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

[Leahs Mom]

I hope so. I feel guilty, but that witch Tessa really pushed me over the edge today. She was perched on the front of a nest box as I was leaving their pen. I reached out and stroked down her back, said her name and she reached back and bit me for no reason. If you look at her too long and she thinks you're going to reach for her, you can see her hackles begin to rise. I swear, we don't need another TINY! Liz is not that bad with us, just standoffish, but she is a terrible bully. And with them gone, at least when Maretta comes back from her broody period, she will have less issues to deal with getting accepted back into the group.

I had one German line SFH that was like you describe. She would bite any time I was near enough for her to reach me. She'd hackle up like a rooster. Good thing was that she was a rather small lady and I could pick her right up to avoid it.

She went to a new home around a year old and that was a relief. Her sister (a Swedish line SFH) went with her. New owners seem to adore them!

 

[speckledhen]

I had one German line SFH that was like you describe. She would bite any time I was near enough for her to reach me. She'd hackle up like a rooster. Good thing was that she was a rather small lady and I could pick her right up to avoid it.

She went to a new home around a year old and that was a relief. Her sister (a Swedish line SFH) went with her. New owners seem to adore them!

Sounds exactly like Tessa. I can sometimes just grab her up so she doesn't have a chance to think about being a meanie, but that girl, I swear! She and Lizzie have added too much stress. I'd throw them in with Atlas, who likes them both pretty well, but they beat up poor MaryJo, once again the bully thing.

 

[1muttsfan]

They will do fine, probably even thrive. No need for any more guilt than when you sell chicks. Your home was just not the right one for them.

 

[speckledhen]

They will do fine, probably even thrive. No need for any more guilt than when you sell chicks. Your home was just not the right one for them.

Yes, you're right, but I always say about my jerky little Belgian D'Anver rooster, Aubrey, "He's a jerk, but he's my little jerk, hatched and raised here and he'll die here". I don't sell adult birds, I just don't, but these girls have been a royal pain in the last few months. I spent so long trying to heal Lizzie's injury and succeeded, only to sell her.
I hope they do well. I know the lady takes good care of her birds, or seems to. She laughed when I kept saying that Tessa bites for no reason. She said she has a biter, too, so not put off by that. I think she hopes they'll brood chicks for her Marans she has, who are not generally broody much. Anyway, she's coming tomorrow to get them and the Brahma eggs.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I do know what you are feeling. It can be harder to move along birds you have known long enough to know their personalities, as opposed to chicks or eggs.

 

[speckledhen]

I do know what you are feeling. It can be harder to move along birds you have known long enough to know their personalities, as opposed to chicks or eggs.

That's pretty much it. And I also empathize. I mean, what will they think? Will they be scared? Will they like their new life? I put myself in their places all the time and that's why I never sell adult birds. I'm sorry, but I have to say that I love my birds. Yes, I know, stupid sentiment and not a good breeder attitude, but I do, I admit it...even these girls that give me so much trouble every day. That's why this thread started out with the title it had, saying I didn't have the heart of a breeder. I have the heart of a pet owner and chicken lover. I love some of these birds as much as any dog I've ever had, I can't help it. That's why I see things in them that some just don't see, the dignity they have and their affection for each other. I don't know what Alice or Neela will do when the other one dies. Those two sisters are like blue bookends, never apart. I'll grieve right along with whichever is left. They are special hens. Gypsy is special. June is special. They're all special in their own ways. Though Lizzie was never Miss Hold-me-Love-me, we put a lot of time and effort into healing her injury. That's what we do, we can't help it. My husband is more soft-hearted than even I am.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I think about the same thing, that's why I choose to butcher any I can't keep or those not working out. I end up thinking about them forever. It's a brave choice to decide to give them a chance elsewhere. They will hopefully settle in quickly, and enjoy the rest of their days.

I'm currently deciding about whether to remove a few of my rabbits that aren't working out for me. I don't take these decisions lightly, and I don't think you do either. Thankfully you know the lady taking them. In the end you must do what is best for you and your birds, but it's easier said than done.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I just emailed the folks that took my biter that I wrote about earlier to see if she and her sister are still living. They are and doing well. I'm like you - hate to give up an adult bird and I do feel like I'm betraying them somehow. But at least I have a good place for them to go. And after they're gone - after about a week - I'm usually relieved and wonder why I didn't do it earlier.

 

[speckledhen]

Crazy thing, I got the lady who is coming today mixed up with another lady who has a similar name and also bought a BR male from me. They both have "Hill" in their names, both bought birds from me. The one coming today is Rebecca Hill Lawson and the other is Kim Wheeler Hill. Ack! My brain, I swear. Wonder if either are related to my adoptive mother, whose maiden name was Hill. I sent a message to the wrong one saying, so you think you want these girls? Then, I had to send her a another one saying she must have thought I was nuts, that I confused her with the other "Hill". Both very nice ladies.

I remember that Kim's husband was not all that thrilled when he saw that Romeo was not as large as the other male who was already sold, I think to Rebecca who came the same day, but looked to me like he got pretty big in the end, as I told him he would. There's usually a moose in the group. The two males out of MaryJo are slightly different in size and one still is not feathered out.
Here is Rebecca's boy she got previously. I wasn't sure if he was Hector's or Atlas's as I recall, but the tail set and the barring, even the comb, looks more like Hector to me:
Mary @1muttsfan what do you think? He looks nothing like Apollo, who is representative of the males I get out of Atlas.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

He's gorgeous, but he looks nothing like your current boys to me. He looks foreign. Weird, I got to know your boys through their photos so it's strange to see a different rooster.

That is crazy the ladies have such similar names. I would be mixed up too.