Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[ki4got]

Sorry to hear about your losses Sunnyskies... I can sympathize. with all this rain, I had 3 trees come down on one of the coops, allowing critters in overnight. I lost 4 sfh, including the best of gunnar's cockerels I had planned on keeping, another younger cockerel of his and a pullet and another cockerel that I had planned to take to the swap this weekend... I also lost 3 silver laced cochin chicks, 2 pullets and a cockerel (I have 1 good pullet and a roo left, with 2 more pullets that are poorly laced at best but will have to do now.) and also a silver Ameraucana/ee chick i'd picked up at Gilmanor... she was turning into a gorgeous girl too.

hubby chopped up the trees, we fixed the coop, and the next night, one of my cochin girls didn't go in, but I heard her screaming when she got nabbed. the dog peeled out and scared the coon off, she's got a couple bite marks but seems to be ok. later the dog treed the coon, which we shot (head shot with .22 doesn't kill them btw...) then the dog got hold of it, and it STILL managed to wander off to die somewhere on the neighbor's property. (dog would have finished it but I wouldn't let him follow off our property). he's got a few scratches on his face but all the blood was raccoon's...

why is it that every time I bathe Sunny, it's after midnight? and always because of blood or mud?

fortunately, it DIDN'T get the pullet Bulldogma wants... or any of my mature swedes.

 

[PugBug]

(((

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.

Aww, that is awful- so sorry to hear this!

 

[PugBug]

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?

I see the blue spots on the white now- never seen this color- pretty

 

[Perkhens]

Thanks, Bernie56! They are getting so beautiful! Would the comb be larger? It's about comparable to my multi's comb. Here is a better photo of her face:

 

[ki4got]

Thanks, Bernie56! They are getting so beautiful! Would the comb be larger? It's about comparable to my multi's comb. Here is a better photo of her face:

if it's only 6 weeks old, sorry but i'd say roo on that one. the comb is larger than the one on my 8 week old uncrested pullet.

 

[Bernie56]

if it's only 6 weeks old, sorry but i'd say roo on that one. the comb is larger than the one on my 8 week old uncrested pullet.

I have to agree that from this angle the comb does say roo, but the comb really does look more like a pullet crest. In my flock the young roos never have a crest that large and poufy, that being said.... from the side it is more upright and swept back so it will be interesting to see how it turns out.

 

[Legend]

Sunnyskies ... So sorry that's dreadful news.I would be devastated too. I have Cochins and know how sweet they are. its a wake up call. I hope in time you will build up your flock in a new fortress.

 

[SunnySkies]

Just to clarify...my coops are extremely secure....unless nobody is home to close them. This particular coop is not adaptable for an auto door either, as the entrance is in the floor of the coop. It is an A frame. I'm considering phasing it out after an get time to build a different style of coop simply for that reason, even though I like everything else about this coop.

It came back last night, could not get in, tripped the trap but escaped, and I will try again tomorrow.

ki4got, that is awful

 

[chiques chicks]

SunnySkies, I am so sort to hear about the attack. I have some up and coming birds if you need a replacement rooster. Around 8 weeks, so the color isn't definite yet, but likely not blue or black. Father is handsome, mother is red and white. Since I, like everyone has extra rooms, I would gladly give some up. I only offer as I'm probably within two hours of you.

 

[Legend]

That's good news that he couldnt get in. Just to clarify 'the wake up call' was to myself. There is no way my houses are secure against a fox. I am going to build a coop that is the only way I will get what I want. I love that you can set traps.