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

[speckledhen]

Wow that is a beautiful cross.

I hope your husband isn't too sore. I fall about every three months. Luckily I haven't broken anything but I am pretty sore for a few days.
Georgie sounds like quite a hen.

Maverick, like all the males in this particular lineage, turned out to be another sweet guy. The lady I gave him to, in her mid 80's, loves him and his blue barred brother.

Georgie is a major pest most of the time. She'll bite the fire out of you if you don't pick her up when she wants you to. She likes to get on DH's chest when he's in the hammock and snuggles right up beside his face. So, yep, I believe she was concerned in her own chicken way about her "dad".

 

[speckledhen]

Big dog drama this morning. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...on-game-camera-several-times/40#post_17647945

Not what Tom needed after his fall, running all over this mountain property in pain. Grrrrrrr. Even when the black dog yelped after the shotgun blast, NOBODY called for their dogs, NOBODY. You'd think someone would at least care that much, right?

And, the kids. Jill is looking at the camera while Mary and Hector try to kill my Carolina Sapphire Cypress tree.


Thea.

Jill-isn't she pretty? Her back seems maybe a smidge short, but she finally molted out the juvenile tail feather and looks so round.

And the man. He's been very good lately. I pet him and talk to him when he goes to roost every night. He has shown no further aggression whatsoever so I'm hoping he is over his "phase". Still keeping an eye on him, but he moves out of my way and will stand near me when I sit in the lawn chair quietly and calmly. I don't see any hardness in his eyes. He and his girls will turn 21 weeks old Wednesday.

 

[Wyatt0224]

I just read everything about those dogs. That's terrible and wrong what your husband now has to do. Maybe if one got a few pellets in him they'll learn to stay away for good. Thank goodness none of your chickens were out.

Hector looks big now it's great to hear that he's behaving himself now. Do you think you'll be starting a thread for Hector at all?

 

[1muttsfan]

Dare I say it - are those tail feathers?

 

[speckledhen]

I just read everything about those dogs. That's terrible and wrong what your husband now has to do. Maybe if one got a few pellets in him they'll learn to stay away for good. Thank goodness none of your chickens were out.

Hector looks big now it's great to hear that he's behaving himself now. Do you think you'll be starting a thread for Hector at all?

I'm not quite ready for Hector to get his own thread yet. He's had "good" stretches before. Maybe in a month or so, if he's continued his good behavior, he'll get his own thread. Or when he gets a tail, whichever comes first!

Dare I say it - are those tail feathers?

Shhhhh! Don't jinx it! LOL

 

[speckledhen]

This morning at sunrise. I just love my views, the way the mists play on the mountain, the way the light hits it in crazy ways.




The pyramid-shaped one is Piney Mountain.

Watson is a giant next to Piney. Zooming in on one of the cabins on Watson Mtn.

 

[Wyatt0224]

In one of the videos you posted a few pages back you said you could hear Hector grumbling, which I did. My question is what does that mean because I've heard my own rooster do it also.

 

[speckledhen]

In one of the videos you posted a few pages back you said you could hear Hector grumbling, which I did. My question is what does that mean because I've heard my own rooster do it also.

I haven't the foggiest idea, LOL.


I do have a Hector story for you. The groups were out together-Apollo's, Hector's, Xander's, Bruno's and Rita's. Apollo is not afraid of the older hens in Rita's group anymore (well, except for Georgie, a little bit) so when I was in the barn aisle, Apollo was making the moves on Rita, who was yelling and struggling and ran back into her pen, where three of her group were hiding out from Xander's attentions.

The hens who were in there already flew every which way to get away from Apollo and Rita's scene when out of the blue, here comes Hector. He took after and lit into Apollo, who jumped onto the roost, then beat it out the door and ended up on the long roost bar in the Brahmas' pen, legs bent and ready to launch if Hector kept after him, which he did. He stalked Apollo from place to place until I intervened and said, "Hector, that's enough!" , but to me, it seemed like he was laying down the law to a subordinate who was causing chaos, just like a good rooster should. Hector is afraid of Xander, but no one else. Georgie is even afraid of Hector.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Wow, Hector is a really intelligent young rooster. Praying his tail and comes in very soon and he has straightened out his little temperament issues.

 

[speckledhen]

Wow, Hector is a really intelligent young rooster. Praying his tail and comes in very soon and he has straightened out his little temperament issues.

I do see a lot of potential in him. This morning, though I don't usually do it, I went into his pen and when he jumped up on the file cabinet nests next to me, I said, "Hey there, Hector" and began to run my hand down his chest. We all know that roosters in the a.m. are pretty rambunctious so this was a better test than at roost time. You could see he started to nip me, but stopped himself before he touched me. I rubbed his earlobes and wattles and told him he was a good boy.

I'm not 100% "there" yet with Hector, but if he continues this way, it won't be long before I can put a stamp of approval on him as far as his temperament. He certainly knows what he is supposed to do as a flock leader, though I have not seen him mate any of the girls yet.

Even my big Brahma cockerel, Bruno, who is two weeks younger than Hector, nipped me today, but he's used to eating scratch out of my hand and when I had nothing in it, he lightly nipped me. I did pick him up and chastise him a tiny bit, but he's never shown any real aggression at all and his brother, Bash. has an even milder personality so far.

ETA: Photos don't show it, but Hector is really becoming very broad and putting on some height now.