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

[seminolewind]

Thank you. I'm very honored.

Congrats! How nice!

 

[seminolewind]

Sorry to hear about your unwell birds Cynthia. I have a bunch still slowly molting. It's been so cold here already. Down into the single digits. Crazy November here. Fall is always the most stressful season on my birds.

I remember back when you were a moderator. I only read on this site back than. The rough crowd scared me too much to actually join.

I remember her as a moderator when you could come home after work and read every single post! It was simple back then.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

BYC is a huge site now.

 

[speckledhen]

Good news: Wynette, my only original Stukel Rock hen, laid an egg yesterday, first time in probably a year. She is 8 years old.

Possible sad news: Panda, Gypsy's half sister (BR Zane x blue Ameraucana Charlotte), was in the nest box today. Emily, my black Rock, was really upset about it, Tom said. She was carrying on like crazy watching Panda in there. Panda has arthritis in her spine so her neck is like an "s" and she limps badly. Just before Gypsy passed away, she kept going into the bottom nest to sit, though she had not laid eggs in years. So, I suspect Panda may leave us soon. She is the sweetest hen and the last of three sisters out of my late blue Ameraucana, Charlotte. I think Panda would be 12 in the spring if she made it that far, but I don't think she will.

Same-old-stuff news: two hens who went through hard molts have sluggish crops. My originals never had that happen that I recall. Thea, Hector's hen, and Bailey, one of Bash's girls, both have crops that are not fully emptying and have to have daily massage.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How have you been Cynthia? You are running a chicken retirement home. An egg at 8 years is amazing.

 

[speckledhen]

An egg at 8? Tiny laid an egg yesterday and she'll be 10 in February. Amanda was laying last April. She'll be 13 in March! Yeah, retirement home is right.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's so amazing. I never see an egg after around 6-7 years of age. You birds also live much longer than mine.

 

[speckledhen]

I just came in from the barn. Tiny laid another egg today. That may have been why Panda was in the nest, laying on Tiny's warm egg. Panda hasn't laid in maybe 5-6 years herself. She was broody only once and raised one of Suede's sons.

 

[getaclue]

speckled, didn't those two do the same thing last year with sluggish crops? I think it was about the same time of year, too. I remember you worked hard at massaging them, to get them back up, and running again.

 

[speckledhen]

speckled, didn't those two do the same thing last year with sluggish crops? I think it was about the same time of year, too. I remember you worked hard at massaging them, to get them back up, and running again.

Yeah, but I don't recall if it was Thea or Jill. But the Brahmas always seem to have some issue with their crops during molt. Georgie's entire group is fine, the small super old group with Panda is fine, etc. They are all on the same feed, too, completely consistent. Who knows? When that starts, I pull back on the 13 grain scratch mix.