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

[speckledhen]

She adored him. He was the only one that could really calm her down when she became frustrated by her inability to control her leg, get her to stay still long enough to eat her food and drink, so when I called for him and he knew she was dying, he took her from the cage and sat with her outside holding her close to him where she could hear his heartbeat. She was always loved and I was about to tell him that no matter how hard it was, we had to euthanize her. She was so darn strong, though, very healthy other than her joint issues. If she wanted to flap her wings, you could barely hold them down. She was very weak the day before, didn't even try to move much so I knew it was close. I was actually surprised when she was alive the next day so I dug a hole for her and before I got it completed (hit sandstone, our curse here on the mountain), I was going to ask my husband if he could make it deeper so that's why I went back into the barn to wait for him, did some chores in the back and heard her flap. I knew it wasn't just her trying to maneuver around her cage this time because she had been too weak the day before she died to even flap to shift her position in the cage. I would usually put her on the floor with Mina during the day, but day before yesterday, I told my husband she was better off not being moved around.
Dru shared a wall cage with Mina at night and I'm sort of glad she didn't leave us during the night and freak out poor Mina. I don't expect Mina to live much longer, either, because of the seizure she had a couple of weeks ago and again, she is also 12 years old.
People are always impressed with the ages of my birds, but there is a downside to it. Of course, most don't produce to any degree once they pass 10 years old, some quit sooner than others, but this arthritic joint issue that some develop can be hard to deal with, for them and for us who care for them. Old age is old age in any species.

 

[speckledhen]

I found that there is a BYC member who is about an hour west of me and breeds quality Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds so I shot him a message asking about their lineage. If I could get hatching eggs sometime in the future, that would be awesome. His screen name is sgribble (Steven Gribble). I could also contact William Bennett (Pine Grove here) and see if he still has the Stukel BRs, but he is in the bottom of the state and I'm at the very top. Going back to my first love I think would be satisfying.

 

[getaclue]

See if Pine Grove will send hatching eggs. Hold them at the Post Office, so they don't travel down dirt driveways before they get to you, and are scrambled.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm not ready yet, Cheryl, but I will. My old carrier would even call me when he had hatching eggs to ask if I wanted to pick them up. This bunch doesn't care at all. I'd have to ask that he designate them to hold them for pickup, I guess.
I have heard nothing about William in years so I'll have to see if he is still on the NPIP tester list for Ga and if he even still has them.

 

[speckledhen]

I found that getting the Stukel Rocks from William is no longer possible. A post just two years after he sent me the hatching eggs, by Steven Gribble, no less, says William gave up all his birds ten years ago. Darn it. I wonder if any other breeder has those Stukel Rocks in my area. Not sure what Mr. Gribble has because he hasn't gotten back to me yet from my message here.

 

[getaclue]

If you sold any of yours to people that are close by, that might be worth a shot contacting them too.

 

[speckledhen]

If you sold any of yours to people that are close by, that might be worth a shot contacting them too.

I would have no way to find them, don't even remember who it was and it's been a very long time since I had any chicks to sell. I'll just see what Steven has, what their lineage is. I'm not really at a point I can do it yet, but exploring my options.

 

[speckledhen]

The show secretary gave me the name of someone who breeds heritage BR in my state. Chris maddalena. He wasn’t there. Said he was a judge. Have you ever heard of him?

Funny that I came across this 5 yr old post! A young friend in PA was talking to Dick Horstmann who told him that Chris Maddalena is breeding BR out of the Stukel line, has a Facebook page and will send hatching eggs. I just got that email this morning. Both Marvin Stukel and Chris got some Glen Holgerson birds just before he died so they have much of the same stock. I am unclear about Marvin's demise as the same friend also said Dick gave him Marvin's number and gave it to me, along with Chris's number. If anyone is interested in these gorgeous birds now, PM me and I'll give you the number that I was given to contact Chris and Marvin. I thought Marvin was gone from other posts on BYC, but I'll pass on both numbers. This line cannot just die out.

 

[h2oratt]

Funny that I came across this 5 yr old post! A young friend in PA was talking to Dick Horstmann who told him that Chris Maddalena is breeding BR out of the Stukel line, has a Facebook page and will send hatching eggs. I just got that email this morning. Both Marvin Stukel and Chris got some Glen Holgerson birds just before he died so they have much of the same stock. I am unclear about Marvin's demise as the same friend also said Dick gave him Marvin's number and gave it to me, along with Chris's number. If anyone is interested in these gorgeous birds now, PM me and I'll give you the number that I was given to contact Chris and Marvin. I thought Marvin was gone from other posts on BYC, but I'll pass on both numbers. This line cannot just die out.

I Am interested in a pHone number

 

[speckledhen]

I'll PM you both numbers he gave me, though I thought Marvin Stukel was gone. Let me know if you reach either of them.