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

[speckledhen]

I wondered if they may be seeing anything outside. Is there a window/windows? Possibly a hawk out there?

Hector's group, the bantams, Georgie's group, Bash and Gypsy's group are all in the pens with windows, but they are up overhead and pretty dusty. Atlas is in the only pen without a window in it, but his is between Hector's and Gypsy's so he has plenty of airflow. I know they can see something fly up in the air as it goes past, but they see that all the time. Hector does his weird rolling growl-scream-alarm thing when he sees a hawk fly, but no one panics, not at all. It's just normal daily stuff to see hawks, crows and vultures sail overhead.

 

[casportpony]

Yep, her shed is bigger than my so-called barn! I want real barns like on my grandfather's farm, seen in these old photos. He had several, plus equipment sheds, well house, smoke house, etc, etc. Lots of buildings on old farms. This one where my horse is had a hay loft where we always looked for the new kittens, same one as in the second picture.
View attachment 1149828 View attachment 1149829
This one was the cattle barn. To the right was the pig shed and pen. View attachment 1149830



And I found a picture of my pony and one of her foals. Those are about the only real memories I have of my childhood, ponies and playing outside in the neighborhood with older kids. This wasn't at the farm, but in our suburban backyard. Oooh, see the nosy neighbor! I never noticed that.
View attachment 1149833

One of her last foals before Dad sold her. Gosh, my dad built that blue horse trailer in the background. When they were little, we'd take the foals in the back of the sedan, just took out the back seat and rolled down the window, LOL.

View attachment 1149834

Great pictures!

 

[speckledhen]

Great pictures!

Thanks. I am lucky to have those memories.

 

[casportpony]

Thanks. I am lucky to have those memories.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks for sharing.

Glad to see you check in, Kathy. Been awhile! Hope all's well with you!

 

[speckledhen]

Apparently, my younger son has a strange sense of humor. Michael posted about a movie he loves being on when he got home from the gym. His brother is quick with the comebacks, LOL.

• 
  

  Michael Bacon
  16 hrs ·
  How can this night get any better? Get home from the gym and Bloodsport on! Yeah me!
  
  Comments
  

  • 
    Christian Matthews Please tell me you mean the movie and not your leg!

  
  

 

[getaclue]

Love the pics, speckled. In light of recent events, the comment is comical.
Dd is studying microbiology as an elective at the college. She loves it. We've spent several night, preparing slides of various things, and looking at them under the microscope. Yes, before she's done, we will be doing our own fecals. I do need to get a centrifuge, and a few other things, but by the time she learns about it in class, we will be ready. From then on, we can do our own fecals. YAY!

The weather channel said it was going down to 46 last night, but all the local weather stations say it dropped down to 36. The chickens seem to have done fine, but had I known, I would have done more to insulate them a little better.

 

[speckledhen]

Here we are. Just take a look at that drop from Saturday to Sunday. Geez. At first they predicted 11* and that is in town, not at my house, 400 ft higher so hard to say, but it will be cold enough. We usually have a day or two in the single digits, every few years a day at 0*, not nearly the nasty stuff we got in Ohio, the worst weather of anywhere we ever lived, but enough to worry about my oldsters. I never want to live where it's -25* or worse, plus ice, plus snow ever again.
Thea is molting very late, after everyone else is finished, and suddenly, her comb looked purplish last night. Her crop was big and seemed hard on the roost when I checked her (she looked like she didn't feel well), but I waited until today to recheck because she's been known to gorge herself and it be gone in the morning. And lo and behold, her crop is sluggish, so she is separated in the hospital cage with yogurt laced with non-stimulant stool softener and her own ceramic heat bulb. Poor sweet Thea. I think she quit eating her regular food and was only eating scratch grains the one time a day the group got some. Those little grains always cause an issue if there is already something going on in the crop. Always something.

 

[1muttsfan]

You don't actually need a centrifuge to do fecals, these work pretty good
https://www.petsupplies.com/item/fe...MIo6nS-aH13wIVWMDICh24WgDiEAQYAiABEgKLpfD_BwE

 

[getaclue]

I will get the centrifuge....