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

[speckledhen]

After she was on the road, a friend of hers up there contacted me through Tom's FB page to get my phone number, said it was urgent. She had gone to help Ladyhawk load up the UHaul. She said the husband browbeat her the entire time, followed her around lecturing her (he did all day lectures on a daily basis, got them in debt they didn't need then said it was her fault, etc). This woman said she actually went armed because she thought he was dangerous (he was). If LH had just come down here to live with us when he was ramping up his abuse, she would have been safe. He would not have gotten to her. I also feel the intense cold of Wisconsin in her state of health was a contributing factor to her early death, just another stress on her she didn't need. She waited far too long to leave. LH was an attorney in Florida at one time, a blackbelt way back when, but her body was so frail and her spirit so crushed, she was not the strong woman I originally met all those years ago. I miss her terribly. I have so many great memories of her, her in her PJs surrounded by my chickens getting goodies from her, Suede on her lap eating blueberry muffins she baked for him. I wanted her to meet the new kids here. She would have gotten such a kick out of the bantam Cochin boys.

 

[h2oratt]

Marvin Stukel out of Arizona (not sure he's still alive) has the best Barred Plymouth Rocks in the country as far as I'm concerned. He has what they call a 50 year pure line. An NPIP guy here in GA and a man who has been a breeder for almost as long as I've been alive, William Bennett (Pine Grove on BYC, but not active), got a breeding rooster directly from Marvin. He put him through a lot of testing then sent me hatching eggs in 2011. I got a gorgeous group from him and now, all that's left is my very crippled 11 year old hen, Dru, who is the daughter of the original male and one of the hens. Here are some photos of them. They were perfection. Atlas is son of the largest hen of that group, Ida, and grandson of my late Delaware rooster, Isaac, the latter the reason his barring is not crisp like these. Atlas is 3/4 Stukel Rock and 1/4 Delaware because his sire is Isaac's son with that pure Stukel hen. Confused yet?
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The barring is exquisite

 

[h2oratt]

After she was on the road, a friend of hers up there contacted me through Tom's FB page to get my phone number, said it was urgent. She had gone to help Ladyhawk load up the UHaul. She said the husband browbeat her the entire time, followed her around lecturing her (he did all day lectures on a daily basis, got them in debt they didn't need then said it was her fault, etc). This woman said she actually went armed because she thought he was dangerous (he was). If LH had just come down here to live with us when he was ramping up his abuse, she would have been safe. He would not have gotten to her. I also feel the intense cold of Wisconsin in her state of health was a contributing factor to her early death, just another stress on her she didn't need. She waited far too long to leave. LH was an attorney in Florida at one time, a blackbelt way back when, but her body was so frail and her spirit so crushed, she was not the strong woman I originally met all those years ago. I miss her terribly. I have so many great memories of her, her in her PJs surrounded by my chickens getting goodies from her, Suede on her lap eating blueberry muffins she baked for him. I wanted her to meet the new kids here. She would have gotten such a kick out of the bantam Cochin boys.

Ladyhawk, what a beautiful name.

 

[speckledhen]

My 10 yr old Belgian D'Anver hen is now crowing since her dad passed away. And it's a good one, too. I don't expect it to continue, though. Seems when their guy passes, they may belt a few out and then stop. Dusty did that when Suede died.
I keep finding my Easter Egger hen, Ripley, in the Brahma pen trying to use their nests, sometimes on top of Dru's wall cage. When her group is out, she flies to the top of the wall and apparently, across to the Brahmas' roost and back over to the nest which is directly under the wall. So far, they have not attacked her, but I have no idea what they'd do if she decided to mill around on the floor with them. I'm sure Bash would like her, but she's a typical lean-bodied EE hen and he's probably 12-13 lbs of gorgeous Brahma man.
Ripley is aptly named, a true adventurer. I may have to make her a nest like the Brahmas have, up higher, maybe in the adjoining pen (we opened up a space so they could use that last smaller pen as well and it has no nest other than a stackable plastic thing we put on the floor). I do have one in the old bantam coop that isn't being used so I could move that over to the main barn. She likes her high-wire acts and other strange places....anywhere but her own nests in her own pen. When she goes to Atlas's pen on the wall cage, he looks completely put out and miffed about it. He doesn't like crazy women at all. He and Hector are alike that way.

 

[getaclue]

Wasn't Ripley one of the first to venture out from her own area quite awhile back?

 

[seminolewind]

Cyn, your Stukel birds are awesome! My projects never get that far, LOL. Their barring is stunning- are they THE BPR , with the fine bars, or an off shoot?

I'm sorry about the loss of Cetawin. I remember all the writings about you and Cetawin's friendship. It's such a shame when you offer someone all kinds of help and they just don't take it and go on their way. I feel that way about my alchoholic sister.

 

[seminolewind]

I adore you, Karen. I'm glad that all my "adventures" gave you some fun times as well.

It was a long time ago when you were one of the few posting at the time there an amount of posts that I could read all of them in one sitting! And you were the main poster, and interesting, and I think you played an important role in getting the early days of BYC going.

 

[seminolewind]

I have spent the last 3 days pulling weeds, amending the soil, and planting vegetables. I actually had a pile of manure that had turned into black dirt and used it all up. Keeps the ground soft.

How do others deal with hard clay or sand? My clay dirt is so bad I can't bury a chicken. I have to use my battery post hole digger and dig a 2 foot down 8 inch wide hole and use that for a grave. My gardens are all raised. My daughter tells me that she uses an ax to break up the ground, but she has switched to raised gardens.

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, yes, Ripley was always the adventurer, from a week old or so. I named her in the brooder when she was first to run to the front for attention. Yep, she's a brave girl...and an annoying one!

Cyn, your Stukel birds are awesome! My projects never get that far, LOL. Their barring is stunning- are they THE BPR , with the fine bars, or an off shoot?

They are the real deal, best in the country and super hard to find.

 

[getaclue]

seminolewind, When my parents moved to KY, their soil was NOTHING like what they were used to dealing with down here. They too had that clay. In rainy season it was muck. In dry season it was hard, almost like cement. My mother did raised beds for everything up there. It was easier, and cheaper to do the beds, than to try to make the clay workable.