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

[getaclue]

Is there a way to plant an area further away from your house with some things that the deer like, so they'll leave your flowers alone? Like a butterfly garden, but a deer garden?

 

[speckledhen]

Is there a way to plant an area further away from your house with some things that the deer like, so they'll leave your flowers alone? Like a butterfly garden, but a deer garden?

No. It doesn't matter. They have stuff everywhere here, an entire pasture of grasses and stuff that grows from our scratch mix from the coop shavings we toss out there to fertilize the pasture grasses. They come right to the house, around our vehicles and eat whatever they like. It's a wonder they're not up on the deck looking in the windows, LOL. Some have probably come here for years, one doe so tame she just looks at me when I talk to her. So, unless I have a dog to chase them off, there's no way to keep them away unless I can surround my entire main 2 1/4 ac with an 8-9 ft fence. The main time they eat stuff around the house is when everything is not green out there in winter so by spring, nothing is left to bloom unless it's over their heads like some of my native rhododendron.

 

[1muttsfan]

Cheryl I have the same frustration when people want to know how to eliminate predators around their property so that they can allow their chickens to live happy and free, ranging as they please. My comment is invariably that there is ALWAYS another predator, no matter how many you kill, and free ranging birds will inevitably eventually be attacked if left unattended. And that nothing secures them as well as a sturdy coop and run.

And anyway, why live in the country is you don't want to be around Wildlife instead of City Life?

 

[getaclue]

I totally understand. Wildlife is important, and interesting, but you don't toss domesticated fowl into the mix, expecting nothing to happen.

 

[speckledhen]

Absolutely, free ranging is a huge risk. If I had a fox or coyote pack beginning to pick off my birds, you can bet they'd be in the barn pen for the foreseeable future until and unless I got an LGD of some sort. How many times have we heard people ask how to deter some animal, like a fox? And they keep allowing the birds out on range while they're picked off one by one. I have free ranged my birds ever since I had them, however, there were always pens attached to their buildings for when I did not feel it was safe for them to be out there. I don't get the ones who allow 100% full time free range with no pens to secure them at all.

For every predator you kill, there are a hundred more behind it to take its place. Now, as far as domestic dogs, I have less tolerance for them than wildlife who are just trying to survive, but really, it's zero tolerance for the dog owners more than the dogs themselves. You just can't shoot the owner, unfortunately, as tempting as that would be.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, I keep forgetting to tell you that ever since I sold Lizzie and Tessa, peace had reigned in that pen! Even with Maretta moving back in there and the transition back to flock life, it has been so much nicer in there! They were so disruptive! Of course, I got rid of two good layers as well, but them being three years old, they would have soon been less consistent in that department anyway.

I love my Brahmas so much, I swear, I almost wish Hector had been terrible meanie! J/K, but it makes it harder because now I care about him too much to just turn him over to someone else for a less cushy life! And I adore Bash, both of us do! He is such an easy keeper! Yes, the Brahmas eat a bit more than the rest, but if I didn't have so many non-layers, it would not be as much of an issue, I think.

I did get the Showtime Gamecock Conditioner feed to try. It has some black, skinny pellets in there that they eat last, mainly because they are pretty long, is what I think. If I break them into smaller pieces, they eat them better. But the feed as a whole has a smell like fennel, or that's what my nose is telling me it smells like, sort of like licorice, and it seems to be coming from those pellets. What would that smell be? The kelp? The dillstillers grains? the alfalfa? I'm not sure which ingredient that would be. It's a nice smelling feed, lots of peas and small popcorn rather than the super large kernels, plus other grains and BOSS.

 

[kitkat5505]

Spring is trying to come here, but winter keeps poking her head back in. Got a dusting of snow yesterday and now it’s supposed to be 50-60s the rest of the week. Our bulbs are popping up in the garden, reminding me that I need to get spring pruning started soon for some trees and bushes.

Is Rowena still hanging in there? My hen that I thought for sure was a goner last week is doing amazing. I still am not sure exactly what’s up with her, but most likely a reproductive issue that’ll land her back in my bathroom again. I’ve got her on antibiotics right now and that’s seeming to help, so possibly an internal infection. I thought she just had vent gleet but the treatments for that weren’t doing much. Ever since starting antibiotics though things have cleared up a lot. She’s very anxious to get out of my bathroom. Probably will put her back outside today after the sun warms things up more. I’ll have to keep an eye on her to make sure my bully hens don’t pick on her too much from being gone.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

No. It doesn't matter. They have stuff everywhere here, an entire pasture of grasses and stuff that grows from our scratch mix from the coop shavings we toss out there to fertilize the pasture grasses. They come right to the house, around our vehicles and eat whatever they like. It's a wonder they're not up on the deck looking in the windows, LOL. Some have probably come here for years, one doe so tame she just looks at me when I talk to her. So, unless I have a dog to chase them off, there's no way to keep them away unless I can surround my entire main 2 1/4 ac with an 8-9 ft fence. The main time they eat stuff around the house is when everything is not green out there in winter so by spring, nothing is left to bloom unless it's over their heads like some of my native rhododendron.

Dogs don't even work here anymore. The deer know the dogs aren't out all night.

 

[speckledhen]

Ro is on her last legs. She is peacefully napping in the hospital cage, very warm under the reptile bulb. She is finally refusing all food/water and doesn't want to be touched, either, so I'm going to let her go peacefully in her warm spot surrounded by the sounds of her people.

Still no Brahma broody. At this point, I'm close to starting the incubator. I don't need more birds now, however, unless I hatch from Jill when I have her eggs, I may miss my chance entirely. And Hector may like Brahma pullets, too, so I could maybe give him a daughter of his as well as a Brahma gal. Maybe he likes the exotic, LOL. I can't breed from Atlas or his progeny so unless I take advantage of Jill's eggs when I have them, my Rocks will be slated for extinction. I have five or six eggs of Jill's right now. It's easier to tell hers from Thea's now that I've seen quite a few of them. I can't wait too long or the weather will turn cold again before they have good size on them.

Plus, it's a surefire way to get a broody....start the incubator, LOL.

 

[1muttsfan]

I'm going to start setting eggs aside for a ''bater run of Arkansas Blues. My only quandary would be my last CL hen, whose eggs are close in color, but slightly green. So if I leave those out I should be all right. I may throw in a few Delaware eggs as well, the cross hen I have from last year is a great layer of light Olive green eggs.
Saw this today from FB - so cute!