Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[pickitfarm]

June update: Starting to look like adult SFH.

These are really beautiful!

 

[pickitfarm]

The thought did cross my mind, but I was going on the impulse of - oohhh! pretty! and free! - and I'm not too bothered. She already had way more than the city limit of hens and several young chicks, and warned me not to get an incubator if I didn't already have one. I've actually thought about trying to keep a rooster on the sly, after meeting another city dweller who has one with a crow quieter than her hens - and it seems to pass on to his sons! Worst case scenario, I have to pass them on to someone who can keep roosters, best case, I get eggs and/or no one in my neighborhood complains, and I have someone to watch over my hens, eh?

I'm also now noticing that the mostly Grey chick has rounder feathers and slightly thinner legs (in addition to a smaller comb) than the Orange/grey/white... Grey is also significantly more skittish than Orange. Maybe still hope for grey to be a she?

We are fortunate and live in a rural area so we do not have to worry about restrictions on roos. I find it odd that people believe crowing is annoying...I think a dogs barking all night and day is annoying. (don't get me wrong I love dogs...but it is annoying) Crowing (except for our Barney) is usually limited to early morn and late day, at least on our farm. We warned our neighbor of the crowing....she likes it and said it reminds her of when she was a child and they had chickens. Right now we have 1 adult BR roo, 2 black cochin bantams, 5 adolescent Welsummer and 5 adolescent Marans all crowing. I enjoy their "singing". Wait until we get guinea fowl....now that may be annoying.

 

[pebcrb]

The thought did cross my mind, but I was going on the impulse of - oohhh! pretty! and free! - and I'm not too bothered. She already had way more than the city limit of hens and several young chicks, and warned me not to get an incubator if I didn't already have one. I've actually thought about trying to keep a rooster on the sly, after meeting another city dweller who has one with a crow quieter than her hens - and it seems to pass on to his sons! Worst case scenario, I have to pass them on to someone who can keep roosters, best case, I get eggs and/or no one in my neighborhood complains, and I have someone to watch over my hens, eh?

I'm also now noticing that the mostly Grey chick has rounder feathers and slightly thinner legs (in addition to a smaller comb) than the Orange/grey/white... Grey is also significantly more skittish than Orange. Maybe still hope for grey to be a she?

Did you get these chicks in Fremont? If so I purchases one of her chicks for $10 a few weeks ago, mine acts pretty crazy and I also think it may be a too but it hasn't gotten any color to the wattles and comb yet. The same lady also had blrw chicks for free but I am over 2hrs away this is my chick a week or so ago. She had 4 at the time and was suppose to pick me the most pullet looking one of the two greys she had

 

[jmarie]

So I have 8 SFH eggs under my broody Astrolorp (day 5)...If I am only going to candle once when should I??? ( I am thinking around day 14...Thoughts????)

 

[KYTinpusher]

So I have 8 SFH eggs under my broody Astrolorp (day 5)...If I am only going to candle once when should I??? ( I am thinking around day 14...Thoughts????)

You should be able to tell very well by then if they are developing. We can wait together

I just put 15 SFH eggs under my broody Orp yesterday, though I think the girls in their excitement broke one today because there was signs of yolk in the nest when I checked for added Orp eggs today. My eggs were up to 1.5 - 2.5 weeks old, though, so we will see how they do. I plan to candle a few at about a week to see how they are doing as my broody doesn't mind if I check under her.

 

[sarinar]

Yes, in Fremont. Luckily I just live in South Seattle, and already had to head up that way for pine shavings. Mine both have very pale, yellowish combs and wattles, but it was definitely the behavior that drove me here and looking through all the photos of similar age birds. I've already grown so fond of them and their hijinx, and it doesn't help that they're so rare!

I also enjoy the sound of crowing, pickitfarm. One more reason to move out to the country. My parents now live in a semi-rural area in Hillsborough, NC, and someone near them has a rooster who you can just make out crowing every morning. They also have a neighbor raising guinea hens, and were thinking about getting some to keep down the ticks since their property is half wooded. Now that I have chickens, they're really curious to know how it goes, so I just might convince them to go ahead with it. Maybe even with SFH, since there are so many folks raising them in the south.

 

[pickitfarm]

We have ten SFH eggs in the incubator ready to into lockdown on Thursday night. What is so cool about them is you never know what colors will be presented.

 

[RedRidge]

[COLOR=800080]We have ten SFH eggs in the incubator ready to into lockdown on Thursday night.  What is so cool about them is you never know what colors will be presented.[/COLOR]

I have a dozen that go in lockdown on Wednesday. Very excited.

 

[Kimbroe1981]

so I have a bit of a delima! Besides the fact I have 3 broody girls. 1 of my girls abandoned her eggs, so I took them and put them in the incubator and they're all growing. My problem is that, they're all at different stages. How do I know when to do lockdown? I have no idea when she started sitting on them, because she wasn't a dedicated broody when she started she would sit on random nests until finally she abandoned these eggs and joined another brooder on her nest. That's where she's remained.

 

[pebcrb]

Yes, in Fremont. Luckily I just live in South Seattle, and already had to head up that way for pine shavings. Mine both have very pale, yellowish combs and wattles, but it was definitely the behavior that drove me here and looking through all the photos of similar age birds. I've already grown so fond of them and their hijinx, and it doesn't help that they're so rare!

I also enjoy the sound of crowing, pickitfarm. One more reason to move out to the country. My parents now live in a semi-rural area in Hillsborough, NC, and someone near them has a rooster who you can just make out crowing every morning. They also have a neighbor raising guinea hens, and were thinking about getting some to keep down the ticks since their property is half wooded. Now that I have chickens, they're really curious to know how it goes, so I just might convince them to go ahead with it. Maybe even with SFH, since there are so many folks raising them in the south. 

My mother in law lives north of Seattle and came down for a visit so I had her grab me one was a bit annoyed she sold me one then gave the others away since I only have 4 chicks total I wish I would of stuck with blrw they are more mellow