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

[GingersHuman]

But not the same breed. What breed is the white one?

I was just teasing by posting pics. Smudge is a White Leghorn/ Golden Laced Wyandotte cross.

@GingersHuman no fair! But, I have Apollo, whose had a tail to envy since he was a young teenager, as most of these do. Hector is, well, "special".

Yes, your other roosters have gorgeous tails!

I don't think you can compare as different breeds mature slower esp. heritage breed. Is smudge a leghorn?

Again, just teasing. Leghorn cross.

Smudge isn't a Leghorn, may be a cross. He has a honking big rose comb and the red in the wings says something else is in there. His coloring is like a red sex link rooster. Hector is actually slower to get a tail than any BR male I've ever had, heritage line or not. So, I do think he's "special", LOL.

Special sounds right!

Caroline passed away about 4:15 p.m. today. She had been surrounded by her loyal subjects from early this morning, all day long. RIP, Queen of All, January 7 2007-Oct 28 2016 You almost made it to your 10th hatch day.

So sorry to hear this

Wow speckled hen. It is amazing. I didn't know how long chickens could live. I am amazed at her flock sitting around her protecting her. What a beautiful passing. Isn't that what we all want?

It is amazing!

 

[speckledhen]

I was just teasing by posting pics. Smudge is a White Leghorn/ Golden Laced Wyandotte cross.

Yup, he does look like that cross, too. I couldn't really see his comb until I clicked to enlarge the photo and yup, there it was, that big old rose comb, but on a lean body.

 

[1muttsfan]

Ten years, wow! What an amazing old girl.

 

[speckledhen]

Ten years, wow! What an amazing old girl.

She was a force, that's for sure. Becca and Amanda are just two months younger than Caroline was. I know that Becca won't make her tenth hatch-day, either, but I have no idea if Amanda will. Amanda still lays periodically, though she's been completely crippled for about three years now. Grieving the loss of her best friend and protector, Caroline, and then her sister soon, may shorten her life. Hopefully, she'll be okay and keep on trucking awhile longer, but I don't blame her if she wants to go after those two huge losses.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Those photos really show how caring chickens are with each other and how special of an animal they really are. So sorry to hear about Caroline.

 

[speckledhen]

Those photos really show how caring chickens are with each other and how special of an animal they really are. So sorry to hear about Caroline.

Thank you. I feel privileged to have seen how special they are. Most folks assume they have zero sense, completely brainless. Nothing could be further from the truth.

 

[speckledhen]

@Peanutsmomma was here today for a short visit as they started back to their home in Alabama from their high mountain vacation in NC. She got to meet the Hector and Apollo and fell in love with my munchkin rooster, Xander. Plus, she saw first-hand how mild-mannered Apollo is as he was chased by both Xander and Hector several times each. Poor Apollo can't even mate his own girls if Xander is around.


Awhile ago, I was cleaning out Hector's pen when I heard a hen screaming. Hector had grabbed Rita and was trying his best to do what comes naturally. Rita was having none of it. She got away and ran out the roll-up door with Hector on her tail. He got her again but didn't have a good grip and she got loose and I picked her up and stepped in front of Hector, put my finger in his face and said, "NO, Hector! MY girl! NO!". It was really another temperament test. He could have just flogged me right then and there, but he just looked up at me and backed off. He did dance up to me, looking at her, but didn't bite or flog. Rita is older and scary-thin from her molt and recent crop issue we fixed so she is rather frail, not a suitable candidate for a tryst with a clumsy young male.

That is really the first time I've seen Hector make a real attempt at mating.



ETA: New story for you. Started out to be a Brahma story, repeating it for you here on this thread, but it ended up being a Hector story.

This afternoon, I was trying to get the various groups back in their respective pens in the barn. I had a jar of scratch and was in front of the Brahmas' pen when Bruno, the largest cockerel (20 weeks old), and three of the girls came running into the barn toward me. I was about to remove the lid and toss some in the tray under their feeder for them when Bruno lunged at me and bit me hard on the side of my leg. Unfortunately, I had just changed from jeans into shorts because it got fairly warm this afternoon and he scraped some skin off and will probably have given me a pretty good bruise there. Needless to say, that group got no scratch and I am now wondering if I can even keep Bruno. I will NOT do any aversion therapy other than grab him and pop him on the back of the head if I can catch him when he bites, but if this is leading up to flogging, I won't tolerate it, period. I have zero patience for that, especially from a male who is becoming as large as he is now. So, he will not get the consideration that Hector did because he's the age where he is less likely to be changed.

This is the part that concerns Hector. Hector apparently heard the ruckus (when Bruno did it, I grabbed for him and got his tail and he was hollering to beat the band for me to let go so he could get away) and came tearing into the barn. roaring his head off, ready to do battle with the offender as any good rooster should have done. I wonder what would have happened if he'd seen Bruno attack me. Hector is really shaping up to be an excellent flock leader.

 

[holm25]

Oh Cyn... I am sorry to hear of your dog troubles and now sweet Caroline... I loved seeing pics of that old beauty... RIP Caroline...

 

[speckledhen]

Oh Cyn... I am sorry to hear of your dog troubles and now sweet Caroline... I loved seeing pics of that old beauty... RIP Caroline...

Thanks, Isaiah. Glad you're still reading. I always hope you're lurking!

 

[itspebbl]

I sorry to hear about Caroline! She lived a great life with you!