Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[KYTinpusher]

Brandy Ann crossed the "rainbow Bridge" this evening. I wrote about it which helped a little...
but not much...

We lost both of our Labs in the last year, one to cancer, the other to CHF.

with you.

 

[cleansquared]

Are the eggs a pure white its hard to tell on my phone...

 

[DeltaBluezTess]

I only breed pups when I need replacements. What I should really do is not sell the extra pups but keep them for two years and then place them. Most people really want and need a dependable guardian "now" - usually when they are desperate. Most buy puppies because that is what is most readily available. Then about the time the puppy goes thru the teenage "ga-ga's" they realize they were unprepared for guiding that pup through its teenage months (usually 6-18 months old). Some need very little guidance at that age... My male needed very little. Some need to be managed differently for a month or two to create an environment where positive behavior is reinforced and negative behavior is discouraged. This may be nothing more than putting the pup with a different management group, or someplace where it can be monitored and verbally corrected in a timely manner. But... They are soooo cute when they are pups that its easy forget that all the instinct to guard and protect is in there, but hasn't all come climbing out yet.
So... Most people want mature and dependable... If our kids were all so discriminating we'd all be thrilled. LOL

so true...I have LGD and they take up to two years to mature....if you are looking for a guardian NOW, then you need to get a adult that already has been working.


My LGD, Heidi (Anatolian x Great Pyr) killed a few chickens until she grew up....I knew her chicken killing days were over when a 6 month old pullet was in the corral with her and she ignored it. Her mom, Stella is great with poultry. They keep the predators at bay....the only time I have an issue is that they are in the sheep pasture and when a hawk/eagle swoops down, and kills a chicken, it takes then a few minutes to jump a couple of fences to chase the bird away.....but the hawks/eages have sure slowed down as they will stand at the bottom of the tree and bark at them......my LGD have been great at protecting my sheep and goats

 

[KYTinpusher]

In that information about the breed on this link : http://southernvapoultry.weebly.com/swedish-flower-hens.html it says SF lay about 150 eggs a yr which really isn't very impressive at all. Elsewhere they are described as very good layers. Greenfire farms says " The hens are prolific layers for most of the year, and they far out-produce other breeds like Orpingtons.". None of mine are old enough to lay yet so I have no idea. How good of layers are they?

I think the difference may come from this being a new breed to this country and we are still trying to figure out all their nutritional needs. I find mine need more protein than just the standard layer feed in order to lay well. Additional vitamins are also helpful. Not to mention, 150 eggs/year from a heritage-type breed may be considered "prolific" by some people.

Are the eggs a pure white its hard to tell on my phone...

No, the eggs range from a very light cream to a light brown. In the picture below, the egg on the left is a white dummy egg; the one on the right is a Barred Rock egg. The rest are SFH. The picture is slightly washed out.

 

[DeltaBluezTess]

ok the last week I ran stats on my hens...four SWH either laid three or four eggs a day....the RIR laid 50% and the Marans were at 30%.......the Barred rock and Silkies have a bus pass as they are raising chicks.......all get the same food and free range......the SFH are a lot more vocal and alert and the Roo is first to check stuff out and quick to protect his hens.......eggs size the same as the RIR

 

[rinehart63]

I think the difference may come from this being a new breed to this country and we are still trying to figure out all their nutritional needs. I find mine need more protein than just the standard layer feed in order to lay well. Additional vitamins are also helpful. Not to mention, 150 eggs/year from a heritage-type breed may be considered "prolific" by some people.

True that what one person considers "prolific" may not be same to someone else! That's interesting that about higher protein needs. Thanks for the reply!

 

[cleansquared]

I have read that also to feed a higher protien ration equals more eggs after reading that last month i bought game bird starter 28% protien and use that mixed with a little wheat and oats. and every day i give a mush i cook once a week from oats and saved milk from my cereal around noon this has promted my cream legbar to lay 6 (sometimes 7) eggs a week so i think it really makes a diff. I read some old lit. On chickens from the turn of the century and they suggest the grain in milk that it gives the animal protien they need and calcium. (whole)4%

 

[SunnySkies]

I have one SFH in lay, and so far, she has only skipped 2 days. One was the day after she started, and I think the next missed egg was she laid somewhere odd because the door to her coop blew shut! Her eggs are not big, but no worse than some of my older laying hens, but nothing like my EE hen's eggs (those are XL Jumbo!). Anxiously awaiting the other POL pullets to begin so I can compare eggs in sze and color.


I'm just feeding Flock Raiser with kitchen scraps, a bit of scratch and free ranging every day all day.

 

[jmarie]

I feel for you, losing a best friend is a hard thing.

Brandy Ann crossed the "rainbow Bridge" this evening. I wrote about it which helped a little...
but not much...

 

[ki4got]

Does anyone have a brief breed information sheet on SFH? Mine are going to represent the breed at a local TSC PAWS event and am feeling a little overwhelmed with work and farm and trying to find time to make a short paper up on them. If someone has something it would be greatly appreciated.

go to sfhusa.com see if I've got what you need there? but if you use it, please plug the website too. LOL