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

[getaclue]

Beautiful quilt.

 

[seminolewind]

My Barred Holland chicks are quite friendly too. They are now 3 weeks old, and I need to start culling the boys out

What are barred Hollands?

 

[Pyxis]

No suggestions on your weird hen. I have Tiny and I never could figure her out. She loves attention, is like a baby with me and on occasion will let Tom hold her, but she will also bite and flog him for no apparent reason. She's 9 years old, amazingly. I say "amazingly" because she's attacked his face a few times and literally been tossed across the room for it.
Beautiful quilt. I'm working on this one now and you may recognize some of the fabrics in it, Karen.View attachment 1850598

Gorgeous quilt!

 

[seminolewind]

No suggestions on your weird hen. I have Tiny and I never could figure her out. She loves attention, is like a baby with me and on occasion will let Tom hold her, but she will also bite and flog him for no apparent reason. She's 9 years old, amazingly. I say "amazingly" because she's attacked his face a few times and literally been tossed across the room for it.
Beautiful quilt. I'm working on this one now and you may recognize some of the fabrics in it, Karen.View attachment 1850598

THAT is a beautiful pattern! Nice color choice! Beautiful! I wish I had it in me right now to quilt. Maybe in the future. Your talent really comes out and shows what you do! Glad the material came in handy. I just couldn't see when I would use it and wanted to find it a good home, LOL

My Mother had that quilt in the picture. Of course it lived in the closet for years. Finally the situation was right for me to "finaygle" it back. I had made them a king sized quilt that took months and good material. I had to have someone "quilt" it because it was so big. Of course that one too lived in a closet while Mom bought store "quilted" quilts for her bed. I managed to "finaygle" that back too. And to think these two items were over 15 years old and not used more than 3 days! I think people don't understand what goes into a quilt unless they quilt or live with a quilter. It's a lot of work, detail, expense, heart and soul that goes into a quilt- many don't understand that they should be cherished And used.

 

[seminolewind]

Tiny sounds a bit psychotic too, LOL. I caught mine offering her head pin feathers thru the fence and let some hen try to pull them out. She sure went thru gyrations to let someone pick her feathers. My next experiment will be people hair gel.

Meanwhile, my blind girl spent some time in my lap but managed to snuggle herself up under my chin. Whatever makes her happy. And the silkie hen that's been with her for 6 months no problems had decided to attack her today. I wonder what that's all about.

I really do think she knows exactly who I am, probably now by voice. Me and her have been together for over 11 years. I dread the day she goes. She was in the group of sweet birds that Valerie was in.

 

[seminolewind]

Today was another hot one, they got cold watermelon, and one silkie hen got dunked and my speckled Sussex for the first time needed a dunking as well.

Tonight my daughter came over for dinner and after we went back to the chickens and she just can't get over how some of them like her and jump on her or peck her shoe til she picks them up. She even got some chicken poop on her and didn't complain! She is becoming a real chicken person!

 

[speckledhen]

And the silkie hen that's been with her for 6 months no problems had decided to attack her today. I wonder what that's all about.

I really do think she knows exactly who I am, probably now by voice. Me and her have been together for over 11 years. I dread the day she goes. She was in the group of sweet birds that Valerie was in.

Seems like when hens attack those they never have before, they know something is wrong with them. When one of my Poufy Head Sisters had a stroke, my Buff Orp hen, Sunny, was at the feeder, looked closely into her eye, then attacked her. They'd always gotten along. I was trying to assess what was wrong with Tux at the time, had placed her next to the feeder to see if she would eat. She stared off into space, drooped on one side, etc. I separated her that night and she passed overnight.

I think they know us by our voices and the way we walk, too. Tiny can barely see, too. If I put a bowl in front of her, she acts like it isn't there, until I tap my finger into it and then she will peck at whatever is in there. She's not completely blind, but has had bad sight since her hatch.

 

[speckledhen]

My 8 yr old Belgian D'Anver rooster, Aubrey, the one with the heart issue, had a spur trim this morning. I'd put it off for a long time because he's a high stress little guy and every time he is the least bit stressed, even when he dustbathes, he turns dark purple, almost black, in the face and comb. I actually thought he might pass away before I had to cut those daggers off for him, but his spurs were about 4" long, in a a perfect arc out and downward and he was having trouble walking on uneven ground. It was take a chance and have him die in my arms, but we had to do something. So, I got him before they went outside, he was breathing audibly, so hard, poor little man, turned very dark. I wrapped him in a damp kitchen towel to keep him cool and we used the Dremel really quickly, cut them in half. It was quick since they are not very thick. And he lived, amazingly! He need his dragon feet scrubbed with a toothbrush in oil, but that would take longer and he may not live through it. He has the worst looking feet of any bird I've ever had, but I used to scrub his legs all the time, dip them in oil, even put Invermectin on them and he doesn't have leg mites. You'd think that by 8 years old, he would have figured out that I won't hurt him, but he's dumb as a box of rocks.

Next was big Bash. His stiletto-like spur were about 3" long and were less curved than Aubrey, but they were clacking together and I had to do his as well. He's easier, though he's a real armload. The diameter of his spurs is actually less than tiny Aubrey's! Crazy. Atlas's spurs are as thick as my ring finger. It takes a lot to get through his.

 

[1muttsfan]

Hollands are an American breed from back in the 1940's. They look a lot like a Barred Rock, but are not quite as solid. They are barred, although the barring does not appear to be quiet as crisp as on the Rocks - we'll have to see as they mature. They are quite friendly and calm. They lay a medium to large white egg. Originally there was a white version, but I think those are extinct.

 

[seminolewind]

Today the temp was normal!!!! I couldn't take anymore heatwave. My chickens had had enough.
Well my Psycho had all her pin feathers, then 10 minutes later she's missing 3! She's been sticking her head thru the fence and letting this other hen rip her feathers out. I spent some time doubling up the fencing so there's a space in between. So I am pretty sure that the speckled hen is the culprit.

Talk about spurs. I think my Princess polish's physique is close to show standard, however she's always had big long spurs. I had to shorten them too last week, along with her toenails, and upper beak. Gotta keep her pretty!