Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[Bulldogma]

Thank you, wildhorseannie! I'm very grateful to still have 2 lovely boys that are breeding age. Mace - a Gunnar son, and Blue who is Bazinga's boy. (Blue still likes to get an occasional cuddle... but only if none of the other chickens are watching.)



I'm also grateful to have a lovely son of Sorenson who will join the big boys some day!

 

[redhen689]

Leigh, I'm sorry to hear of the loss of Sorenson. I know he was a favorite of yours.

 

[TxFlowers]

Some of you may have already seen the following thread. I just happened across it and felt it interesting since we were just talking about making choices to avoid "deformities" in our SFH chicks if we could by not breeding crested to crested. Obviously there was something more going on here but it does hit home I think.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/799553/severely-deformed-sfh-chick-too-much-inbreeding

This post does bring up a question. The person who started this thread said she had "heard" SFH had genetic problems due to "too much inbreeding" and too small a gene pool. I am wondering if any of you that have had some experience in breeding these birds have seen any clues this is true. I have hatched quite a few shipped eggs. I had one SFH chick born with deformed eyes. Of course it was a badly wanted "black" chick! Anyway, one eye was bulging while other seemed kind of sunken in. I put down that chick. I thought it odd but didn't think much more about it as occasional deformities happen in all breeds/species from time to time and I haven't had any other chicks born with obvious problems since but I am curious if anyone else has seen any unusual deformities in their SFH chicks. Personally I feel the breed is very hardy and haven't seen anything to suggest inbreeding is a problem.

 

[HaplessRunner]

I have experienced two SFH with tail deformities. One was a MF pullet that I hatched from an egg from a breeder in Florida. The other is a blue-based cockerel that I hatched from eggs that I got from a breeder in southside VA. In both cases the tail did not develop properly. The pictures from earlier last year are below.

Blue-based cockerel:



MF Pullet:






I still have both of these. The cockerel is slated for eventual culling. The pullet does lay eggs in my layer flock. Because of her extreme downward cast of her tail angle successful breeding is unlikely and I would not use her for breeding anyway.

These are the deformities that I have observed. Since they came from two different flocks in two very separate areas of the country. it does make me wonder if this may be more than an incubation issue. Thoughts?

 

[TxFlowers]

I hatched four Breda fowl from same breeder earlier this yr. One was totally missing a tail. Only time I have seen that. I didn't necessarily want to cull it if it was a pullet and could lay normally in the layer flock but it had a problem with diarrhea. It would run all down it's rear and cake up so I did put it down.

 

[Bulldogma]

I have experienced two SFH with tail deformities. One was a MF pullet that I hatched from an egg from a breeder in Florida. The other is a blue-based cockerel that I hatched from eggs that I got from a breeder in southside VA. In both cases the tail did not develop properly. The pictures from earlier last year are below.

Blue-based cockerel:

MF Pullet:

I still have both of these. The cockerel is slated for eventual culling. The pullet does lay eggs in my layer flock. Because of her extreme downward cast of her tail angle successful breeding is unlikely and I would not use her for breeding anyway.

These are the deformities that I have observed. Since they came from two different flocks in two very separate areas of the country. it does make me wonder if this may be more than an incubation issue. Thoughts?

Here's some interesting info someone posted on the thread you mentioned earlier:


From: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vm095
Deformities

In any animal population during embryonic development, there is a predictable incidence of embryos that die or are not able to hatch due to deformities. Based on this comprehensive investigation, data demonstrated that the percent of deformed embryos ranged from 0.22 to 0.30% of the total hatch. These findings suggest that hatchability declines on the average of 0.25% due to malformed chicks. A combination of deformities and malpositions can be manifested simultaneously. Table 2 shows the incidence of common deformities observed from embryos at 15 to 21 days of incubation. The most common deformities are those of exposed brain (29%), without eye(s) (25%) and with beak abnormalities (+/-35%).

Table 2.
Incidence of common deformities
Deformity

Description

%
1

Exposed Brain

29
2

Without eye(s)

25
3

4 legs

10
4

Deformed beak

27
5

No upper beak

8
6

Deformed twisted leg

1

This makes a lot of sense, and I'll bet other weird things like the tail deformities etc. are along these lines but less likely to prevent the chick from developing and hatching than, say, the brain on the outside. Chalk it up to a percentage game. If you hatch a lot of eggs, you're going to get some "special" birds every now and then.

 

[Leahs Mom]

A few days ago, my dear, sweet Soreson showed the first signs of heart failure. I did what I could to rule out any other issues, but it soon became apparent there was nothing I could do to help him.

A day ago I finally separated him from the flock to ensure he wouldn't be picked on, and last evening I brought him in the house so he could pass peacefully in a comfortable, warm setting.

He passed at around 10:40 last night.

I have a question (and a comment).
-How did you know it was heart failure? What were the signs?
-What age was he?

I remember Stony saying that a lot of roosters showed heart failure at about 8 mos old.

 

[ki4got]

If you hatch a lot of eggs, you're going to get some "special" birds every now and then.

I had two hatch this last go-round, one with a severe wry neck, coming off the shoulders to the left at almost 90 degrees, then another bend closer o the head and the last bend right at the head, so 3 distinct zigs which prevented him from doing pretty much anything normally. I've had some mild wry necks hatch out and correct itself within a matter of hours. this is the first I've ever had that was that badly crooked.

the other chick had loops of old blood vessels wrapped around one leg and part of the umbilical failed to draw in. the vessels had no visible blood in them, so I just snipped them to release his leg, and then put him with the rest of the chicks. now I can't tell which one it was, as it seems the umbilical did draw back in and there's no permanent damage apparently...

these were the only 2 issues I've had hatching sfh, other than the occasional shrink wrapping because the humidity dropped too fast/soon.

counting in my head (laptop's turned off so I can't check my hatching log at the moment) that's from over 100 sfh chicks hatched in the last year.

 

[goddardd]

Hi Leigh,
I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your Sorenson. When you sent me eggs 2 of them are most definitely Sorenson babies! I have one little roo and one pullet that are non crested clones.
Very pretty! It must be wonderful to know he will continue to influence the future of this breed.
Diane in Texas

 

[Bulldogma]

I have a question (and a comment).
-How did you know it was heart failure? What were the signs?
-What age was he?

I remember Stony saying that a lot of roosters showed heart failure at about 8 mos old.

I believe he was about 9-10 months - a late February '13 hatch... but SunnySkies can correct me if I'm wrong. He could have been younger as I could be thinking of the hatch date of the other rooster I got from her. Both were from GFF.

As for signs, I noticed he just wasn't acting like himself. Normally he was the first bird to greet me when I came out, and when he didn't do that I wondered what was up. After a few days of being off behavior-wise, his comb started getting bluish - starting in the back on the top. Of course at first I thought it was the cold, but when it progressed and he continued to slow down...

No other symptoms. No wheezing or discharge. Then he stopped eating but seemed VERY thirsty. I should have culled him, but I just couldn't make myself do it.

Hi Leigh,
I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your Sorenson. When you sent me eggs 2 of them are most definitely Sorenson babies! I have one little roo and one pullet that are non crested clones.
Very pretty! It must be wonderful to know he will continue to influence the future of this breed.
Diane in Texas

I'm SO happy knowing there are so many beautiful Sorenson babies out there! I hope they all get his amazing disposition!!