Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[ChickNmamma]

(((

Opened my bantam Cochin coop this morning, where two SFH chicks live along with 4 roosters and 3 hens, to carnage.

A coon got in somehow (I closed the coop myself last night) and destroyed my birds. The only survivors are two buff barred boys and two hens (the moms), one of whom looks bad. The SFH kids were killed, along with the two head roosters and one mom. I screamed, sobbed, and hubby had to clean up before the kids found it. I loved those birds. Those Cochins were my first chickens, and I had had them exactly 1 year

What a horrible thing to find first thing in the morning and on our 20th anniversary.

I am declaring war on raccoons. Even though I do not shop on Sunday I am headed to the store after church for a trap and bait, an electric fencing kit (i just ordered meat chicks to put in a hoop coop and need to fortify the defenses), and a shotgun (maybe). Going to lobby hard for an LGD.

Every chicken owner's nightmare.

I am so sorry to hear this. Declare war on those coons. Get a dog - get a gun - get an electric fence - get a trap.. get those coons! Fortify the coops like fort knox. If a 3 year old can figure out a way to get in - the raccoons can. They are probably worse, because they can dig and climb better than 3 year olds - and they will destroy everything.

 

[Perkhens]

SunnySkies, so sorry to read about your morning. Good luck with the fortifications!

I'm in need of an assist, SFH owners. I have my first chicks, and two are 6 week old SFH. Since I am a total noob at this, I'm not sure what I should be looking for to determine if these are some beautiful ladies or beautiful roos. Would love any advice/thoughts!

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[Perkhens]

SunnySkies, so sorry to read about your morning. Good luck with the fortifications!

I'm in need of an assist, SFH owners. I have my first chicks, and two are 6 week old SFH. Since I am a total noob at this, I'm not sure what I should be looking for to determine if these are some beautiful ladies or beautiful roos. Would love any advice/thoughts!

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[Leahs Mom]

I am sick about the loss of the two SFH. One was a beautiful blue and red pullet I was hoping to cross with a blue and red rooster.

Mysteriously, I don't see how the coon got in the coop. I did close it after dark, after visiting the neighbors, so I'm horrified at the idea that perhaps my birds were dead when I closed the coop. I had one absolutely brazen daytime attack a few weeks ago. This coon is evil.

I suspect one of the surviving hens won't make it. I have her in a hospital coop, and I think she may have internal damage. Doing all I can do for her. She laid an egg a few minutes ago, which probably didn't help.

I have 14 eggs from this coop to set, and hopefully one or two will be barred buff, but I won't be able to replace the SFH yet. The POL girls are holding out, but once they get going...

Assuming that they got in after you closed everything...

Is it possible that it was a weasel? They can get into really tiny spaces.

 

[jmarie]

So sorry for your loss, a 22 might work better than a shotgun. you just need to practice a bit. you dont want to have to shoot a shotgun near your chicks, but with a little practice you can easily pick off a coon with a 22 with little or no recoil for you and less potential damage to your chicks....Actually a AR or a 223/556 would be perfect for this application!

I am sick about the loss of the two SFH. One was a beautiful blue and red pullet I was hoping to cross with a blue and red rooster.

Mysteriously, I don't see how the coon got in the coop. I did close it after dark, after visiting the neighbors, so I'm horrified at the idea that perhaps my birds were dead when I closed the coop. I had one absolutely brazen daytime attack a few weeks ago. This coon is evil.

I suspect one of the surviving hens won't make it. I have her in a hospital coop, and I think she may have internal damage. Doing all I can do for her. She laid an egg a few minutes ago, which probably didn't help.

I have 14 eggs from this coop to set, and hopefully one or two will be barred buff, but I won't be able to replace the SFH yet. The POL girls are holding out, but once they get going...

 

[Bernie56]

SunnySkies, so sorry to read about your morning. Good luck with the fortifications!

I'm in need of an assist, SFH owners. I have my first chicks, and two are 6 week old SFH. Since I am a total noob at this, I'm not sure what I should be looking for to determine if these are some beautiful ladies or beautiful roos. Would love any advice/thoughts!

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Congratulations on some beautiful birds. Its a little difficult to see the comb on the blue one, but the crest looks like a pullet. The multi colored one definitely looks like a pullet to me. Good luck!

 

[Bernie56]

I am sick about the loss of the two SFH. One was a beautiful blue and red pullet I was hoping to cross with a blue and red rooster.

Mysteriously, I don't see how the coon got in the coop. I did close it after dark, after visiting the neighbors, so I'm horrified at the idea that perhaps my birds were dead when I closed the coop. I had one absolutely brazen daytime attack a few weeks ago. This coon is evil.

I suspect one of the surviving hens won't make it. I have her in a hospital coop, and I think she may have internal damage. Doing all I can do for her. She laid an egg a few minutes ago, which probably didn't help.

I have 14 eggs from this coop to set, and hopefully one or two will be barred buff, but I won't be able to replace the SFH yet. The POL girls are holding out, but once they get going...

How horrible! I'm so sorry to hear this. Years ago we had a dog get into the chickens and killed almost all of them. I found the remains of my son's favorite hen in the back yard with an unbroken egg in them. He was so upset that I told him I would put it in the incubator, and it hatched! Hopefully you will have good luck with your eggs.

 

[HaplessRunner]

SunnySkies,

I am so sorry for your loss. I know the pain of the loss and the intense feelings that follow. This, too, will pass. Prayers and thoughts are with you.

 

[DeltaBluezTess]

my new flock...some of the hens have a little crest....the 3 month old pullets from these hens when I was at her place- some have nice crests and tons of color.....very striking.....they are in their new coop and wondering what happened?

 

[SunnySkies]

Hubby said no to the gun. Killjoy. But I have traps and everything else, except the dog. We aren't quite ready for a dog. But I'm looking for one. A friend has two LGDs and I want one like hers. She said they have only lost one bird to a predator since getting the first dog (Akbash) 5 years ago, and that was a coon that came up while the dogs were still holed up after a storm.

I'm pretty sure it was a coon. The birds were torn to pieces. We had a weasel attack when I was a kid -- 300 chickens in the coop, but luckly not that many killled -- and it wasn't carnage on this level. I hated taking the head rooster out, missing just his head Thr kids were half eaten, one hen was entirely eaten, and the others were headless. I think about the fear and pain those birds suffered, and it just doesn't bear thinking about.

I'm scared to go inside tonight and take my eyes off the outside. But I'm working tomorrow (of course) so I really do need to sleep a little.

The hen looks awful, but she is still alive. She has a severe cut on the side of her head, her eyes are swollen shut, and she acts like she doesn't want to move, she won't eat. She has had a ton of antibiotics and pain control and everything I can do for her. Fingers crossed.

I set 15 eggs. Those hens were laying machines when they were not hatching eggs and gave me two eggs today despite everything. I hope they were fertilized by the two dead roosters.

Something I am concerned about is now, the boss of the whole place is gone. Pecker (yes, snigger away. I LOL when the kids named him, but he nipped everyone as a young guy, so the name fit) ruled the farm. Nobody fought without his permission, nobody mated without his OK, and that little sucker was the best roo. What is going to happen with flock order now? It will be something to bear watching and make sure my LF Roos dont beat up the two Cochin boys who survived.

You are supposed to get a trapping license in this state, but if I catch one, I am sure I can figure out something. War on coons.

I was startled to see coyote traps at TSC in my area. Heaven forbid. But that would explain how a large duck went missing early this week.