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

[speckledhen]

When Tom drove to the next street to get the mail, some guy stopped and introduced himself, said he lived down the street (I don't know anyone here anymore since the changes in the n'hood), name was Dave. He stopped because he has apparently driven up our road and saw our sign that says "Dogs Harassing Livestock MAY BE SHOT!". He says he has a little Australian Shepherd they are trying to train and he occasionally gets out so he was asking us not to shoot his dog, said he would never hurt anything, just loves to herd.
Well, Mr. Dave, I don't want to shoot your dog, but since you know he is getting the best of you and gets out and others may end his life if he gets after their animals, maybe it would be a good time to shore up his containment. And where have we heard that "my dog wouldn't kill anything"? Maybe hundreds of stories right here on BYC, tales of slaughtered flocks and dogs with blood all over them with owners who swear it was not their dog? Geez. No, I don't want to shoot any dog. I love dogs. But, I love my chickens more than any strange dog. I even am considering getting an Aussie, though I hestitate at their super high energy and my fencing really needs a lot of work before it would contain a dog. They are more standoffish than Border Collies, more alert to intruders, which is what I want, as well as super smart. Maybe too smart for me. Apparently, too smart for Mr. Dave.

OH, adding that Maddie is separated from her flock after someone pulled a lot of feathers from her head and she was bleeding, probably Jill, the hussy. Jill is EVIL.

 

[1muttsfan]

Oh Jill, Jill, Jill. Bad girl.

Unfortunately Aussies are beyond the training capacity of many people, even people who have had dogs before. They are great watch dogs, and fabulous partners, but they definitely will run Riot all over you if you are not clear about who calls the shots. my sister's first Aussie was brilliant, and an excellent dog, however at one point I told her the only problem was that he was smarter than both her and her husband (especially him!)

 

[speckledhen]

Oh Jill, Jill, Jill. Bad girl.

Unfortunately Aussies are beyond the training capacity of many people, even people who have had dogs before. They are great watch dogs, and fabulous partners, but they definitely will run Riot all over you if you are not clear about who calls the shots. my sister's first Aussie was brilliant, and an excellent dog, however at one point I told her the only problem was that he was smarter than both her and her husband (especially him!)

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking, really. I may be too old for an Aussie. I grew up with Dobermans. They're great as companions and watch dogs and most people are deathly afraid of them, just by their looks. They can be trained to do well with chickens, very intelligent, but they are very cold-natured so can't really be used as a livestock guardian dog in the true sense.

As for that Jill, I'm now calling her "Jill the Pill". She is mean as a snake. When Maddie squats for Hector, he will either flog her or mount her, but either way, Jill attacks her. Maybe she is just Jealous Jill. She is so different from my poor late Thea. Thea was an angel. Jill has horns .

 

[1muttsfan]

I have to say some of the miniature Aussies are really super nice little dogs.

 

[speckledhen]

I have to say some of the miniature Aussies are really super nice little dogs.

They are, and that is what I would be interested in. There is a YouTube channel about one named Frankie with lots of tips and a look at the personality of those beautiful dogs. The guy's girlfriend also has one and she has a slightly different personality than Frankie (the girl's dog, not the girl, LOL)
Frankie to the Moon

 

[speckledhen]

I see MY shirt. MUST HAVE.

 

[getaclue]

I have never been impressed with Aussies. They're popular, so I've "met" quite a few of them, but they just aren't the dog for me.

 

[getaclue]

I was just reading a thread about a duck in distress. The problem started in July, and finally reached out about it in NOVEMBER. I've seen that before, where people take quite some time to reach out about a problem, or wait until the animal is on it's last leg, then expect miracles.

 

[SweetLittleChicks]

After thinking about this long and hard, I've decided that, though this is technically a breeding thread, bringing to fruition a plan laid out for me by the late, greatly respected breeder and authority Robert Blosl, who we lost all too soon, I will not put this thread in the Exhibition and Breeding to Standard section. Though I know the standard for the Plymouth Rock and I know the standard for my favorite of that variety, the barred, and that is pretty much what I am attempting to do, I admit that I do get a bit "itchy" when folks try to tell me what I must do with my birds. I have traits that I feel are higher in importance for my own flock and some that others feel are important that I don't put as much emphasis on so I have my own standard to satisfy. That being said, here is the story, if you want to read it. If not, just look at the photos, no problem.

