Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[SierraSfhFamily]

We got our first eggs this week!! So excited! We have 4 hens, 2 are 5 1/2 months old and the other 2 are 5 months. Edna, one of the older girls, laid one small egg Sunday and another the same size yesterday. They are a light pink/tan. We had watched her inspecting the nesting boxes, jumping in and out of them (spinning around and pecking at them), then sure enough she picked a favorite spot and started laying.
I haven't taken the eggs out since I didn't want to disturb her first go at it. Not sure if it matters? We had heard that you can get fake eggs to leave in the boxes to encourage them to keep laying?

 

[minihorse927]

We got our first eggs this week!! So excited! We have 4 hens, 2 are 5 1/2 months old and the other 2 are 5 months. Edna, one of the older girls, laid one small egg Sunday and another the same size yesterday. They are a light pink/tan. We had watched her inspecting the nesting boxes, jumping in and out of them (spinning around and pecking at them), then sure enough she picked a favorite spot and started laying.
I haven't taken the eggs out since I didn't want to disturb her first go at it. Not sure if it matters? We had heard that you can get fake eggs to leave in the boxes to encourage them to keep laying?

congratulations!

You can get fake eggs to encourage them to keep laying in the nests. Sometimes young hens will lay where ever they are standing. The only chance you take by letting eggs collect in the nest is breakage and broodies.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

We got our first eggs this week!! So excited! We have 4 hens, 2 are 5 1/2 months old and the other 2 are 5 months. Edna, one of the older girls, laid one small egg Sunday and another the same size yesterday. They are a light pink/tan. We had watched her inspecting the nesting boxes, jumping in and out of them (spinning around and pecking at them), then sure enough she picked a favorite spot and started laying.
I haven't taken the eggs out since I didn't want to disturb her first go at it. Not sure if it matters? We had heard that you can get fake eggs to leave in the boxes to encourage them to keep laying?

Congrats Sierra on your first eggs!!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

My SFH boys suddenly became horn dogs and are trying to mate everything in sight. One of them is very effective!

 

[minihorse927]

My SFH boys suddenly became horn dogs and are trying to mate everything in sight. One of them is very effective!

weather and age. The cooler weather really brings it out in them. My girls have suddenly decided mid molt to start pumping out eggs. Keep hoping someone will go broody cause it's killing me to not hatch them but I refuse to keep chicks in the side porch all winter.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Ya, they were born mid June and starting to get regular crows. And on the coast in the PNW, we are always cool.

The girls aren't ready yet and there isn't enough older ones to go around, so I'm gonna be building a stag pen very soon.

 

[harmesonfarm]

Ya, they were born mid June and starting to get regular crows. And on the coast in the PNW, we are always cool.

The girls aren't ready yet and there isn't enough older ones to go around, so I'm gonna be building a stag pen very soon.

I feel like we'll be needing to do that too eventually...it's looking like out of the 4 swedish flowers I've got 3 roos!! Then on top of that, out of the same hatch we got a OE roo and a Blue copper roo...their all already starting to squabble

and their only 6 weeks old!! The two ameraucanas we got i'm still unsure about.
We'll be moving them from the brooder we got into a new grow out coop beside the run we have for our older gals and roo. that way we can integrate the ladies and most likely freezer camp the roos, unless their personalities win us over...

 

[jophus]

Hi all. Picked up a quad of SFHs to bring some new blood to the small group I already have. I love this roo, and this was my favorite hen from the group (but the others are pretty too).

I hatched chicks in the spring from eggs I bought, and fell in love with the breed. Very friendly and docile birds.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Hi all. Picked up a quad of SFHs to bring some new blood to the small group I already have. I love this roo, and this was my favorite hen from the group (but the others are pretty too).

I hatched chicks in the spring from eggs I bought, and fell in love with the breed. Very friendly and docile birds.

Very nice roo jophus. Just a suggestion but you shouldn't breed a crested Roo with a crested hen as it can cause a vaulted skull in their offspring. Also their crests can be unsually large which will impede their ability to notice arial predators.

It's recommended to use a non crested Roo if breeding crested hens.

 

[jophus]

Very nice roo jophus. Just a suggestion but you shouldn't breed a crested Roo with a crested hen as it can cause a vaulted skull in their offspring. Also their crests can be unsually large which will impede their ability to notice arial predators.

It's recommended to use a non crested Roo if breeding crested hens.

I have both crested and non-crested roos and hens. I knew it was a problem with other breeds, just assumed it would be with SFHs too. Thanks for confirming it.