Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[ivyrash]

What do you use to determine that? I believe you but I'm just trying to learn for the future.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:

Question: Can SF's be shown in poultry shows, have they been recognized yet?

Thanks for your help.

yes, but only as 'any other variety' i believe... they are not recognized, nor will they likely be, since the breed is known for its variations and the APA would want you to stick to 1 type and color. aka crested mille fleur, or uncrested red mottled, etc. they won't accept a breed with a range of coloration and characteristics.
it's considered a landrace breed, known for its variety, hardiness, ability to forage and protect itself from predators. not so much for any single defining physical characteristic, except for the mottling which they all should have. most have an orange-red eye and yellow legs. egg color varies from off white to light brown.

Quote: What do you use to determine that? I believe you but I'm just trying to learn for the future.
personally, i look at the wattles, on any breed... at that age and development, a roo will have much more development and redness to the wattles. crested breeds are harder to go by comb only.

all breeds will vary by how young they start showing signs, IMO the sfh is a bit later than most. my bantam cochins start showing comb/wattles by 3 weeks old most often. sfh have fooled me up to about 7 weeks old! as such, immediately after picking up an extra roo from Bulldogma to go with my 3 pullets, just a week younger, 2 of those pullets decided to be roos too.

 

[ivyrash]

I started out with buff orpington's and then moved to some feed store americana chicks. I am not used to a hen having a pronounced comb so when I see that I tend to think "rooster" but I keep trying to remind myself that is not always the case. This crested pullet is aggressive which also threw me off. I kept watching for her to crow to tell me for sure.

I don't know what I would do with myself if I didn't have chickens to worry over! lol

Thanks for all the help. I'm sure I will have a lot more questions in the future.

 

[KYTinpusher]

Beautiful!

Here's a whole body shot.

 

[ki4got]

I started out with buff orpington's and then moved to some feed store americana chicks. I am not used to a hen having a pronounced comb so when I see that I tend to think "rooster" but I keep trying to remind myself that is not always the case. This crested pullet is aggressive which also threw me off. I kept watching for her to crow to tell me for sure.

I don't know what I would do with myself if I didn't have chickens to worry over! lol

Thanks for all the help. I'm sure I will have a lot more questions in the future.

i would worry about agression, only because the sfh is supposed to be super sweet and mellow. all of mine tend to hang out near the house because the baby roos (cochins) bully the girls mercilessly.

after my breeding pens are started, first order of business will be a rooster-only pen. then they can molest each other instead. LOL they already do, when the girls aren't there, so not much difference.

 

[ivyrash]

My husband is from Jonesville, VA. We moved back to Kansas from Tennessee about 4 years ago. I hope to move back out that way eventually, not enough trees here for me (even though this is where I grew up).

 

[Bulldogma]

My husband is from Jonesville, VA. We moved back to Kansas from Tennessee about 4 years ago. I hope to move back out that way eventually, not enough trees here for me (even though this is where I grew up).

I really enjoyed KS when I lived there - (2nd house was 8 miles SE of Alma - "Hessdale" which is in the foothills). Only thing was the weather extremes. Waaaayyy too cold in the winters and the summers can get pretty darn hot! My first house ever was just outside of Manhattan, but I lost it to floods in '93.

OK - walk down memory lane - over.

 

[pineneedlefarms]

Great lookin hen. She has small wattles and her tail feathers tend to point down, versus a roos that will stand up almost at 60 degrees or so, and the biggest indicator a fluffy bottom. She's beautiful

 

[pineneedlefarms]

Also, if you look at my pics I posted above, you can see that my hens have waddles, but have different tail feathers and underbody development of feathers then my roo. The crested hens when younger can be difficult to sex until they are a bit older.

 

[ivyrash]

Thanks, I will let you know if I decide not to keep her. I'm not overly fond of the crested, just waiting to see what she will look like full grown.

Great lookin hen. She has small wattles and her tail feathers tend to point down, versus a roos that will stand up almost at 60 degrees or so, and the biggest indicator a fluffy bottom. She's beautiful

I remember 93' I thought it would never stop raining. It does get hot here and the humidity is rough at times. I miss the mountains and trees though, too many corn fields!