Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[UrbanFarmOC]

Woohoo! Congrats on your first egg @Bukrub66

 

[UrbanFarmOC]

Update on Sofie, my broody:

After several days in her broody pen, she came out for about 15 minutes this weekend with style. She announced herself in a flying cackle! She took a VERY large and horrendously odiferous poop. (I read that broody poops are big and stinky, but OMG.) She then took a nice long dust bath with her flock before returning to the wrong nest. She went to the laying nests instead of her broody pen. She was not happy getting moved, but settled right back in after I moved her.

She picked out some scrambled eggs and fell asleep over the food bowl.

 

[Kaylish]

I'm down to 11 out of 21 in the bator - including the cracked eggs which is still going but the aircell is looking large. Going to lockdown Wednesday evening and

.

 

[UrbanFarmOC]

I'm down to 11 out of 21 in the bator - including the cracked eggs which is still going but the aircell is looking large. Going to lockdown Wednesday evening and .

Good luck!!

 

[1001Cochins]

Here are some updated pics. I am not sure what order I put them in last time, but I will group pics of each chick together.
Chick #1 (pretty sure this is a pullet)

Chick #2 ( I am thinking pullet as well)



Chick #3: (not sure about this one)



And Chick #4

 

[song of joy]

Hello. I'm new to this thread and need your advice. I'll be getting some SFH hatching eggs in a couple of weeks. The eggs will be shipped. This is my 1st time hatching and I'll be using a Brinsea Mini Advance. (I know. Bad idea to attempt a 1st hatch using expensive hatching eggs!)

1. Should I incubate the eggs in an upright position and if so, for how long before laying them flat?

2. I've heard that humidity needs to be lower for SFH than for other breeds. Is this true? I'm not sure how to make an adjustment on the Mini Advance, as it has a water reservoir with only two options (fill 1 or both sides).

3. IF ANY eggs hatch, I'll use non-medicated feed. Is 24% protein chick starter best for SFH chicks? American Livestock Breeds Conservancy recommends 26-28% game bird starter ration for heritage breeds (from hatch to 8 weeks of age), but I wasn't sure if this would be appropriate for SFH.

Any other advice? I'm so excited, but trying not to get my hopes up in case nothing hatches.

Things are not going well for my first attempt at hatching shipped SFH eggs. I received 9 shipped eggs of which 2 had saddled air cells and 6 had detached air cells. After 10 days of incubation, only 1 egg is developing. I kept the incubator dry for the first 9 days (approx 20-25% relative humidity), and the 1 viable egg appears to have lost too much weight (approx 7% of its weight). It looks like a 14-day air cell rather than a 9-day air cell, so I bumped the humidity up to 60% in hopes that this will greatly slow the rate of moisture loss. Is this the correct approach?

 

[ashtree]

Here are some updated pics. I am not sure what order I put them in last time, but I will group pics of each chick together. Chick #1 (pretty sure this is a pullet) Chick #2 ( I am thinking pullet as well) Chick #3: (not sure about this one) And Chick #4

3 and 4 look like boys to me, and every chick looks beautiful.

 

[Melabella]

Things are not going well for my first attempt at hatching shipped SFH eggs. I received 9 shipped eggs of which 2 had saddled air cells and 6 had detached air cells. After 10 days of incubation, only 1 egg is developing. I kept the incubator dry for the first 9 days (approx 20-25% relative humidity), and the 1 viable egg appears to have lost too much weight (approx 7% of its weight). It looks like a 14-day air cell rather than a 9-day air cell, so I bumped the humidity up to 60% in hopes that this will greatly slow the rate of moisture loss. Is this the correct approach?

Hi there!...

I wish I had some help for you. Shipped eggs is such a crap shoot, but if it wasn't for shipped eggs, I'd have no SFH! I too have only a Brinsea Mini advance, and have had 6 hatches so far, currently on my 7th. I don't have a hygrometer, and as you know the brinsea mini only measures temperature. I will tell you, I have had chicks hatch from those horrible saddle air cells too. I have had mild success, but the chicks I have hatched have been amazing. I hope that adding the humidity helps the egg that is developing. I do know these eggs can be very tricky to hatch, and what seems to work for some, doesn't work for others. Dry hatch until lockdown does seem to be the preferred method with experienced peeps. It is a learning curve. My first attempt I only had 3 of 7 hatch, but they grew up healthy and strong. There are starting to be more and more breeders here in the north east.. I'm in New York, and I know of a few people in PA, so maybe your next hatch you can drive to get some hatching eggs. I am finally starting to get my girls laying, and I can't wait to try a hatch with eggs fresh out of my backyard, and hope I will get a better hatch rate! I have 14 shipped eggs in 2 Brinsea Mini's at the moment, due on Sunday. I am hoping for half to hatch. Don't get discouraged, they are so worth more attempts! I also would LOVE a broody to try, and hope for some better luck there. Let us know how your little lone egglet does.

Good Luck!
MB

 

[Alpine Chicken]

First Egg!!!! Went out to the coop to let the chickens into the run, and there on the ground was an egg. Must of been laid right before dark as I didn't see it when I locked them in last night. They were hatched on October 17 and we have been anxiously looking for 2 weeks. Now if the other 3 would get on it. It's so tiny.

Congratulations! I also have 3 pullets about the same age that have just started laying- also very tiny eggs. Just a little while longer, then you´ll be getting good sized eggs!

 

[Alpine Chicken]

I'm down to 11 out of 21 in the bator - including the cracked eggs which is still going but the aircell is looking large. Going to lockdown Wednesday evening and

.

Good luck!