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

[speckledhen]

Hector was good today, has been for a few weeks now. He loves acorns. I've opened a bunch for him and he does not share with his girls, LOL. Bruno, the partridge Brahma, flared his hackles when I showed him I had nothing in my hand for him to eat so he got snatched up, turned about 3/4 of the way upside down and talked to about who was in charge around here. I have zero patience left for a bad boy chicken. He didn't like that. Bash, his brother, is much quieter and milder mannered, but Bruno has not been aggressive so far at 19 weeks old, just that little thing he did bugged me. So, for the time being, no more hand feeding for the big boy.

Atlas is "motivated" to kill Apollo, actually is faster than his son, hit him on a dead run from behind and scared me to death, but I guess he didn't connect with his spurs. So, I cannot allow them to free range at the same time anymore. Apollo is just an easygoing sweetheart of a guy. Today, he and Hector were free ranging near each other under some of the Leylands near the power line road, very peacefully. Apollo knows who is the alpha in that group and it ain't him.


DH and I took our coffee mugs out at dusk to watch the skies and maybe see deer coming into the meadow. It's sort of a ritual when nights are getting cooler to sit and sip as the skies darken. Well, not tonight. Some yahoo next door was running what sounded like a leaf blower or a drill, LOUDLY, plus country music, LOUDLY, then had to get on an ATV and circle my property, LOUDLY. I have no idea who it is, certainly not the actual homeowner. So, no deer and not much quiet, either, dang it. I love my place but I'm too close to neighbors still.

Last night, 3:45 a.m., was jolted awake by a fox alarm-barking. He did it on and off for about 45 minutes, punctuated by weird growls. Guess the coyotes were lurking. Neighborhood dogs were dead silent, though.

 

[1muttsfan]

Probably putting up a tree blind. Hopefully not aimed at you guys.

 

[speckledhen]

Probably putting up a tree blind. Hopefully not aimed at you guys.

It's too close to pretty much every neighbor so I hope not. I watched him from the deck to see if he turned into our pasture, but thankfully, he didn't. I don't want crazies on ATVs tearing up the ground. Need to get that fence up as soon as we can manage it.


ETA: I'm a bit worried about my 9 1/2 yr old BR hen, Becca. She and Amanda are half sisters, out of McMurray stock parents. She hasn't laid in about 3 years or so, though she'll go on the nest periodically and sit anyway. Today, when I was sitting in a lawn chair watching that group mill around the pen, Ladyhawk called. and I was talking to her on the phone when Becca jumped into my lap suddenly. She was breathing very very hard, open mouth (not hot , no one else panting). It's unusual for her to jump into my lap that way. She loves my husband and likes me fine, but she never gets into my lap. She stood facing me and looked deep into my eyes, beak to nose, breathing audibly. Her color seemed not as bright red, with a slight purplish tinge, just a little bit off for her. She got right up next to my face and settled down, every few seconds looking right into my face like she was trying to tell me something. Her color didn't get back to normal by roost time. I'm wondering if her time is closing in on her. She and Amanda are the same age, Caroline my Buff Brahma is two months older so they'll all turn 10 years after the first of the year, if they all make it that far.
Miss Becca, who protects DH from the Tiny Terrorist, back right. DH rarely names the chickens but he chose the names for Becca and Amanda.

 

[GingersHuman]

It's so sad watching them get older. My oldest, Ms. Speckles, who is at least 6-7 (but no idea really of actual age) has had problems pooping the last year. She strains and has messy vent feathers. I think she has something internal going on, as she's only laid a couple eggs for us in the 5 years we've had her. (Though maybe she's just older than we know).

 

[speckledhen]

It's so sad watching them get older. My oldest, Ms. Speckles, who is at least 6-7 (but no idea really of actual age) has had problems pooping the last year. She strains and has messy vent feathers. I think she has something internal going on, as she's only laid a couple eggs for us in the 5 years we've had her. (Though maybe she's just older than we know).

Sounds like she has internal issues. Becca has been going to the nest to sit periodically for years and not producing an egg. She has zero bloat or other issues that I can tell, aside from her arthritic-looking, gnarly, old-lady feet. The feet don't seem to hurt her, but her sister, Amanda, has completely lost the use of one leg from arthritis. She started limping, then she'd walk like she was walking on chunks of firewood, then one leg just became entirely useless. She can haul it underneath her and sort of thump around using her wings, but it takes a lot out of her. The temps have tanked and she got her heat lamp back this a.m. Winds are howling today. Lows last night are highs today and we'll see the first 30's tonight. Just like us, when they have arthritis, they also have poor circulation and more pain in cold weather.

This a.m., Becca's color is still off and she is not herself, though she's on her feet. Her old pals will take care of her as best they can. I hope Amanda will allow her to get under the heat lamp with her. Usually, Amanda wields an iron beak just because she can. Love those cantankerous old women.

 

[GingersHuman]

My old ones are tough old gals too!

 

[speckledhen]

Last night about 11:30 p.m., Hector started going off in the barn and just kept crowing and crowing. Everyone else was silent. I was pretty much asleep before that, but since DH was still up, I let him handle it. When he came into the room, I asked what's up with Hector. He said he thought he heard something walking on the barn roof over the baby monitor, but when he went onto the deck and looked with a flashlight, he didn't see anything. So, Hector is the first one to sound off when there's something to alarm about, that's for sure. And he follows me around while I remove the shells from acorns for him. He's an acorn addict.

Yes, I fear I'm losing two residents of the Old Hens' Home & Hospice. Both Caroline and Becca appear to be on the way out. Becca's color is dark purple. So, when she jumped into my lap a couple days ago and was acting so oddly, trying to look deep into my eyes, and I felt she was trying to communicate with me, I'm sure that was it. My husband will be devastated. She was the first hen to ever want to give him "hugs". Such a good old gal. She is only two months younger than Caroline and would have turned 10 years old in March, but she isn't going to make that next hatch day.

 

[Wyatt0224]

That's really impressive that Hector is able to do that. I wonder what could've been walking on the roof of a barn.
So sorry to hear about the old girls. They lived a happy and long life that's for sure.

 

[GingersHuman]

 

[speckledhen]

That's really impressive that Hector is able to do that. I wonder what could've been walking on the roof of a barn.
So sorry to hear about the old girls. They lived a happy and long life that's for sure.

Probably a raccoon or possum. Something would have to have been up a tree next to the barn and jumped down onto it, I'd think. It would be hard to climb a metal building. Yep, Hector has great potential, that's for sure. And if he continues to behave, he may even get his own thread soon. I wish he'd get that darn tail, though.

As far as the older hens, they have lived a long time. Neither Becca nor Caroline have laid in years. Caroline is a direct-from-hatchery girl and Becca and Amanda are daughters of hatchery birds. Amanda still produces a few eggs here and there, which is amazing since she can't even walk anymore. But, it's not called the Old Hens' Retirement Home & Hospice for nothing.