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

[Wyatt0224]

My parents know me so well!

 

[speckledhen]

My parents know me so well!

LOL, of course! I gave my best friend one and her b'day is in August. She was happy because the "Goth Chicken" she loves so much was on her month.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Yes that rooster is quite unique. This calendar is a great birthday present, it is definitely a great Christmas present!

 

[speckledhen]

Pics of Hector & Apollo and girls today (other than Zara and Thea. Zara's a bad girl, no egg still and Thea was in a nest) My husband commented a couple of days ago, "Have you noticed how big Hector is? Apollo seems little!" Hector is, indeed, a wide load when you look at him from above. Apollo is not little by any means but he's more "refined" looking. As usual, if I could combine the best qualities of both in one male, sigh.....

Click on the pics to get close up and you can see that Hector has no "mean" in his eyes. Wyatt, I hope you can see what I'm talking about, the soft expression. I think he's going to be okay in that department. At this age, I'm about ready to call it a done deal with Hector.















Sweet Apollo

 

[itspebbl]

They are looking great! Apollo just looks so well balanced. Hector has turned out petty good so far, apart from his funky tail

 

[speckledhen]

They are looking great! Apollo just looks so well balanced. Hector has turned out petty good so far, apart from his funky tail

I think you hit on it, well-balanced. His back is properly long, no hump, no slope, beautiful tail just like all the Stukel males have. Hector is, well, Hector. He has a nice head on him, a good eye, barring is good, width is excellent, but that tail, oh, man, oh man. He has one, but it's like the "holder" of it lets the long sickles just droop in the center while the side feathers stick straight out.

 

[Wyatt0224]

Yes! So happy to see Hector has passed! His eyes look calm and trusting. Oh if his tail would cooperate. Will his tail, or lack there of, effect your breeding plans? It would be interesting to see what his chicks would be. Does he get his own thread...?

 

[speckledhen]

Yes! So happy to see Hector has passed! His eyes look calm and trusting. Oh if his tail would cooperate. Will his tail, or lack there of, effect your breeding plans? It would be interesting to see what his chicks would be. Does he get his own thread...?

As they say, type is paramount, over all else. Apollo has all of it except that he is not as broad as Hector. Plus, Hector has the simple advantage of being unrelated to my own birds. I think if I can get Stukel descended girls in Hector's pen, maybe the awesome Stukel tail gene will help offset whatever Hector lacks in that department. I do think that is what needs to happen, that Hector get the Stukel lineage girls to add to his stable. Now, Apollo will have no one unless I give him Jill and Mary, unless something happens to Atlas and I just put Hector in there with that entire group and give Apollo any of them that I don't think will be good with Hector. But, I hate thinking that way. Atlas is a doll and he's not even quite three years old yet, too soon to think about his demise!

He may get his own thread when I get around to it. Maybe I'll give him a thread along with Apollo. Atlas may just be the old guy now.

 

[speckledhen]

100% off topic, found this family portrait, the only one we ever had made, from June 1982. Michael was 5 years old, Chris was almost 3. Who the heck ARE those people??

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They are all cute, that's what they are. Love those curls.