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

[speckledhen]

I just tell my experiences, that's all. And of course, I'm a researcher at heart. Most just want someone else to tell them what's wrong and what to do about it and usually, they are asking the wrong people. If I'm stumped, I know a few folks I can ask for input, maybe to suggest something that has not crossed my mind. It's possible to be too close to a situation and we can't know everything, of course. I wish people would not jump to the worst case scenario every single time.

 

[getaclue]

I agree, especially about jumping to the worst case scenario. It's as bad as searching google about a hangnail, and in 3 clicks, it's cancer. Same mentality.

 

[speckledhen]

I may have mentioned that my husband adored our sweet Penny, the Belgian D'Anver hen we recently lost. He just came to me to show me his cowboy hat. The feather on the far left? That belonged to our Pocket Penny. He must have saved it when he laid her to rest.

 

[1muttsfan]

Sweet Tom

 

[getaclue]

It looks nicer than the feathers that came on the hat. I agree with 1mutt. Sweet Tom.

 

[speckledhen]

I had to break up a rooster fight just now. Atlas had been out with Druscilla and Gloria Jean for an hour or more, went to put them inside (I hate short days). I carried Dru inside because of her stiffening hock joint, which soon may render her completely crippled like our late Amanda was, and had turned back into the aisle to go get Atlas when I saw, to my horror, the Brahmas pen door flung open and Bash and his hens running out the door, straight into Atlas, yikes!

So, when I got there, I grabbed for whoever was closest, missed and it was a blur of black-and-white-blue-and-orange feathers in a ball bouncing off the ground. I'm not even sure who was winning, but I think I saw Atlas crouched down with Bash on top for a split second before I finally was able to grab an armload of raging Bash and throw him back into his pen.
Then, I grabbed Brandy out of the way of Druscilla, who is always ready to rumble even with her arthritis, threw her in her own pen, and went to get Atlas, who was cozying up to confused B.J. Now, what if Bash had figured out his pen door wasn't secure when Atlas was out with his two hens and we were in the house unawares? I shudder to think what scene I would have come upon.

ARGH! That is the first time I have ever seen Bash actually fight with anyone. The last time he was with any other males was his own brothers and Hector and he was running for his life at that time.

 

[1muttsfan]

Sounds like it's a good thing no one got hurt, including you

 

[speckledhen]

Sounds like it's a good thing no one got hurt, including you

You know, no matter which of my roosters was fighting, I never had any issues with them turning on me in the heat of the moment. I'm sure one could accidentally bite me, but this is yet another reason to have non-human aggressive males. Atlas will fight with anyone, I know that for sure. Bash, I wasn't sure of until today. He never postures at the cracks in the pen doors like Atlas and Hector do and he never did fuss at the fence with Spike the way Atlas always did. But, of course, his hens just ran toward another male and he was ready to do some damage to old Atlas.

 

[h2oratt]

I may have mentioned that my husband adored our sweet Penny, the Belgian D'Anver hen we recently lost. He just came to me to show me his cowboy hat. The feather on the far left? That belonged to our Pocket Penny. He must have saved it when he laid her to rest.

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What a wonderful tribute.

 

[getaclue]

So glad no one was harmed in the scuffle. Maybe a new latch is in order.