Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[Bulldogma]

Well, Wasp, aka Ball of Hormones, was respectful this morning when I let his flock out. I reached in to check feed, and since they needed more water, he and the rest escorted me to the faucet without an issue. I had a squirtgun just in case though

He is wandering a bit today, ogling various ladies, but no shrieks of what ARE you doing?! today from the yard.

YAY!

 

[lawatt]

very excited, as i finally have two SFH girls! picked up two 6-8 week old pullets from Deann at Just Struttin Farm today -- they are so beautiful!













once they grow up, i'm sure they'll be very happy with my lovely boy Max:

 

[pebcrb]

Very pretty girls

 

[tweetr1979]

very excited, as i finally have two SFH girls! picked up two 6-8 week old pullets from Deann at Just Struttin Farm today -- they are so beautiful!














once they grow up, i'm sure they'll be very happy with my lovely boy Max:

Awww they are awesome - I wish someone around me had some & chicks for sale lol

 

[chiques chicks]

Awww they are awesome - I wish someone around me had some & chicks for sale lol

Tweetr pm me. No chicks yet, but they should be laying by late summer. Also know a place in PA that normally had some. I'm in Lancaster/Harrisburg area. Building my flock!

 

[TarheelBirdy]

very excited, as i finally have two SFH girls! picked up two 6-8 week old pullets from Deann at Just Struttin Farm today -- they are so beautiful!













once they grow up, i'm sure they'll be very happy with my lovely boy Max:

Pretty girls!

 

[TarheelBirdy]

Guess who is broody?

Right in the middle of egg-selling season?

Nothing I do can break this broody.....as we speak, she is sitting on a frozen bottle of water. Besides being inconvenient, it is starting to break my heart for her....she is determined to be a mama.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: well, my oldest are a week younger than that one roo I got from you. before the other 2 decided on the sex change... then the next 3 are a few weeks younger. I haven't sold ANY of your babies... but you've gotten some of them back from me I think. I think the first bunch and like the 3rd bunch you got from me... well duh I should just look at my hatch log. LOL.

ok, you picked up a few assorted sfh/?? that hatched Feb. 9, including a dorking/?? something. the next 4 are my oldest (lost the one girl tho!) hatched march 5. then you had some shipped to me that you came and got too, the next bunch are my next youngest (the ones you met last weekend) hatched April 11th, then some more that hatched April 18, you picked up from me at the April swap. after that it's been the ones that went to Gilmanor, the next bunch you got at the may swap, and the last 1 to hatch came from the eggs you got at Gilmanor, now with orpingmomma (second round of babies so far this year...)

then, unfortunately you lost your roo juice supplier.

so currently I have 3 or 4 Gunnar roos and 2 girls, the 3 from Kimberly and 1 from... whoever gave you the eggs at Gilmanor? k.i.forgot strikes again. LOL

did I confuse you too badly? LOL

anyone need a Gunnar son? I've got 2 for sure that need homes.

both my girls from Kimberly are laying now, the roo seems to know his job, but I don't know that the girls have met up with him yet... but thanks to a 'volunteer' broody, I know for sure they are fertile! LOL AND they're going in a pen after this weekend is over.

 

[mamajulie]

I love my Swedish hens. There so lovely and tame but I hold all my birds. Anyone shipping eggs for hatching?
Thanks. Julie

 

[RedRidge]

I love my Swedish hens. There so lovely and tame but I hold all my birds. Anyone shipping eggs for hatching?
Thanks. Julie

I'm curious... I tend to have a few who simply like attention, but the rest just don't want to be held (I'm talking about all breeds).
That said... the SFH do seem more curious than the others (but of course mine are only a few weeks old so it's hard to really compare).

I have found that handling the cockerels a little is helpful as they mature, but making them "pets" can have distinct disadvantages later on... almost like an alpha dog kinda thing.
Have other folks found this to be true?

So... I tend to spend a lot of time with mine, and they come running when they see me, but in general I rarely pick them up. Right now I have a LOT cockerels under 3 months of age... 10 SC HRIR, 6 RB, and an undetermined number of SFH. Those are in addition to my older roo (who may find himself in the freezer this fall if he doesn't shape up). I have no reservation about culling a roo for bad behavior, no matter how nice he is. So I will only keep 5-6 roos through the winter... they have to be nice to me, and they have to play well with others in the rooster pen over the winter.

I mention all that because I know of several folks who carry their roos around and they are just as friendly as the hens... Are my roos just abnormal in that they are rather "aloof" and prefer to not be picked up? or is there something I can do at certain ages to make them less aloof? Keep in mind, I don't know who my culls are yet, so carrying around 2 dozen cockerels each day is NOT likely. But I do sit with them, etc... sometimes rub under the chin of one or two, simply don't make a habit of picking them up. Should I? would this help?