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

[speckledhen]

Hector may backslide, but lately, when he is next to me, he seems to be there because he wants to stand next to me, not intimidate or flirt. I admit that after his little history, I am waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak, and him to have a relapse, especially when he gets right up against me and looks up, wanting me to give him something. If I've been giving him treats and they're gone, I just hold out my empty hands and say, "All gone, Hector, no more" and he looks at them closely, then seems satisfied. The intelligence factor is definitely in play here. If he was short a few brain cells, he would not be the young guy he's turning out to be, I do believe.

If he continues his behavior in the same vein, he will be a great rooster. He still intimidates and chases Apollo, no question who is alpha among the two BR groups. But, the Brahma male, Bruno, is now chancing grabbing the BR pullets. Yesterday, Apollo charged over to stop him. If Bruno bulks up as a Brahma should (he's more frame than bulk still) and musters up some gumption, both Apollo and Hector will have something to watch out for, but as always, in the chicken yard, it's attitude over size every day of the week. Xander proves that one. At about 3-4 lbs, he is in charge of them all.

 

[1muttsfan]

Looks like you guys are going to get rain tonight too, hope it's a great big wet downpour

 

[speckledhen]

Looks like you guys are going to get rain tonight too, hope it's a great big wet downpour

I hope so, Mary, but it is a very small chance. I went through the hourly forecast and the radar through tomorrow and between 5 and 7 a.m. is the greatest chance. The weather guy in Chattanooga said it would be a quick passing shower, if we got anything at all. Everything is crackly and dusty around here.

The temps will be falling after tomorrow morning, too. We were almost 80* today, way too hot for this time of year, but tonight's low will be almost tomorrow's high and down from there to way below freezing. And there is a wind advisory for tomorrow as well. They say Sunday a.m. might get into the teens for us here in the mountains. We haven't been under 35* so far this season but we have our firewood. The Brahmas ought to be thrilled with the cooler temps since they hate the heat. They are the best equipped for it with their pea combs and feathered legs.

 

[Wyatt0224]

If it gets around or below freezing is there still a chance for a fire? Hopefully you guys get a big front to come through soon.

 

[speckledhen]

If it gets around or below freezing is there still a chance for a fire? Hopefully you guys get a big front to come through soon.

I dunno. I hope something happens to help them contain the fires.

our forecast from AccuWeather, which really says nothing about rain, if you check AccuWeather rather than Intellicast:

• Sat
  
  Nov 19
  
  51° /25°
  Partly sunny and cooler
  
• Sun
  
  Nov 20
  
  48° /19°
  Sunny, but chilly
• Mon
  
  Nov 21
  
  54° /20°
  Mostly sunny
  
• Tue
  
  Nov 22
  
  60° /33°
  Partly sunny
  
  
  And this:
  

Quote:

* LOCATIONS...THE FREEZE WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTH AND
CENTRAL GEORGIA...GENERALLY ALONG A LINE FROM LAGRANGE...TO
GRIFFIN...TO WASHINGTON.

THE WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST
OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA.

* TEMPERATURES...TEMPERATURES WITHIN THE FREEZE WATCH AREA WILL
DROP INTO THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S.

* WINDS...SUSTAINED NORTHWEST WINDS BETWEEN 20-25 MPH WITH GUSTS
BETWEEN 30-45 MPH.

 

[getaclue]

I hope you get enough showers to do some good.

Got our rental deposits back, and the refund for over payment of homeowners insurance, so we are about to order the building materials for the new coop. YAY!

 

[1muttsfan]

Nice!

Wind is bad news, cold is good - easier to suppress fire in cold weather. We had an almighty big front line cruise through last night, big thunder and lightning and a deluge, now cold windy and spitting lake effect rain/snow. Just snow up North at my house, hope it all melts before I go home on Monday.

 

[speckledhen]

I hope you get enough showers to do some good.

Got our rental deposits back, and the refund for over payment of homeowners insurance, so we are about to order the building materials for the new coop. YAY!

Awesome!

Nice!

Wind is bad news, cold is good - easier to suppress fire in cold weather. We had an almighty big front line cruise through last night, big thunder and lightning and a deluge, now cold windy and spitting lake effect rain/snow. Just snow up North at my house, hope it all melts before I go home on Monday.

We only got about a 5 minute sprinkle, which dried up very quickly in our winds. When I got up, it was 51*, now falling into the mid 40's already. I hear that there is a huge blizzard in Minnesota, saw it on the news-@holm25 , Isaiah, hope you are doing okay in that mess!


Hector freaked out today when we were in the barn seeing to all the water defrosters. Bash, my Blue Partridge Brahma cockerel, finally found his voice at just over 23 weeks old. He flapped and crowed (well, emoted, anyway, LOL) and almost fell off the roost, LOL. Hector, hearing a new voice, started sounding off his alarm cackle.

 

[1muttsfan]

Maybe Hector thought someone was being strangled to death

 

[speckledhen]

Maybe Hector thought someone was being strangled to death

Probably did, LOL. Hector is the Barn Security System. I feel like making him a business card or something. He is first to sound off, followed by Apollo. Atlas just lets them have "night duty"-I never hear him crow at night anymore. Late last night, dogs went off all around us about something, plus the motion sensor light at the back pen gate kept going on so something was lurking. DH came into the bedroom to ask if we got all the chickens inside. Um, WHAT?! I was sure we did, but he said he thought he saw something standing inside the pen when one of the lights went on. In all likelihood, it was a raccoon or possum, though, because we trekked out there to check and never found anything. I did hear a lot of crashing through the leaves in our yard near the house from our bedroom window so there was something larger than a raccoon in the yard, guessing deer. Both Hector and Apollo were taking turns sounding the alarm. Atlas let them. Leave the heavy lifting to the kids, right?