Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[redhen689]

I just picked up three blacks from there, and two I suspect will not stay black. The feathers on the wings seem to be coming in a dark rusty color. The chicks cme out black -- I have had now a total of five black SFH chicks -- but so far, no black as they grow.

I killed my oldest SFH roo today. My littlest son was walking from the front yard to the back yard. Husband was occupied in the driveway, between front and back. I was near the barn. Older sons running around. Roo jumped the kid. That fast. With people around. My child is very, very lucky. He has a black eye and multiple scratches all over him. It only took a second. I waited until the roo went into bed, took him off the roost, and that was that. I have so many roos I am not risking putting up with a nasty roo.

I am discouraged though. None of my Cochin roos -- I have 5 of them -- have ever threatened a human, even with the babies in the coop and us messing with the hens. None of my backyard mixes (we have had ten, slaughtered 7, currently have 2) have ever threatened someone, even with crazy kids bothering them all the time. My EE roo is as polite as can be. But 2/3 of the SFH I have grown to adulthood have been ugly mean. They were all brothers I hatched from eggs from a breeder in FL that I bought off eBay. Waiting to see how the new groups go, which consist of GF stock and 2 birds hatched from KYTinpusher's eggs, and counting my blessings that I had no hens and thus have no descendants of those roosters. But more mean SFH might make me rethink this whole breed

However, we played more with the first few and maybe that made them worse than they should have been.

Sorry to hear about your son being attacked. I tend to have a history of having roos turn nasty on me. I'm not sure what it is. The one I have right now isn't really bad, but I wouldn't trust him around a little kid, and I avoid turning my back towards him. If I'm facing him, he seems less likely to attack. I was thinking about keeping a roo from these eggs, but now I'm not so sure.

 

[MaryRuthLangdon]

 

[ki4got]

Quote: honestly, I won't keep a roo that I can't trust behind me... I had to have the dogs run interference last summer for the oegb I had. key word, HAD... sweetest thing in the world when you had your hands on him, but turn your back and he was after you in a heartbeat. not a problem if you're keeping them penned, but he was ranging. so I sold him and the rest of the oegb to someone who keeps them caged/penned and loves them to death...

 

[Sebrightsrock]

Here are a few of the juvies I have growing out right now. There are about 10 more that I don't have pictures of.

 

[HaplessRunner]

Some nice blue in those last two.

 

[SunnySkies]

I had four roos from Kimberly. They were all beautiful. I culled 1 for a side sprig, and now the non crested one has gotten very aggressive. I understand a little tough guy attitude every now and then, but when they try to flog you every time you enter then pen I'm not ok with it. The other two brothers are still very easy going. They were all raised together and have all been handled the same way. I think some are just more aggressive.

I think so too. I raised a bunch of roos all together. The three SFH were all in there together. We did play with them at first, as they were the boys' first chicks to hatch here at out house. The only ones to turn mean were the SFH. The others were fine (we ate them because we needed to pare down numbers and opted to keep the purebreds). One committed suicide before we got a full assessment of disposition, but the red one would rush you and got very aggressive about people, ending up attacking my husband and chasing him up the deck stairs. This last one sometimes rushed me from behind, but he always stopped short and only did it when I was carrying something. It seemed very half hearted to me and only addressed at me, and I'm a big girl and can handle it.

But to flat out attack my kid, who was not running or being noisy, just walking across the driveway to go play in the sandbox (I saw him go) with no provocation or warning or even giving any indication he was ever going to do it (although one of my older sons now says Olympus used to drop his wing at Gavin sometimes, and Gavin would stop and look at him and then the roo moved off)...totally not OK with that. He has black and blue marks all over his body and his face....This kid had several surgeries on his face in his first year of life to correct craniofacial issues with more surgeries to come as he grows. Surgeries to fix rooster attack injuries would be a lot worse.

I grew up on a farm with 300 chickens. We had one rooster that was scary mean, and dad refused to cull him. But I got to where I was afraid to go to the chicken yard to pick up eggs or feed. Carrying them around only works if everyone can do it...and if you can catch the rooster. I told my boys I would never keep a rooster that attacks them because I rememwber that feeling of always having to watch out. It's no fun.

ETA: I have 2 groups of SFH growing out. One group consists of birds from Feb and March shipments from GF and two hatched locally from KYTinpusher's eggs obtained via a swap. They have been handled but not petted and played with and carried around. They are inquisitive and come up to see me, but just like my first bunch, are definitely not lapdogs and hate being caught. The second is my April shipment with birds bought at TSC (Red Comets) and SFH from GF. That bunch are wild as deer. We got really busy and hardly handled any of that lot. it will be interesting to see if any of them become aggressive, although I can't then correct for genetics, as I don't have any more of the line from the eBay seller in FL.

It makes sense that these roosters of this breed can be more aggressive to me. Natural selection would insist that the flocks managed by the more aggressive roosters, the ones most likely to attack first and ask questions later, are the ones that would be more likely to survive. But since I have children, I have to select for the less aggressive roosters. Heck, I don't like a mean rooster myself!

 

[lawatt]

for whatever it's worth, my only rooster, Max, is a SFH, almost a year & half old (i got him from Deann/Just Struttin' Farm at just under a year in january), and has ALWAYS been a perfect gentleman, he's never been aggressive toward me in the least. I don't try to handle him at all (haven't ever needed to), and he likes to keep a respectful distance (won't ever eat of my hand, for instance, but stands back and lets the girls have the treats), but he's not been mean to me or the hens at all. so it's not somehow inherent in the breed...



Max with two of his girlfriends (a CL and a CL/penedenesca cross) -- they recently figured out how to fly up to the top of the laying boxes, and are VERY proud of themselves...

 

[Ana Tidae]

I have one like him. Haven't had problems with the boys either, but I know people that have. I just assumed it was part of being a landrace breed. Makes them a bit gamey and competitive.

On the other hand- hens that I have that were raised in small batches in the house are waaaay friendlier and more docile than ones raised in big groups. Going to stick with small batches for myself from now on, with this breed especially.

 

[ki4got]

Well, i've got Bubba (brother to Redneck, the underfoot roo). he and the 2 older girls are from Kimberly, and while redneck was constantly wanting to be handled/fed/petted/etc, bubba is indifferent. if he's nearby i can easily pick him up, but he doesn't come looking for attention. so far so good.

the funny thing is, some of the juvie roos were getting a bit agressive with the girls today, and my standard poodle Sunny decided to intervene. every time one of the girls started hollering because she was dragging around a young roo by her nape/back/tail feathers while running all out, Sunny would run full tilt and body slam the roos...

ok body slam might be a bit harsh of a description, but he'd knock the roo with his head/muzzle (mouth closed) and then push him further on (tumbling usually) with his legs as he ran by (at mock 10). it's hard to describe, but basically i think body slam seems to be the most descriptive. LOL none of the roos were injured, except maybe their pride and a few misplaced feathers. but 've also noticed now, if sunny's out in the yard, the young boys behave themselves better, and the girls seem to hang closer to him when they can LOL. i have no idea if this is going to lead to better or worse behavior, but interesting to note. LOL

 

[jmarie]

uh oh chicken math strikes again. went to pick up "a couple" of SFH eggs for my hen that is broody who has been trying to hatch a plastic egg for the last week...instead I have 8 eggs because someone else had not picked up the eggs they ordered ...knowing my luck they will all hatch as roos...sigh


on the other hand

I have 8 SFH eggs under a broody hen!!!!!!!!!!!