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

[Hillbilly Hen]

Love the video. It's so obvious the difference. Some beautiful birds there! The barred rocks make me think of my Ma (grandma) as she always had some in her flock.

 

[speckledhen]

Glad you liked it! My new thread is here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-ultimate-barred-plymouth-rock-flock.1654602/

 

[speckledhen]

Seems our Maddie is having some kind of issue. She looks the picture of health, though for a couple of days, she's been a bit less fussy, very quiet and almost lethargic. Today, I saw her poop a puddle of green stuff in a mucus-looking substance. And tonight, she did not get on the roost but was laying in the floor, something she never does. She usually sits on top of the file cabinet nest box near Mace.
I picked her up and put her on the roost next to Athena and put my arms around her. She was quiet and leaned into it, not like Maddie at all. She's much like her mother, Jill, in not really wanting to be picked up and fussing when I insist on it.
Weirdly enough, both Jill and Maddie produced eggs today. So she's laying, has been laying for a couple of weeks on and off, so it isn't reproductive-related. Jill will turn 9 in June and Maddie was, I think, hatched March or April 2018 so 7 years old, not 8 like I was thinking, not a spring chicken by any means. She is acting like my hens and roosters who pass on of old age, unfortunately. I guess we'll just keep an eye on her.

 

[speckledhen]

Maddie seems a bit better today. Maybe she had one off day, who knows? Will keep an eye on her.

 

[speckledhen]

Athena has passed on to that Great Roost in the Sky. She was a good old girl. Little rooster, Mace, and her sister, Zara, were upset, of course. Zara and Athena hatched together, were full sisters and they have never been apart from each other in all their nine years of life. And Mace has never lost anyone so he was visibly shaken. They do grieve as most who have kept chickens for any length of time knows. I did take her outside in the sunshine and sat with her a long time. She didn't even flap, just bowed her head and was gone when I found her. RIP, big girl. Here is the last picture of her this morning before she managed to get off the roost and sleep on the floor.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Athena has passed on to that Great Roost in the Sky. She was a good old girl. Little rooster, Mace, and her sister, Zara, were upset, of course. Zara and Athena hatched together, were full sisters and they have never been apart from each other in all their nine years of life. And Mace has never lost anyone so he was visibly shaken. They do grieve as most who have kept chickens for any length of time knows. I did take her outside in the sunshine and sat with her a long time. She didn't even flap, just bowed her head and was gone when I found her. RIP, big girl. Here is the last picture of her this morning before she managed to get off the roost and sleep on the floor. View attachment 4076014

I'm so sorry for your loss

 

[EmmaDonovan]

I'm sorry for your loss. She had an excellent life with you.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

So sorry Cynthia.

 

[sourland]

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks, all. All of us lose chickens, of course, and I've lost a lot over 20 years, but the ones who live such long lives, always stay healthy and never cause problems have a special place in my heart. Since Zara and Athena are Atlas's daughters, when Zara is gone, I won't have anything more from him, sadly.