Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[PugBug]

Just posting some photos...haven't put any out in awhile. I don't have any great photos right now but here are a couple of the 2 girls at 26 weeks.


Miss Sweden (I need to give her a proper name sometime soon...how 'bout a "Name the Swede Contest"? Anyone want to contribute a name suggestion?)





Don't have a good photo of Miss Gray right now but here are the 2 of them together from a strange angle

both are really pretty, I have one simular in color to 'miss Sweden', mine's name is Violanta- after's my DH's aunt in Sweden. In fact all of mine are named Swedish names from DH's family

 

[ddpbk1]

RedRidge: The cockerel already has wattles and the comb is larger. My other ones weren't as large at this age. It took to about 9 weeks to tell males in them. That is the reason I had the question about the crests as they are extremely large. The rooster actually was born with the puff that look like the silkie and polish when born. He is also twice the size of the female. Here are the 20 babies I own from RBA last week. I attached a better photo of his head.

 

[Bulldogma]

LM - your birds are growing up beautifully! How's the cockerel's leg? I have one now with a suspected leg injury so I'm keeping her in one of the little separation areas of my trailer. She doesn't like being alone, but she can see any birds that come into the main area of the trailer-coop. I saw one of my large H/RIR cockerels chasing her and trying to mount her the other day and I believe that is how she came to be injured. The RIR boys are now separated from the flock. I'll be horribly upset if she doesn't recover - she's my only crested pullet and a lovely little thing! I'm feeding her raw liver and she's eating well... SO hope she gets through this!!

ddpbk1 - great pictures of some beautiful birds!

 

[Leahs Mom]

The leg seems to have resolved itself.

I could only bear to keep him and a small harem separated for about half a day. They were going stir crazy! He would go up on the roost at night but that is the only thing he would jump up on. He actually was hopping on one foot when he wanted to run. It was kind of comical. He did spend a good amount of time laying down on the ground, but always looked very healthy.

Every morning for about 2 weeks we went out early before sun up and removed him from the roost (put him on the floor) so he didn't have to jump down as they are high enough that I thought he'd injure himself further. After that, he was always down before we got out there...but still limping.

Now, after about 5 weeks I think, he is walking quite normally.

I'm of the opinion that it was an injury/sprain rather than something genetic. We had examined looking at legs, looking for swellings, etc. and didn't see/feel anything out of the ordinary. I still tried to feed him liver frequently (although he'd give most of it to the ladies unless I was able to get him isolated where only he was able to access it. Nice thing - the gentlemanly behavior of the roosters with the ladies when it comes to food - but not so nice if he needs to have something for himself!

Anyhow...doing well, but it took awhile. Just like if we sprained an ankle and didn't rest it

 

[RedRidge]

RedRidge: The cockerel already has wattles and the comb is larger. My other ones weren't as large at this age. It took to about 9 weeks to tell males in them. That is the reason I had the question about the crests as they are extremely large. The rooster actually was born with the puff that look like the silkie and polish when born. He is also twice the size of the female. Here are the 20 babies I own from RBA last week. I attached a better photo of his head.

Beautiful variety in this group... can't wait to see how they color out.

 

[Spifflove]

It's July, my group is 4 months old and there are some hard culling decisions to be made...

 

[SunnySkies]

If it wasn't for the last photo of the buff colored rooster, spitoflove, I'd think I was looking at MY birds. LOL

All of my white and red ones have that unusual placement/carriage of flight feathers on the wings. They don't seem to have split wing though. But it bears watching.

I'm in the same boat....which ones do I keep?

Well, a little update on my coop situation...Wasp ran one of the other roosters out. Poor guy hid behind me and volunteered to be picked up to get away from Wasp. I put him in with my chicks, because I couldnt put him anywhere else where he would not get his behind spanked by an older roo, and he seems to have taken on the role of big brother. I had planned to probably cull him, but he is a nice rooster so far, and I like how he is taking care of these 6 week old chicks. Took the two pullets from my March order and put them out in the coop with Wasp, the oldest pullet and two other roosters. That leaves me with two roosters in a coop where I might be able to place my black chicks once they're a bit bigger.

Poor girls I moved last night are completely traumatized. They just move from corner to corner of the coop. The others just want outside to forage.

 

[ddpbk1]

Thank you, I'm hoping for some blues in these little guys.

 

[ki4got]

LM - your birds are growing up beautifully! How's the cockerel's leg? I have one now with a suspected leg injury so I'm keeping her in one of the little separation areas of my trailer. She doesn't like being alone, but she can see any birds that come into the main area of the trailer-coop. I saw one of my large H/RIR cockerels chasing her and trying to mount her the other day and I believe that is how she came to be injured. The RIR boys are now separated from the flock. I'll be horribly upset if she doesn't recover - she's my only crested pullet and a lovely little thing! I'm feeding her raw liver and she's eating well... SO hope she gets through this!!

sorry to hear about your girl, hope she recovers quickly...

I'm still willing to swap out the mf girl, if you still want her. sister's turning definitely blue, but she seems to be staying black.

i'm planning on penning the trio, 'good' young roo and the 2 young girls together soon, in the mfc pen. since all the cochins are broody it's kind of a waste.

thinking the black and white from that last hatch is a roo... comb is just too big at his age to be a pullet, IMO.

 

[Bulldogma]

I'm giving my girl all the liver she'll eat as well as her regular food to try to help her heal. I'm pretty worried about her. I think it's a hip by the way she's walking, but it may be both the hip and hock.

I'm in NO rush to cull her and she's still standing up and eating quite well... so she gets all the time she needs without anyone bullying her.

Whose eggs did the black/white come from? And I can't wait to see what you get from your trio.

Irony? The bird I offered to trade you (Astrid) is the only mature SFH I have that isn't broody! LOL!