other half sister, my late Dottie, is about 5 years old herself, came from a pullet egg. She is the least productive layer I have, rarely lays at all anymore. So, I probably can't put Hector with the oldest, pure Stukel hens, unfortunately. If I did, poor Atlas would have no one. He actually needs more than he has now, as motivated a breeder as he is.

The thought of those big hens teaching Hector manners warms my heart, though, Jill. I can see it now, him yelling for me, "Mom, they're trying to KILL ME!"

 

[uphilljill]

Rex was a stud, no doubt about it.

Yep. The hens don't take guff from youngsters, but they probably wouldn't kill him the way Atlas would. They can handle themselves and they'll teach him wooing is preferred to aggression. lol

 

[speckledhen]

Rex was a stud, no doubt about it.

Yep. The hens don't take guff from youngsters, but they probably wouldn't kill him the way Atlas would. They can handle themselves and they'll teach him wooing is preferred to aggression. lol

Oh, my, yeah, I'll have to sic Druscilla on him. She's the toughest of all those with upstart young males. She won't even willingly allow Atlas to mate her. I'm chuckling just thinking about it. May have to film this one, LOL.


ETA: My son has been living in S. Korea for about 5 years now. He goes on vacation to other foreign shores. Last time, he was in Croatia and somewhere else, can't remember. He sent us these pretty embroidered towels as a gift. He's been to Paris, France and Istanbul, Turkey and other places I can't recall. I've never wanted to go anywhere, other than maybe Australia, and even then, it's not a burning desire. Though he's been out of college for about 15 years, he's thinking of trying to get into the 1 year Master's program at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland before coming back to the States. Apparently, it has some prestige. Bram Stoker attended, among others.