Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[SeattleLeah]

Just a still air incubator will be fine, and you can get one for $75 or less. I lved having two. I say loved because the day I put my hatcher outside to dry after washing out the hatching mess, the first pack of rooster thugs we had came up onto the deck,mjumped up onto the table and pecked a hole in it, and it was completely useless after that. They went to freezer camp not long after that.

I made my hatcher from a 3.99 Styrofoam cooler from the grocery store. a piece of clear plastic packaging like the kind electronics come in for the viewing window. A $2 low wattage light bulb from the reptile section at Petco. A bunch of air holes in the top. I used to have a computer fan but took it out because it was making chicks sticky. The temp isn't perfectly stable but I run it around 95-99 degrees and have great luck. I dont think things need to be as perfect those last few days.

 

[RedRidge]

Turner unplugged... Humidity up... Let the lockdown begin!

 

[Quailsong]

I made my hatcher from a 3.99 Styrofoam cooler from the grocery store. a piece of clear plastic packaging like the kind electronics come in for the viewing window. A $2 low wattage light bulb from the reptile section at Petco. A bunch of air holes in the top. I used to have a computer fan but took it out because it was making chicks sticky. The temp isn't perfectly stable but I run it around 95-99 degrees and have great luck. I dont think things need to be as perfect those last few days.

Love this. Btw, having kept hermit crabs I've found the bulbs at the pet stores are often ordinary incandescent lights, just painted for colour w/ prices marked up to match. The pet store bulbs here are $10+CDN, so if they ever run out or mark up the price it's just as fine to get a low watt from the grocery or hardware store.

(Of course keeping in mind to avoid the non-break/teflon coat bulbs which give out toxic fumes)

 

[Leahs Mom]

Turner unplugged... Humidity up... Let the lockdown begin!

 

[jbarrett]

Birdsare all ready for this storm thats headed our way we are in the direct line I just saw on tv for this Tropical Storm in the Gulf....all my other FL people stay safe...

 

[SunnySkies]

We are battening down the hatches here too. Seems this storm will move rapidly up the coast and push rain ahead of it. I had promised the kids to go to the Lions Club annual carnival tonight, but it might start raining here in MD as early as this evening. My SFH just moved to a 5x6 coop (I just need to add the nest boxes to the outside as I opted to leave that off until they are closer to lay and cut a pop door) so I'm keeping them in. Everybody else gets to choose.

My three black chicks are still pretty dark. Rats, my photos are on my Nikon, not the iPad. The one might actually stay black.

 

[wildhorseannie]

JBarrett, I will pray for you and yours to get through the storm safely.

 

[SunnySkies]

Storm is coming onshore now in FL...hope everyone is safe!

 

[jbarrett]

JBarrett, I will pray for you and yours to get through the storm safely.

Thank you! I am far enough inland we wont get the worst but it has been pouring all night long heavy rain 3 in here so far some places expected to get 10 + inches

 

[chiques chicks]

My hen went broody a few weeks ago, so I left her sit. Three so far out of 6. Thats 14 of hers hatched this year, plus 5 from shipped eggs, so I now have a flock! Of course, I'll have to weed out some roosters, bit I finally have enough to say I have as flick of Swedish Flower Hens.
I am not breeding by color, not breeding by anything except no crested over crested. I want then to be as true as possible to their native style.