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

[speckledhen]

It took me nearly a month to read from the beginning when I started a few months ago lol.

You can definitely tell which boy is Hector's, he's got that same confident look.

...and sound and stance and habits; he's Hector, Jr, no question.

 

[speckledhen]

@sumi , you'll want to hear this. My son, Chris, just signed a lease on an apt in Dublin, a very nice one, with 2 bedrooms he'll share with a PhD student named Killian. Our older son is Michael, named for an early ancestor who came from Dublin, Ireland to Dedham, Massachusetts in 1640 or so. So, I told him that he just went back home, LOL. It's for, think, 750 euros, a good price and very close to the dorms where he'd have to pay 1100 euros per month. He's so excited that he bought 8 pears for just 1 euro! Korea was super expensive to buy food.
Pictures of the apt he's getting.
It's on the 3rd floor of this building, the side with the red door.

 

[getaclue]

Looks like it has everything, even a washing machine. Laminate floors are nice, and easy to keep clean.

 

[speckledhen]

Miscellaneous quotes from my son, who is currently on his way back to Korea to close up his life there and head back to Dublin at the end of August.

Groceries are so much cheaper! 1 kg of potatoes for about $0.59! In Korea, I pay about $1 per potato!

*(he also found 4 grapefruits for half the price of 1 grapefruit in Korea)

Bought 8 pears for 1€.

this one cracked me up! He has not been in the U.S. for years, either, haha!

Sometimes I miss NOT being able to understand the local language. So much swearing around here! I feel dirty.

At least I'll only be 5 hours ahead of Atlanta.

*as opposed to 13 hours*

 

[1muttsfan]

Looks like perfect student housing.

 

[speckledhen]

I just wrote a super long story and it vanished, not even a draft left, ACK!!!

DRAMA in the chicken yard this evening! After putting the Brahma group back in their barn pen after free ranging, I left 23 week Cora out while I let Georgie's old hens' group out-Cora was used to being with them as she was growing up. I also let out the three 12 week olds-Drew, Hector, Jr. and MaryJo-who were used to the older hens, but never Cora. I felt that they were old enough to dodge any harassment from the older pullet. Well, I did not expect what happened.

Before I even got out of the barn, I heard a ruckus, ran out and I saw Cora running for her life from Hector, Jr.! They flew over the hammock, turned over a lawn chair and then Cora made a break for the little alleyway that runs along the top of the rock retaining wall against the fence by the barn. She got to the end and he caught up with her, then she went into a full-on submissive pose, head down, with him bopping her in the head and trying to step on her. She was still for a moment, then made a break for it, but he grabbed her and they both tumbled, head over tail feathers down the wall to the concrete gutter at the bottom! I was so scared she was hurt! I got down there as fast as I could and found her again in a completely submissive pose with him standing over the top of her, so I scooped him up, with the usual yelling and struggling (him, not me), but he was pretty much out of breath by this time.

If there was any doubt that this was a son of Hector, that was put to rest just now. If the personality transfers to every cockerel out of Hector, I do not have much of a chance of getting what I want out of him in the way of a male breeder, good grief! Pullets, sure, but the boys, goodness.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That behavior brings out my inner rage. That boy would go directly to chicken jail, and his future would be questionable here. I know that behavior is normal for young boys, but I don't tolerate it because it makes me so mad. I protect my girls from it too. Good catch. My young boys are just 9 weeks so none of that yet....

 

[speckledhen]

That behavior brings out my inner rage. That boy would go directly to chicken jail, and his future would be questionable here. I know that behavior is normal for young boys, but I don't tolerate it because it makes me so mad. I protect my girls from it too. Good catch. My young boys are just 9 weeks so none of that yet....

I think it shows that Hector's sons are, more often than not, going to mature very early, just like he did. He didn't take on the adult hens. I saw 9 yr old EE, June, who is the head of that group, drop her shoulder and prepare to whip his butt. I wish he'd tried her, I reallllly wish he had, LOL.

 

[1muttsfan]

I am sure the genetics of behavior do not work out quite that way, in all likelihood you will get offspring just like their father (or mother) and others that are very different. I know that's how it worked out in our family

 

[speckledhen]

I am sure the genetics of behavior do not work out quite that way, in all likelihood you will get offspring just like their father (or mother) and others that are very different. I know that's how it worked out in our family

Well, we have two more sons of Hector coming along being mothered by Lizzie so we shall see! If I could have one that looked like this overly-energetic boy and had a more easygoing temperament like Drew, that would be awesome. Then, Hector could find another situation for himself and I could keep that son of his.

Mary, did you notice that his comb has two points not fully separated? It's a pretty decent comb, though.