Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[Bulldogma]

Well, the lone egg that survived of the 3 I set a month ago, almost, did not hatch. Appears to have died around day 18. Just like my incubated ones. I am anxiously awaiting to see what happens with the next bunch. Fingers crossed.

Awww... I'm so sorry!

 

[SunnySkies]

It really makes me go hmm. But before ruling out Silkiebator issues, let's see if they can hatch the other eggs..the Silkies were coparenting some of our eggs and the SFH egg. LOL

 

[cathiesue]

Hatch happening right now. Trying so hard not to help! 8 eggs went into the hatcher. one fully out and dried when i came home today. two rocking and slightly zipping. others all quiet.
Funny thing I have 2 4-week old birds in the same room. When the new baby started peeping the 2 got very active almost frantic.
Maybe I'll have 3 when i wake up. I sure don't want to have to go buy another friend. I'm getting ee's fro all my single flower hatchlings.

 

[SunnySkies]

Hope those two hatch!

 

[Paul38]

I see a problem, and what can we do about it. Out of hens hatched at home, less than half live. My other chickens 90%. Shipped swf maybe 5 to 10% survive. WHY! Doe"s the chicken have a reaction to shipping? any kind of traveling? What is the problem. The shipping people have brains. I see this as a real ptoblem and would really appreciate your input. Paul

 

[Leahs Mom]

I see a problem, and what can we do about it. Out of hens hatched at home, less than half live. My other chickens 90%. Shipped swf maybe 5 to 10% survive. WHY! Doe"s the chicken have a reaction to shipping? any kind of traveling? What is the problem. The shipping people have brains. I see this as a real ptoblem and would really appreciate your input. Paul

Are you referring to LIVE CHICKS being shipped or HATCHING EGGS?

 

[ki4got]

I haven't had any problems with my sfh chicks. then again i'm hatching from other peoples' eggs... apparently better than average hatch rates too. 70-80% usually, even with shipped eggs.

on the first bunch, i lost 1 the first day, and 1 to drowning because i left the brooder door open and he fell in the pond. the next hatch were from shipped eggs, 7/10 hatched. I know bulldogma lost a few, but that was due to power failure, rather than anything else. 4 from this last hatch, all doing well. (out of 6 eggs). and i've got 10/10 shipped eggs to go in the hatcher this coming week, due the 18th.

I do know that they seem to grow better with a liquid multivitamin in the water for the first few days to a week, and my other chicks really like it too (bantam cochins and LF dorkings). can't say that's why i haven't had problems, but it sure isn't hurting anything. if anything i think the vitamins are encouraging them to drink more. give them fresh water, they just look at it. add a few drops of vitamins, and all of a sudden everyone's drinking.

also, a lot of it might depend on the nutrition the parent birds were getting, as to how the chicks fare during growth, hatching & so on.

a couple people have speculated that the multivitamins help the sfh, since there may be something in sweden's soil/food/water supply that's lacking here in the US. it's just a theory that has yet to be proven or disproven, but apparently some vitamin deficiencies can cause stunted growth, curled toes & other symptoms... maybe someone else can give more input on that. i didn't bookmark the pages where it was mentioned. (in this thread, if you read all the way thru you'll find it).

edited to add: i haven't had any sfh shipped to me, other than hatching eggs, and 2 'teenage' pairs that came up from Alabama...

side note: she later warned me that all her roos got agressive (so she got rid of all her sfh), but i don't see it in either of these boys yet... redneck's a snuggle love (the one that got stepped on by a horse, is almost totally healed, but not fully feathered back in yet). the girls are friendly but not under foot, bubba, the other roo, is like the girls. friendly, unafraid, but stays out of the way. Redneck has figured out he can hitch a ride on the feed bucket and get a free meal while i'm carrying it down to the feeding station. (has to be horse-proof or maggie eats it all!)

 

[Bulldogma]

What ki4got said about the vitamins and also, adding raw meat - especially liver - to their diets does wonders for this breed!

 

[MaryRuthLangdon]

I haven't had any problems with my sfh chicks. then again i'm hatching from other peoples' eggs... apparently better than average hatch rates too. 70-80% usually, even with shipped eggs.

on the first bunch, i lost 1 the first day, and 1 to drowning because i left the brooder door open and he fell in the pond. the next hatch were from shipped eggs, 7/10 hatched. I know bulldogma lost a few, but that was due to power failure, rather than anything else. 4 from this last hatch, all doing well. (out of 6 eggs). and i've got 10/10 shipped eggs to go in the hatcher this coming week, due the 18th.

I do know that they seem to grow better with a liquid multivitamin in the water for the first few days to a week, and my other chicks really like it too (bantam cochins and LF dorkings). can't say that's why i haven't had problems, but it sure isn't hurting anything. if anything i think the vitamins are encouraging them to drink more. give them fresh water, they just look at it. add a few drops of vitamins, and all of a sudden everyone's drinking.

also, a lot of it might depend on the nutrition the parent birds were getting, as to how the chicks fare during growth, hatching & so on.

a couple people have speculated that the multivitamins help the sfh, since there may be something in sweden's soil/food/water supply that's lacking here in the US. it's just a theory that has yet to be proven or disproven, but apparently some vitamin deficiencies can cause stunted growth, curled toes & other symptoms... maybe someone else can give more input on that. i didn't bookmark the pages where it was mentioned. (in this thread, if you read all the way thru you'll find it).

edited to add: i haven't had any sfh shipped to me, other than hatching eggs, and 2 'teenage' pairs that came up from Alabama...

side note: she later warned me that all her roos got agressive (so she got rid of all her sfh), but i don't see it in either of these boys yet... redneck's a snuggle love (the one that got stepped on by a horse, is almost totally healed, but not fully feathered back in yet). the girls are friendly but not under foot, bubba, the other roo, is like the girls. friendly, unafraid, but stays out of the way. Redneck has figured out he can hitch a ride on the feed bucket and get a free meal while i'm carrying it down to the feeding station. (has to be horse-proof or maggie eats it all!)

What ki4got said about the vitamins and also, adding raw meat - especially liver - to their diets does wonders for this breed!

Good info ladies.

Thanks!

 

[cathiesue]

I'm gonna try fermented feed and add the vitamins. Although I have hatched 3 roos and they are all stinkers. My gentleman rooster came from a lady in Florida. August is the best rooster. The other three not so much.
I had 2 babies hatched this morning. One is still trying. How long will they struggle to get out?