I had a nice breeding group of Marvin Stukel line Barred Rocks, still have the hens. I made a decision to give my breeding rooster to a friend for his own, who was subsequently killed by a poisonous snake so that I didn't even have access to his progeny in the future. I was left with three hens and one of his daughters out of one of those hens. As males, I had several sons out of the Stukel hens with my heritage line Delaware rooster, Isaac. I rehomed one as his size was not what I wanted and his personality was not as calm as the others. One in particular was very impressive, not appearing to be a cross at all and absolutely huge. This one my DH named Indy, and he and his single factor barred slightly younger brother, Rex #2, were my chosen keepers, though I had put all my figurative eggs in the "Indy" basket. Wouldn't you know it, though? Indy was killed at about 24 weeks old by his sire, a lucky hit on the back. So, I was left with Rex, named for the original Stukel male, his uncle.

Before Bob Blosl died, he told me the best way to get back to the form, color and the fabulous tail of the original Rex was to cross Indy over his mother and Rex's daughter, Druscilla, who would carry the most of his genes. Since the death of Indy nipped that plan in the bud instantly, I would have to use Rex #2 or hatch more from this line from purchased eggs. Since Dottie suddenly went broody and I couldn't locate the eggs I wanted, I decided to give it a go using Rex.

These chicks are the result of the first hatch from them, my F1 group. No, I didn't toe punch or wing band or in any way ID which chick came from which hen, other than to know that one of the black pullets is from Ida's egg, the last to hatch. These are being broody raised, by Dottie, so obviously hatched under her, making it a tad difficult to know which was which. Two eggs were Dottie's, one was Wynette's, one was Ida's ( I know this was a black pullet, last to hatch) and one was a BR egg but I wasn't sure which hen laid it so could be Druscilla's, the original Rex's daughter with Dottie. Two pullets are solid black due to Rex not carrying the usual two barring genes of a regular BR male. There are two barred pullets and then there is a very promising cockerel I have named Atlas.

To start, they all seemed like pullets. Atlas had, at first glance, the smallest, most defined head spot of all, was very dark, and in my years of experience with BRs, seemed to be the most definite pullet. However, I didn't notice the tiny shadings of frosting on each side of the back of the head that usually indicate male so surprise! I got my possible Indy replacement. As his barring came in, I held my breath as I watched the lines form in sharp precision on the little wings. Now, Atlas and his sisters are 4 weeks old and I decided to follow his progress in this thread.

I'll start with photos of them at about a week old.
Atlas, far left, looking very pullet-like.


The chick at the bottom right corner is Atlas


As they grew-first pic below, Atlas at far right, standing like a cockerel.



His barring was coming in nicely:





And today with his sisters, both barred and black-no question who the male is here now:



one of the barred pullets in front here:

The little guy is much slower to feather than his siblings. His wing tops are still bare.







Here are the black pullets and one of the barred pullets. I will be selling both black pullets as well as one of the barred pullets when Dottie is less enthusiastic about mothering them. If there is a late blooming single barred cockerel in there rather than a pullet, I'll know by the time Dottie lets them go, but by 4 weeks of age, you usually know with these.





If you can get this thing on photobucket to buffer well enough, here is a short clip of Dottie with the chicks today. Crow activity made her alert in the middle of it.

http://s673.photobucket.com/user/Mtnviewpoultry/media/Video Clips/DSCN3242_zps83572e27.mp4.html


The proud papa, Rex.


And some of the mothers of the chicks with my friend who was visiting this weekend (BR hens only). Click to see them better.







This was Indy, if you haven't seen photos of him. I really felt his loss when he was killed, but he had some faults that my current Rex does not have, i.e., the high tail angle, too narrow leg breadth, etc. When Indy was killed at around 24 weeks of age, he was already surpassing his Delaware sire, Isaac, in size.










So, I will be posting progress photos of Atlas as I see if he will bloom into what I hope. Check back if you're interested in watching Atlas grow. There is a story behind the name that my friend Ladyhawk, spoiling my chickens in the photos above, can tell you if she pops in. The name originally belonged to a very brave son of my late Blue Orpington rooster, Suede.

Can uuu plsss talkkk about the Isabelle leghorn chciken evolution

 

[speckledhen]

Can uuu plsss talkkk about the Isabelle leghorn chciken evolution

Sorry, no idea what you're talking about.