Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[ki4got]

my understanding is, a determined coon can rip thru chicken wire... that being said, none have tried here on the one coop I have with that wire. the rest are welded wire of heavier gauges...

I think 2" hex would be easier to destroy than 1" tho.

my pens i'm building have 1" welded wire for the bottom 24" then 2x4 fencing for the rest, with 1" hex on the roof. if necessary I can run regular electric wire around the bottom of the pens to keep anything from climbing. I have a good charger, and if the pen itself is well grounded (the wire that is) then anything touching a hot wire and the pen will get the snot knocked out if it. (note, grouding the pen is the most important thing there, not so much the 'hot' charger... tho mine's designed for 20 miles of fence LOL

someone mentioned (here or another thread?) that with an old fence she could grab the wire and get barely a tingle... that's probably because she was wearing good shoes with rubber soles. aka you're not well grounded and the pulse has to have somewhere to go. therefore you're just an insulator at that point.

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

Well 1 of my 2 young pullets from the newest GFF line of SFH laid her first egg yesterday now to pick a rooster to go with them so we can have a separate breeding pen. So excited.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have the 1/2" hardware cloth on my enclosures that need it.

I want to hear what they ripped through on sunny's wall. I've never heard of them getting through the 1/2" hardware cloth but I always ask what folks used when there is an attack just in case I need to consider something different.

KI - I have heard of coons reaching through the 1" stuff and grabbing a bird even if they can't get inside. I always try to be sure that their sleeping quarters keep them away from the wire in the dark if it's open to the outside.

73s (as my dad would say)

 

[RedRidge]

Congrats.

Well 1 of my 2 young pullets from the newest GFF line of SFH laid her first egg yesterday now to pick a rooster to go with them so we can have a separate  breeding pen. So excited.

Congrats. How many weeks old is she?

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

6 months almost exactly.

 

[ki4got]

I have the 1/2" hardware cloth on my enclosures that need it.

I want to hear what they ripped through on sunny's wall. I've never heard of them getting through the 1/2" hardware cloth but I always ask what folks used when there is an attack just in case I need to consider something different.

KI - I have heard of coons reaching through the 1" stuff and grabbing a bird even if they can't get inside. I always try to be sure that their sleeping quarters keep them away from the wire in the dark if it's open to the outside.

73s (as my dad would say)

each of the pens with 1" wire, the small pens I just cover the door at night to keep them from being scared out (have lost chicks thru the wire so I know that well) and the other pens, the houses are raised off the ground and plywood enclosed.

73s to you too. 8)

 

[OHfarmerswife]

New to SFH. Just received hatching eggs in the mail. How long do you recommend letting the eggs sit before putting in the incy?

 

[KYTinpusher]

New to SFH. Just received hatching eggs in the mail. How long do you recommend letting the eggs sit before putting in the incy?

That all depends on how the aircells look. Since yours probably went the whole way by truck, they should look pretty good. When they look good, I usually unpack, let them sit for a few hours and then set them. If the aircells are expanded but not broken, I will let them sit overnight before I set them. If they are REALLY bad with more than a few detached aircells, I still set the the next day, but I don't turn them for a few days.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: in the summer I worry that incubation may have already started with the heat in the truck & such... I set them immediately and just don't turn for 3 days. regardless of what the air cells look like. won't hurt one bit, and if anything else, a few days of growing and not turning will help them stabilize their position in the egg in case of any internal scrambling. I set them upright with air cells up. if you hand turn, use an egg carton then just tip it each time. if I have to hand turn (bators are full and hatcher isn't needed for a while yet) that's what I do... I use a couple wooden eggs laid over and wedged between 2 of the egg 'slots' to get enough tilt.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

in the summer I worry that incubation may have already started with the heat in the truck & such...  I set them immediately and just don't turn for 3 days. regardless of what the air cells look like. won't hurt one bit, and if anything else, a few days of growing and not turning will help them stabilize their position in the egg in case of any internal scrambling.  I set them upright with air cells up. if you hand turn, use an egg carton then just tip it each time. if I have to hand turn (bators are full and hatcher isn't needed for a while yet) that's what I do...  I use a couple wooden eggs laid over and wedged between 2 of the egg 'slots' to get enough tilt.

thanks KYT & ki4got