Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[BY Bob]

Hmmm maybe a house wren?

I found this and there is a photo of one with a long legged spider in its beak also like yours.

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/house-wren

We have a mama wren here every summer she raises a couple broods in the old speaker hanging on our garage wall. Mum won’t let me take it down as that’s the birds home.

Your mum is right, of course.

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

Fluffy Butt Acres Weekly Synopsis
A summary of Chicken News for the week up to June 8, 2024

Here is last week's synopsis with thanks to @Ponypoor:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27785091

Apologies for late posting and if I missed anything. Life got in the way a bit this week.

@BY Bob
Popped in to share big events at Fluffy Butt Acres!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27795363

And in breaking news, has eggs on their way!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27801828
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@BeastBaby
Has been battling mites in a rather soggy way
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27786444
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@Desertvalleychickens
Has had a really sad week. Losing first Cluckie aged seven and a half.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27799949

And then Breezefeather
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27801263

Both beautiful chickens and a real tragedy for DesertValley. Sounds like a predator. Hugs to DesertValley and hopefully he can figure it out without losing more of the flock.

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@featherhead007
The pastor's chickens are getting as spoiled as the rest of his flock!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27785169

Alex has been toying with us.....
He is getting more chicks:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27785243
Or not:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27785893
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@fuentemoon
Has chicks!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27800594

And has done some nice chicken-home-improvements
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27801738
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@knoturavggrl
Gave an update from her flock - including that Lore has started attacking her daughter
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27787928

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27788256
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@lightm
Sadly lost the lovely Wendy and posted a beautiful tribute to her.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27798634
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@Marie2020
Reported that Princess had some issues and got covered in egg - maybe from a soft-shelled egg. After a bath she seems to be recovering.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27789070
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@Pastel the Rooster
Sadly reported on the death of her last remaining Ayam Cemani chick - Midnight - even though s/he was doing well after the others died.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27790087
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@Ponypoor
Spent the week nursing one of her niece's chicks that had some leg issues
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27787059

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27793082

@bgmathteach and others shared tips and tricks that might be useful for any of us trying to help a chick with issues.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27791028

Sadly the little chick was not getting better.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27800348

Pony also provided us with a nice update from her flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27800993
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@RebeccaBoyd
Got eggs and has some decisions to make.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27785164
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27785391
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@RoyalChick
Has been trying to get Tassels to stop being broody
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27785312

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27789156

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27792976
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@rural mouse
Posted a very helpful analysis on how to handle a rooster that attacks (in response to a post from Pastel in an earlier week). Useful for everyone with roosters.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27755535
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@SimpleJenn
Has Morinth in jail
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27801165
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@Sylvester017
Shared the set-up for their chickens. This is not strictly chicken-news but it is a great overview of their accommodations (they have their own patio!).
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27788210

And introduced us all to a bunch of feather dusters
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27789768

And more adorables
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27790365

In case anyone is uncertain, Sylverster's chickens are definitely not house chickens
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27791055
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@TX Chick Noob
Laid Goldy to rest and shared some more thinking on the tragedy of her death.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-27786398
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Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

Thanks very much for the synopsis- I will try to find out what is killing my birds.

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

Eggs have been sourced and should ship Monday. Fingers crossed they get here Tuesday.

I had to order breeds where I could easily rehome the chickens and i was limited by what was available, so we went with Polish and Orpington.

These are the polish. They will be super easy to rehome. They are called Tolbunt.

View attachment 3857509View attachment 3857510

My fiend JD, who takes care of our chickens when we are out of town, is looking to add to his chickens this year and asked for Orpingtons. Try as I might, I could not find Jubilee Orpingtons, so I went with an old favorite.

View attachment 3857511

Because of minimum orders, there are 6 Polish and 4 Orpington eggs shipping on Monday. That gives me 10.

The ladies are sitting on about 24 eggs combined. Lady Featherington has 16 and Glynda 8. That is what happens when they go broody when you are away for the weekend. Glynda also had one break and is covered in yolk on one side.

I need to get more ceramic eggs so I can put them in other nest spots. The girls are sitting on all the ones I have right now!

Ooh! Can't wait to see your chick journey!

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

The newer juveniles have been named:

This one will be called Breeze, in honor of Breezefeather. She has the same pale buff color that she did.

The Red Star on the left will be called Cluckie, and the other will be called Plum, both in honor of a Barred Rock and Light Brahma that passed away.

And we have our escape artist, the favorite lap chicken. I'll call her Flap, in honor of my passed Leghorn hen. So beautiful, and so friendly.

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

Tax as the night falls:

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

Closing up.

 

[Sylvester017]

We have nearly 14 years of fluffy butts to post yet -- just a few pics at a time

(2011) Poor Trumpet -- isolated waiting to go to his new home. Such a sweetie but we're not zoned for roos !

We traded cockerel Trumpet for a laying Cuckoo Marans -- her back feathers were missing from mating. We gave her first 6 eggs to a neighbor who hatched 4 of her fertile eggs.

"Tish"

 

[Sylvester017]

@Desertvalleychickens -- I adore Doms and love your Roo! His name?

 

[knoturavggrl]

A brief update here. No further rooster fiascos, seems we have a system (aka as distract and bribe with treats when Es is with me )for dealing with the big guy till his hormones calm back down.

Integration is going slowly. I had one challenging evening when I brilliantly decided to let the chicks explore the run. Then I struggled very hard to get them back inside again after the bigs had traumatized them. I have not tried that again . So the rest of this week, I am letting them explore the coop fully while the bigs are locked out of it.

Next week, I may attempt to let them mix. I would prefer to do this outside and have the coop run and outside but alas I truly do not have much hope of catching those little ones if they decide not to go to roost in the coop at night with the bigs. Such a dilemma!

Unofficial poll:
Option 1: Keep doing the coop exploration for another week and putting them in the tent at night? This would mean no direct mixing of the tweens and bigs.
Option 2: let the tweens out in the coop and run with the bigs, trusting that their bob and weave and flight skills to get them through.
Option 3: let them out with the flock where they could free range with everyone and pray they return to the coop with the flock at night?

 

[knoturavggrl]

Eggs have been sourced and should ship Monday. Fingers crossed they get here Tuesday.

I had to order breeds where I could easily rehome the chickens and i was limited by what was available, so we went with Polish and Orpington.

These are the polish. They will be super easy to rehome. They are called Tolbunt.

View attachment 3857509View attachment 3857510

My fiend JD, who takes care of our chickens when we are out of town, is looking to add to his chickens this year and asked for Orpingtons. Try as I might, I could not find Jubilee Orpingtons, so I went with an old favorite.

View attachment 3857511

Because of minimum orders, there are 6 Polish and 4 Orpington eggs shipping on Monday. That gives me 10.

The ladies are sitting on about 24 eggs combined. Lady Featherington has 16 and Glynda 8. That is what happens when they go broody when you are away for the weekend. Glynda also had one break and is covered in yolk on one side.

I need to get more ceramic eggs so I can put them in other nest spots. The girls are sitting on all the ones I have right now!

This is so exciting! Will you be rehoming all of them or keeping a few possibly?