Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[ki4got]

These SFH are AWSOME.

We just got not one but two GP puppies (born IN a chicken coop, so they haven't looked at the chickens at all). The Silkies and mutt birds are horrified, with the mutts heading for the back forty as soon as they could (I fully expect no eggs today). The Silkies threw themselves around in their tractor in fear (the coon attacks have apparently traumatized them). The SFH flew over the fence to have a look. The dogs are sleeping under the truck, and the SFH came up to eat their food.

yeah that sounds about right... it only takes new chickens a day or 2 at most to realize the dog means no harm... unless they are on top of another bird who's hollering bloddy murder or trying to come in the house. then his most often used 'attack' is to run full steam thru the commotion (or doorway) bowling over those who don't move fast enough and scattering those who do. his mouth never touches them, just his legs. LOL he reserves his mouth for those stray eggs he finds... silly egg-sucking dog of mine.


(is it me or does he look like he's feeling guilty about something?)

 

[Randy2010]

Figure that I would post now since I am finally getting chicks to hatch. I have bought 7 rounds of eggs with most being a dozen and had them shipped. First dozen I hatch 2 chicks about 4 weeks ago and both are going to be pullets then the second dozen I hatched only 2 chicks with one is a roo and the other is a crested pullet. then the 3rd and 4th and 5th dozen, I didn't hatch any out at all with eggs being bad from shipping I guess since no chicks tried to form in them. Then last week I hit it lucky on my 6th round and hatched 7 chicks. I have 9 eggs that are due to hatch tomorrow and so far they are looking good. So it finally looks like i'm on my way of raising some of these beautiful chickens.

 

[jlynnet]

Randy2010, that's great! Mine are just over 4 months old and they've changed so much. Their color continues to change as they get older. I have 1 male that started crowing at 7 weeks old! He's the oldest looking one too. Enjoy them.

 

[ki4got]

Figure that I would post now since I am finally getting chicks to hatch. I have bought 7 rounds of eggs with most being a dozen and had them shipped. First dozen I hatch 2 chicks about 4 weeks ago and both are going to be pullets then the second dozen I hatched only 2 chicks with one is a roo and the other is a crested pullet. then the 3rd and 4th and 5th dozen, I didn't hatch any out at all with eggs being bad from shipping I guess since no chicks tried to form in them. Then last week I hit it lucky on my 6th round and hatched 7 chicks. I have 9 eggs that are due to hatch tomorrow and so far they are looking good. So it finally looks like i'm on my way of raising some of these beautiful chickens.

wow. sorry to hear about the bad luck with eggs... glad to hear you have some going tho. 8)

it's been a rocky road for some of us this year, between not hatching or losing birds, or like some, having them all go broody at once. LOL

my 2 pullets aren't broody, but they sure as heck do NOT want to lay in 'captivity'... free ranging sfh mutts I've got due to hatch. purebred? I got 2 eggs from them since they've been penned. 1 more girl growing out and 3 extra roos still ranging.

starting to think I need to pen my baby roos, 1 at a time, with the biggest meanest old lady hen I have, to teach those buggers some manners. works on horses (putting yearling colts with bred mares teaches manners very quickly) , why not chickens? LOL

 

[Randy2010]

Quote:
Thanks!

 

[ChickNmamma]

Quote:
Actually, I have heard of doing that with chickens. I put my young Ameraucana boys in with an old crochety SIlkie hen - they are very polite now...

 

[jlynnet]

I have my 4 month olds free ranging with my older hens. Some of these ladies go after the boys if they look at them! It's really settled the boys down. Every once in awhile they have a Jurassic park moment, neck feathers puffed up doing a stare down.

 

[Bulldogma]

Leigh - where did this kiddo come from? If I ever get a broody (before or after winter this time) I want some eggs from this one. Or if someone just has a couple that look like that already that can come to Indiana I'm "game"!

This was one from a wildhorseannie egg - got 2 pullets of this color (which I LOVE) but the other one is a "runt" and quite small... bot SO sweet! I just love them. One of the 2 boys is a cuddle bug. I hope he stays super friendly and doesn't get goofy once the hormones kick in. Hopefully having older roosters around will keep him in line when his hormones kick in.

He chased off Bulldogma's Viking's twin

and I could not find him. Suspect a fox got him.

Awww - sorry for your loss!

Figure that I would post now since I am finally getting chicks to hatch. I have bought 7 rounds of eggs with most being a dozen and had them shipped. First dozen I hatch 2 chicks about 4 weeks ago and both are going to be pullets then the second dozen I hatched only 2 chicks with one is a roo and the other is a crested pullet. then the 3rd and 4th and 5th dozen, I didn't hatch any out at all with eggs being bad from shipping I guess since no chicks tried to form in them. Then last week I hit it lucky on my 6th round and hatched 7 chicks. I have 9 eggs that are due to hatch tomorrow and so far they are looking good. So it finally looks like i'm on my way of raising some of these beautiful chickens.

Welcome to the thread!!

Every once in awhile they have a Jurassic park moment, neck feathers puffed up doing a stare down.

 

[SunnySkies]

Figure that I would post now since I am finally getting chicks to hatch. I have bought 7 rounds of eggs with most being a dozen and had them shipped. First dozen I hatch 2 chicks about 4 weeks ago and both are going to be pullets then the second dozen I hatched only 2 chicks with one is a roo and the other is a crested pullet. then the 3rd and 4th and 5th dozen, I didn't hatch any out at all with eggs being bad from shipping I guess since no chicks tried to form in them. Then last week I hit it lucky on my 6th round and hatched 7 chicks. I have 9 eggs that are due to hatch tomorrow and so far they are looking good. So it finally looks like i'm on my way of raising some of these beautiful chickens.

Hang in there with them...SFH can be very difficult to hatch if shipped. But once you get your core flock, you can hatch your own.

Mine HATE captivity too. The pullet I have banished to her coop for fraternizing with a mixed breed older boy has refused to lay a single egg since. The others flew over the fence to examine the dogs up close and personal this morning and then hung out on the deck all afternoon. They will come in the house if the screen is left open!

I wish I had a grouchy old hen. My young roosters are so rude.

Speaking of eggs, I hope my dogs learn to look for them. The EE hen lays the most beautiful huge green eggs that hatch into lovely babies when I incubate them, but she hides them and refuses to stay penned. It's like Easter everyday, but she wins almost every time. We found a nest of rotten eggs in the garden the other day, picked the worst ones up and marked the rest, and it's like she knows. I need a dog to find the daily nest. And contemplating building a huge coop and never letting her out again.

 

[DeltaBluezTess]

Quick question here...how do the SFH lay in comparison to Rhode Island Reds or Barred rocks ?