Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[ki4got]

I think the best thing for me to do is find some extra SFH hens or pullets to put with my three pair I will be getting. Surely by March or April someone will have some to sell.

I plan to have some available at Gilmanor (first sat in may). but until then we won't be sorting them out to choose breeders (leigh and I). by then some will be nearing POL as well but there will be other younger ages too.

 

[Trooper Man]

I plan to have some available at Gilmanor (first sat in may). but until then we won't be sorting them out to choose breeders (leigh and I). by then some will be nearing POL as well but there will be other younger ages too.

I see thank you for helping me to become a member of that site. Maybe in May I can buy some from you?

 

[shotzy007]

Latest picture of Stormy, my chatty swedish hen

 

[Trooper Man]

I would be happy with chicks as long as it was a fair price. I just cannot do eggs because they might be messed up in shipping. I live in northeast Tennessee and would gladly meet someone to pick up the fowl. Anyone in southwest VA or northwest NC I am very close to both.

 

[HaplessRunner]

I have a question about my SFH. I'm directing this at folks that have more than one breed of chicken.

All of my SFH have been raised by a broody. The broody is a hatchery red girl. "Mamma" keeps her kiddos for about 13-14 weeks before ditching them. The first batch with SFH was Emma, "Mister" the roo, "Miss Grey" and another bird we think is a BA. The chicken herd that they were hatched into was: All hatchery girls: 2 BR, 2 Reds, 2 EEs.




Miss Gray was always the bottom of the pecking order and a "runner". She never stood up for herself but ran from the slightest provocation. She was killed by a hawk last fall.

Miss Gray

Emma is peace-loving...but she will be a little aggressive toward the "lowers". Still more of an "avoidance" girl.

Emma:




Now I have 3 kiddos that are 23 weeks old. They were also hatched and raised by the same broody red girl. 2 are SFH/BA mix; one is SFH - Miss Gray's daughter. She looks just like her bio-mom but has a larger crest (2 crested parents unfortunately).



Miss Gray's daughter behaves just like she did and has quickly become the bottom of the pecking order. Doesn't stand up for herself. Runs. She is currently "cooped up" with Emma and the 2 mixes.
MissGray's daughter sunning herself today:

HAVE You FOUND THAT THE SFH END UP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PECKING ORDER IF THERE IS MORE THAN ONE BREED?

She is the only one that is light colored...could be the color difference. Either way, it seems the Swedes don't stand up for themselves the same way the others do. And these gray girls are the worst.

Do you think it would be different if they were housed with SFH only?

One other thing...
Both Miss Gray and her daughter did the normal chest-bumping when they were younger and looked like they were going to stand up for themselves like normal. At some point that changed.

I have found that SFH pullets tend to be lower in the pecking order when mixed with other breeds. Once they mature (10 months+), they seem to come into their own a little more and move up the pecking order some. No SFH pullets or hens that I have are at the top. The same cannot be said for the cockerels and roosters. They tend to move up the order very rapidly.

I do have an exception to this for one young cockerel. He is a beautiful blue-based but has not grown as fast as others. He is clearly on the very bottom of the pecking order and totally in flight mode around almost all other chickens. If you picture a skinny kid on muscle beach, you get the idea. Not sure what his personality problem is. He also walks very funny; as if he were hopping from foot-to-foot. ANyone see this type of walking behavior before?

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have found that SFH pullets tend to be lower in the pecking order when mixed with other breeds. Once they mature (10 months+), they seem to come into their own a little more and move up the pecking order some. No SFH pullets or hens that I have are at the top. The same cannot be said for the cockerels and roosters. They tend to move up the order very rapidly.

I do have an exception to this for one young cockerel. He is a beautiful blue-based but has not grown as fast as others. He is clearly on the very bottom of the pecking order and totally in flight mode around almost all other chickens. If you picture a skinny kid on muscle beach, you get the idea. Not sure what his personality problem is. He also walks very funny; as if he were hopping from foot-to-foot. ANyone see this type of walking behavior before?

Mister has the advantage of being the ONLY rooster in the flock. Talk about special treatment by the older ladies...no matter what breed!

I had just hoped he might protect his age-mates from the olders but that didn't seem to happen!

 

[Trooper Man]

How flighty are the hens and about how big do they get once matured?

 

[FeyRaine]

I have found that SFH pullets tend to be lower in the pecking order when mixed with other breeds. Once they mature (10 months+), they seem to come into their own a little more and move up the pecking order some. No SFH pullets or hens that I have are at the top. The same cannot be said for the cockerels and roosters. They tend to move up the order very rapidly.

I do have an exception to this for one young cockerel. He is a beautiful blue-based but has not grown as fast as others. He is clearly on the very bottom of the pecking order and totally in flight mode around almost all other chickens. If you picture a skinny kid on muscle beach, you get the idea. Not sure what his personality problem is. He also walks very funny; as if he were hopping from foot-to-foot. ANyone see this type of walking behavior before?

RE: Blue Roo being lowest - Mine Too! I have a growing out group of about 17 birds, 3 CL pullets, a much of barnyard mixes, & 3 SFH Cockerels, 2 are the TOP birds but the Blue SFH Cockerel is below ALL the others, even some smaller younger pullets - I found it very weird, to the point I wondered if there is something wrong w/ him, but his feathers are the picture of health he is growning fine, sized up fine, just the complete run from everyone shy bird.

RE: Hop Running
YES !! It is actually one of my fav. things about the SFH , so far 100% do this silly silly hop hop hop running, & "Flo" adds a zig zap too, she looks completely crazed but I think it helps them avoid predators. That is my theory anyway. The other chickens meander around in a lazy predictable route, while the SFH do this unpredictable jumping and running any time they go more than a 3 ft distance. If I were a hawk or a fox (or me trying to catch a bird) it sure is easier to catch ahold of any of the non-SFH vs. those nutty running jumping things. (May not hold true in the case of dogs, but for other prediters I'd think it saves the SFH every time). If nothing else it makes the SFH very fun to watch ;>

 

[Bulldogma]

How flighty are the hens and about how big do they get once matured?

Mine aren't flighty at all. I have a few that enjoy being held and carried about.

Mister has the advantage of being the ONLY rooster in the flock. Talk about special treatment by the older ladies...no matter what breed!

I had just hoped he might protect his age-mates from the olders but that didn't seem to happen!

LM - I have a mixed flock of sex links, EEs, Silkies and SFH. My SFH tend to be on the top of the pecking order and then it kind of falls in age groups with each age group having its own order below the oldest birds. Two of my EEs are on the very bottom.

 

[Trooper Man]

Mine aren't flighty at all. I have a few that enjoy being held and carried about.

Thank you so much I am glad to hear that