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

[Leahs Mom]

I have a "go-to" person just south of Indy that will always take any problem birds I have. They either stay with her or her daughter in Ohio. Sometimes that change of venue totally helps. Every time I've re-homed one to them, they do very well.

Too bad you're not closer. Hope you can find a good place.

 

[Leahs Mom]

PS: After 5 years of chicken keeping, I finally decided not to keep any troublemakers. I want a peaceful flock and I hate trying to fix something that just doesn't seem to fix. It really did take me 5 years to decide that. But it's been much happier around here since.

I'd still have the SFH if I hadn't made that decision. That was a hard one.

 

[speckledhen]

I have a "go-to" person just south of Indy that will always take any problem birds I have. They either stay with her or her daughter in Ohio. Sometimes that change of venue totally helps. Every time I've re-homed one to them, they do very well.

Too bad you're not closer. Hope you can find a good place.

I wish you were closer because I know you'd give them a good home, or your "go-to" person would. I feel bad because at their age, I rarely ever give up hens, no matter what they do-Tiny is a case in point. I know someone would have wrung her scrawny neck long before now! Lizzie and Tessa are just nicely barred, pretty hens, good layers and Lizzie did raise chicks very successfully last year. They just are gripey with the most mild-mannered underlings. Lizzie's leg is 100% healed, not even a limp from her. And maybe someone would allow Tessa to brood finally and just wear body armor to check the eggs under her, LOL.

 

[speckledhen]

PS: After 5 years of chicken keeping, I finally decided not to keep any troublemakers. I want a peaceful flock and I hate trying to fix something that just doesn't seem to fix. It really did take me 5 years to decide that. But it's been much happier around here since.

I'd still have the SFH if I hadn't made that decision. That was a hard one.

I want that, too, and I can't tell you how much DH is wanting less of the flock-less hassle, less fighting, less everything. I think he'd be fine without them now entirely. And, to be frank, I'm tired of his being tired of them. He used to have infinite patience with them, but since his back is worse, he just doesn't have it in him to care anymore about keeping them. He loves certain ones, like big old Wynette and Druscilla, who are super sweet and love to be petted by him, and my little D'Anver hens, Aimee and Penny, who would attach themselves to your shoulder for the entire day if you'd let them. And he has a certain satisfaction in fixing Bailey and Betsy's serious bout of crop issues, Lizzie's leg injury, etc, but he'd rather not had them to deal with in the first place.

I have decided that, though I adore my Brahma rooster, if I had to choose, it could not be a Brahma male. The only hens large enough for him are his own and the original Stukel BR hens. Wynette is as large as my largest Brahma hen, B.J. Ida was bigger than Wynette! But, I have no others that large, though Georgie, my Delaware is a chunky gal.

Atlas and Hector are big, but not that big. And I bet I won't have Atlas another two years, just from past experience with the BR roosters. So, if I had to choose one rooster and hens of his own breed, mainly, plus maybe give the boy a few other breeds for variety, it would have to be the BRs or similar size birds.

 

[kitkat5505]

I don’t like bully hens either. My biggest hen is a FBCM and she picks in any of the others that are already having problems, like my leghorn that had the bleeding comb and my EE that was having a hard time laying her egg a few days ago, she chases and grabs neck feathers. When I’m out there and see it I hurry in and give her a little thump and tell her off. I warned her that she would make a good soup if she didn’t behave lol.

 

[1muttsfan]

I'm afraid I would have to murder anyone who pitched my Oneida into the trash

 

[getaclue]

I'm afraid I would have to murder anyone who pitched my Oneida into the trash

It would break my heart more to murder my 2 year old grandchild, than to lose the Oneida. She tries so hard, and is so happy when she thinks she's doing right. Now that I know what's happening, it will be easier for me to do a little more training, monitor the situation better, without resorting to killing anyone.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, you know Mary was just joking. Me, I don't care about any of it. I have a silver service that's worth a good bit, but I've never used it and never will. If I lose enough pieces of my daily Walmart stuff, gives me an excuse to buy another, different set.

I keep meaning to tell you guys that I am perplexed at the amount of oyster shell that Jill and Thea eat. I got a 50# bag and it won't last me two months just because of those two. I have a large rabbit hopper for theirs and they empty the thing every two days. And they're really eating it, not just dumping it onto the floor! They act like it's cocaine or something. Have you ever had hens eat way too much calcium? Jill isn't even laying!

 

[1muttsfan]

that's weird.

My little hen is still getting chased around, but she can squeeze into a lower nest box that I had blocked off, none of the others can get in there. And I saw her up on the roost next to my equible Speckled Sussex hen Freckles. I'll have to keep a close eye on that. We are going to have very cold weather for the next week.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

that's weird.

My little hen is still getting chased around, but she can squeeze into a lower nest box that I had blocked off, none of the others can get in there. And I saw her up on the roost next to my equible Speckled Sussex hen Freckles. I'll have to keep a close eye on that. We are going to have very cold weather for the next week.

It's been freaking freezing here all week. Those lovely -25 degrees wind chills were brutal last Sunday-Tuesday. Today it's been snowing all day. It's the most we have gotten in a long time, around 6 inches, isn't much, but it's something.