Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[Alpine Chicken]

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

Yes, it´s much clearer now. I second Ashtree´s opinion. And they are beautiful, I love the blue-based.

 

[Alpine Chicken]

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

My incubator also just measures temperature. I bought a hygrometer at a pet store, though (used by people that have reptiles in terrariums). The measuring device is only about 1 inch x 1/2 Inch, and I have that in the bator. A thin cable runs out of the bator to a display I have on the outside. If it´s too dry, I add a little water to the bator. If the humidity is too high, I open the bator a little and let some fresh air in. I now usually have a hatch rate of about 80-90%. You should try it! The device only cost about 15$, much less probably than the value of eggs that are lost due to wrong humidity!

 

[1001Cochins]

Yes, it´s much clearer now. I second Ashtree´s opinion. And they are beautiful, I love the blue-based.

Thanks! That is what I thought, but I wasn't sure. I will definitely be keeping one of these cockerels, I just don't know how to choose, they are both so pretty.

 

[rainbowhatchery]

we just got them this year and they are such friendly birds and great layers.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I had 8 of the above babies hatch just fine on their own,(not SFH)

and my last 2 eggs were SFH
.
This one just hatched. the other SFH egg pipped but then moved away from the pip to the air cell used the air the died. The chick above was on its day 22. I made the pip just a tad bigger and into the air cell so the chick could move a bit, but left on the shell so it could kick it off when it was ready. I try not to help all the way because if they can ship a chick across country for 3-4 days with out food or water, it can stay in it's shell for a bit.
The above chick was a separate batch of eggs from my grays of course. She was from a farm that had a Blondish-red roo with a "blue" base" and a blondish red hen.

relatives of the chick

 

[Alpine Chicken]

Thanks! That is what I thought, but I wasn't sure. I will definitely be keeping one of these cockerels, I just don't know how to choose, they are both so pretty.

Bulldogma once gave me some really good advice about which roos to keep, see Page 944 of this thread (08/2014). You might want to consider keeping both if you can, though. You never know when something might happen to one of them.

 

[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

Thanks Alpine for the tip. I will keep an eye on these two as they grow, I was thinking about possibly keeping both until they are fully mature, then deciding. I already have 2 cochin roos though, and about 25 hens, so there is not too much room for many more roos. Although these little SFH boys are in a group of 26 chicks, so they will have some of their own ladies. One other question as well. Chick #1 (the pullet) is a definite pure splash, she is almost pure white but has a couple of light gray slashes on her wings and head. Is she an ideal breeder? Or will she not produce flowered chicks?

 

[THeelChickinKY]

@1001Cochins

Well, she would be an ideal breeder for me! I love the splash SFHs. I have one very similar but instead of grey splashes she has orange/tan. As a little one she was almost pure white but has grown to be white with an orange chest and sides. The colored spots, I noticed, do actually have flowering but it's hard to see as it's white flowers on a white background. I will try to get a detailed picture today to post. So, she may end up with flowering or not, but whether or not you like the look is personal. I love it, personally!

 

[WanderingFarmer]

Hatching our SFH's today!!! Love this breed!

 

[Ashdoes]

Well, we had 8 eggs shipped, and AMAZINGLY after the PO shook and smashed the box, we had 6 hatch! Sadly, two of them died after pip, and after inspecting one of them, I'm convinced it was from the treatment of the eggs. They just weren't able to absorb the yolk sac all the way, even though they were fully formed and attempting to hatch. The four hatched are beautiful, and I have one super light one that I'm pretty excited about. So, that's four 5 week olds in the barn, and now these four...oh wait, only 3 five week old SFH and one Frizzle mistake. I actually call it Frizzle Mistake, it's just so ugly, but my daughters love it. Since we brooded in the house for three weeks, these chicks just love us, they chirp loudly as they see us walking to the barn.
Because of our Mareks status, these are just for us, and we won't be breeding for the next three years. We're excited to see how much we enjoy the SFH, and making plans as to what breed we'd like when we move.