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

[speckledhen]

Woke to the weather radio at 4 a.m. with a tornado watch, which is still in effect. Winds are crazy again. A bad storm that killed folks in TN counties closest to us is coming within the next hour or so, bringing even more rain than the last couple of nights. Gotta get to the barn to do the chores before that. Back later...

 

[Wyatt0224]

Tornados are the worst. Are you in danger of having a tornado touching down in the mountains though?

 

[speckledhen]

Tornados are the worst. Are you in danger of having a tornado touching down in the mountains though?

We had the outer bands of one hit us a few years ago and bring down a 50' healthy oak tree across the back corner of our chicken pen, just pulled it up by the roots. We were cleaning up from that for awhile. Thankfully, it wasn't one of the trees next to the house. So, it doesn't have to actually touch down in my backyard to do extreme damage. Still need to finish cutting up that darn oak tree for firewood. We are somewhat sheltered from a lot of it from the surrounding taller mountains, but not completely.

I'm concerned for the barn. The steel is lightweight, though there are rebar stakes driven through the base framing members into the ground to secure it and when we built the interior, we used sheet metal screws to secure a lot of the lumber to the steel framers, adding a lot of weight to the structure. Still, it could take the roof right off and suck the birds out of the building, even if the rest of it was intact, which is one of my nightmares.

 

[islandgirl82]

Your description of Apollo's temperament reminds me very much of Ichabod's. He would be my first choice but he also does have a 9 week age advantage over Hector. Time will tell.

Stay safe with those tornados!!

 

[speckledhen]

Your description of Apollo's temperament reminds me very much of Ichabod's. He would be my first choice but he also does have a 9 week age advantage over Hector. Time will tell.

Stay safe with those tornados!!

Your Ichabod is a real treasure. See, now, he's set the bar so high that you'll never be satisfied with anything less. That's where I am after the roosters I've had over the years, from Isaac and his progeny to my big old blue Suede and my sweet, handicapped Zane, who was truly the chicken love of my life.

I was carrying Thea, who was bucking for attention, through the barnyard, walking through a gauntlet of Bruno, Bash, Hector and Apollo and thinking that a lot of folks would be holding their breath, walking among that many roosters on either side of them. But, I want to walk without having to ever look over my shoulder. I can do it with Atlas and Apollo. I 100% trust Atlas and I'm about 98% there with Apollo, not because of anything he's done, but because he's still young and forming his personality and still maturing. I do not expect him to change, coming out of the line that began with Isaac at patriarch. With Hector, I'm not sure what percentage to put on it, maybe 75%, because of his past actions and the fact that he simply is from a different line of males, more unknown to me. As you say, time will tell.

The tornado watch is supposed to end in 20 minutes, unless they've extended it. It's raining now, very windy, but not scary. Maybe it will just go around us as some of the storms tend to do. We seem to be in a slightly protected pocket on this piece of land here.

 

[speckledhen]

Doing a test run on a carrot-squash-applesauce cake before I make it for people other than us. I had butternut squash puree made from my own squash this year, a jar of canned apples from my late dad's stash off his own tree to mush into applesauce and a bag of baby carrots left over from the last beef stew. So, we shall see how it goes.

My DH and I have been trying to lose weight so we haven't had baked goods in ages, but he has a family dinner on Dec 18 and I am in charge of dessert. I can't make a "virgin" recipe without testing it first, right? I love carrot cake and butternut squash breads so I thought the combination seemed a natural one and found a cake using those plus 1/3 cup of applesauce. If it's good, will make it into cupcakes for the dinner, along with my special cookies and maybe something else. His family has no idea how to make great desserts but that was my mother's specialty, and sadly, mine, too. But, carrots, squash and apples, right? GOOD FOR YOU! Made cream cheese frosting using the Neufchatel cheese which is lower in fat but tastes similar.

 

[h2oratt]

Doing a test run on a carrot-squash-applesauce cake before I make it for people other than us. I had butternut squash puree made from my own squash this year, a jar of canned apples from my late dad's stash off his own tree to mush into applesauce and a bag of baby carrots left over from the last beef stew. So, we shall see how it goes.

My DH and I have been trying to lose weight so we haven't had baked goods in ages, but he has a family dinner on Dec 18 and I am in charge of dessert. I can't make a "virgin" recipe without testing it first, right? I love carrot cake and butternut squash breads so I thought the combination seemed a natural one and found a cake using those plus 1/3 cup of applesauce. If it's good, will make it into cupcakes for the dinner, along with my special cookies and maybe something else. His family has no idea how to make great desserts but that was my mother's specialty, and sadly, mine, too. But, carrots, squash and apples, right? GOOD FOR YOU! Made cream cheese frosting using the Neufchatel cheese which is lower in fat but tastes similar.

That sounds yummy.
I recently learned how to cook leeks. They are awesome with my eggs in the morning.

 

[islandgirl82]

Quote:
I'm afraid you're right in that Ichabod has set that bar high when picking a replacement. I hope I won't have to do that for a very long time.

You've just listed another reason I'd stick with Apollo - you know his lineage and selected for specific traits but in the end, follow your gut.

Is the watch over yet?

 

[speckledhen]

I'm afraid you're right in that Ichabod has set that bar high when picking a replacement. I hope I won't have to do that for a very long time.

You've just listed another reason I'd stick with Apollo - you know his lineage and selected for specific traits but in the end, follow your gut.

Is the watch over yet?

yes, the watch is over. There was a severe weather warning afterward. We had some torrential rain and high winds but it's all gone now.

Apollo is wonderful for all sorts of reasons, not the least of which is his temperament. Hector is a bit broader across the back, which is a great thing in spite of a couple of minor flaws he has, but at the crux of it all, he's not of this line. I've sort of did need some new blood here because they are all related and have been for some time now. Athena is Apollo's half sister, Zara is his full sister, for example. Apollo is related to every one of Atlas's progeny that comes from any of the Stukel hens. Of course, Hector's girls would provide that new blood w/o actually having to keep Hector.

The ideal thing would be to put Hector over the Stukel hens and Apollo over Hector's girls, but for now, Atlas has the five BR hens and one splash Rock and since he's not an old man yet, he really needs to keep those six hens. As it is, he may lose a couple of those soon-the splash Rock has had internal issues and as is the case with the main Stukel hens, is almost 6 years old. I've already lost one of the original hens, Druscilla's mother, Dottie. Atlas will really be out of luck if he loses more than one because I have no other hens who could stand up to his attentions right now. Most are too old or too small. He's a big guy and an insistent breeder, probably stemming from that tiny smidge of Delaware he carries. Isaac was a beast for the women, even up into his old age. He could keep 25 all fertile in his prime, all by himself.

In the end, if Hector shoots himself in the foot, Apollo will get Jill and Mary, for sure. He's definitely good enough to keep as a breeder.

 

[Wyatt0224]

While it would be disappointing if Hector did shoot himself in the foot, from what has been said and discussed on here recently it seems like Apollo has really come into his own. All the times you've put on here about Apollo being chased off by another more dominant rooster, it seems he is really starting to prove himself as a good flock leader. Just like his dad and great-grand dad.