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

[getaclue]

h2, I've had to wait too. Complaining to management, over time, does help.

 

[speckledhen]

Georgie is snoozing under a reptile bulb on the coke crate nest where she and June sleep side by side, with Emily snuggled behind them. Her comb is black as she is coming to the end, but she still responds to our voices. She would have been 12 next month. Super long life for a big chunky Delaware gal, I think.


On a brighter note, you probably saw this, but it's a perfect example of the "just because you're paranoid does not mean they aren't out to get you".

 

[1muttsfan]

Sad news, but funny cartoon

 

[speckledhen]

Well, my last Delaware passed away early hours of the 29th. Georgie went on to that Great Roost in the Sky peacefully, didn't even flap, just quit breathing. Emily and June kept watch over her protectively and she was always surrounded by her peeps. Seems odd not to have a Delaware after all these years. She would be 12 in two weeks or so, so she lived a good, long 12 years. She had that stroke, or it presented that way and recovered, about two years ago. I did not open up the crop to look the mass that was inside it, but I'm positive it was a tumor, could have been benign since she had it for so long and it did not seem to bother her much.

 

[1muttsfan]

RIP sweet Georgie! She had a long and happy life

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks, Mary.

Athena and Emily are both blowing all their feathers now. Crazy time for that, I think. We're expecting possible single digits by this weekend for at least one night.

 

[getaclue]

Wow. Yes, it's a crazy time of year for them to blow their feathers. They're going to need some heat to warm their featherless selves.

 

[1muttsfan]

Somebody on the Michigan thread has a few birds molting right now - very poor timing.

 

[speckledhen]

There are two ceramic bulbs in the pen with Emily and June, one over where they sleep and one over the main floor area. There are two in Hector's, one hooked to the fence divider up high between that pen and the bantams' pen pointed sort of toward Hector (he insists on sleeping up there, not on the roost and his leg is always hurting him) and one centered over the big main roost. Athena would have to sit herself directly under it to feel any heat. I can't add much more wattage (there are others with Atlas and with Snow, etc) or I may melt my extension cord-that happened once and we replaced it with a new one. It is plugged into the outlet on the house porch and runs all the lights and water defrosters in the barn. The bantams have a 250W since they are so tiny and so old. At least the barn keeps them out of the wind so I hope that is enough for poor Athena.
Maddie spends some time with Hector, but she insists on sleeping in Emily's old pen so I have one ceramic bulb in there over the roost. Almost all her neck feathers are gone from Jill yanking them out. Jill the Pill, she is a mean witch, that one. It's generally at least 10-15* warmer in the barn than outside. When I think of poor chickens huddled out in dog kennel-type pens with no true shelter, it makes me so angry and also, makes me wish mine knew how good they have it. But, they deserve it and most are so old, have to make concessions for the elderly.

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for your loss.