Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[SunnySkies]

Mine won't let you catch or hold them, but they are all up in everyone's business. I go out to fool with the pigs, and they come out to see (I think the pigs ate a RSL that was running with the SFH!). I work in the run in shed and they are right behind me. They won't be touched but are very curious about everything. The Maran flock and the mixed layer flock, birds that also roam all the time, don't do this.

My layer flock is the one that went through a molt 6 weeks ago and hasn't laid an egg since. The Swedes quit for a bit but have started back...I get 2-3 eggs a day from them. I'm saving up eggs for the NYD hatchalong.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I've also made a decision. all the sfh roos will be free rangers as soon as they're ready while i'm no longer going to range the girls until they've started laying like good little egg machines. LOL that is, once the babies are big enough to sex and go in the big hoop coop (and not escape thru the 2x4 wire on it). I'll just have to evict the dorkings before then. maybe they just want a bigger house and pen... we can hope.

Please elaborate on this more. Are you meaning that they aren't laying as well when free ranging? Or that they lay eggs out on range instead of in the nest boxes? Or....???

 

[SunnySkies]

Please elaborate on this more.  Are you meaning that they aren't laying as well when free ranging?  Or that they lay eggs out on range instead of in the nest boxes?  Or....???

Mine, don't know about ki4got, lay best when allowed to free range. One won't lay in the coop -- she lays on the deck, on one of the dining chairs there, lol, at the same time so we collect her egg from there -- but the rest go back to the coop to lay. But pen them up, and they stop laying for an indefinite amount of time.

Going to have to pen them up to integrate some other hens, and that will cause complete chaos. Oh well.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
mine won't lay in nest boxes but decide to hide them up in the woods and brush... so the new babies won't free range until they're laying in the nests, to get the 'good' habit going.

 

[ancientoaks]

When did your broody mamma quit taking care of the chicks? I have a girl (not sfh) that broods and she takes care of them for about 12-13 weeks before she ditches them. Doesn't lay during the whole time and won't have anything to do with the rooster either.

Both of my hens went broody at the same time and in the beginning both took care of the chicks. One hen started to lay again when the chicks were just over 3 weeks old and she stopped taking care of the chicks. the other hen started to lay a few weeks later and still took care of the chicks after she started to lay. My chicks were hatched the first week of Sept. the time of year may make a difference of how long the hens take care of the chicks. What the hens are being fed may also make a difference. I feed game breeder food to my hens and it is higher in protein than laying crumbles and this may bring the hens back into breeding condition faster. Most hens that are not in breeding condition will avoid the roosters if they can.

 

[MeatMyChicken]

I have 2 SFH lapbirds and a few more that don't mind being handled a bit. Others are curious but don't want to be handled. All different personalities.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Sigh. Both of my sfh pullets were pretty skittish. Now the new girl seems to be acting like her mom did.

Maybe I'll capture the newest one (14 weeks) and just torture her by handling her a little bit more. Which is more than not at all up to this point!

 

[redhen689]

So excited!!!! My first SFH egg today. Ingrid is not quite 6 months, she was born on June 13.

Cool! Mine hatched that same week,and I have not found eggs yet. I'll have to start keeping a closer eye...
They do free range and wander quite a distance into the woods, so who knows, they may be laying somewhere else.

 

[Jeansrie]

Hi everyone. I hatched my first SFH chicks about a month ago. Have you ever seen one crested like this? None of his hatch-mates are this dramatic. I've decided to call him Kramer.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Cool!  Mine hatched that same week,and I have not found eggs yet.  I'll have to start keeping a closer eye...
They do free range and wander quite a distance into the woods, so who knows, they may be laying
somewhere else.

Good luck, mine are in the coop most of the day. They free range in the late afternoon. Supervised.