Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[Bernie56]

Hello all! I know that sexing SFH has proved difficult for many - my two are now 20 weeks old and I am wondering, if one is a roo, will there be significant visual differences at this age? Tail? Comb? Wattles? Thx in advance.

At 20 weeks you should be close to getting your first eggs. I would say if it is not obviously a rooster, at this point, it is a pullet. Most likely, if your are still guessing.. its a pullet. SFH hens/pullets will have well developed combs/wattles by 20 weeks but they will not be mistaken for a rooster of the same age. Check for long narrow saddle feathers on the back (between the tail head and the shoulders) At 20 weeks the roosters saddle feathers should be well developed, 4 to 5 inches long, and usually brightly colored and shiny, while a pullet/hens will have rounded ends and look more like the rest of her feathers both in shape and color. My guess is that you have two pullets, and should be getting eggs soon!

pullet

rooster

 

[TxFlowers]

This is not the greatest photo (through the screen door), but the gray/white is the one I find more ambiguous - developed wattles and comb first but the multi SFH now has similarly sized comb and wattles. They're about the same size as well - not sure if Roos are supposed to be larger in SFH. Gray one doesn't seem to have feathering any different than the multi, but I am a total novice at this! If this isn't sufficient, I'll post another tomorrow morning when they're up and about again.

With the majority of my SF cockerels, I can tell by a month or so from the size and thickness of the comb but there were these 3 males from my first SF hatch that weren't so apparent. I suspected roos but their combs could have gone either way but like another said, at some point the shiny pointed saddle feathers begin to come in and that confirmed my suspicions and that was around 3 or 4 months. Don't remember exactly when I could see that but it was definitely by the age yours are now so you should be able to go by that at this point.

 

[Laingcroft]

Love these pens. Is that hardware cloth or screening?

We're building a new chicken building and divided pens like these will be the under roof portion. I've been trying to decide between traditional hex wire, hardware cloth and screening since I won't have to worry about predators inside the building (only the outside run part.)

 

[Perkhens]

With the majority of my SF cockerels, I can tell by a month or so from the size and thickness of the comb but there were these 3 males from my first SF hatch that weren't so apparent. I suspected roos but their combs could have gone either way but like another said, at some point the shiny pointed saddle feathers begin to come in and that confirmed my suspicions and that was around 3 or 4 months. Don't remember exactly when I could see that but it was definitely by the age yours are now so you should be able to go by that at this point.

Thx TXFlowers and Bernie - here are some better photos of my two - the multi and gray. Based on what you've said they're both likely pullets. Hooray!

 

[Perkhens]

A couple more showing their faces a little better. Here's hoping for four eggs whenever my little flock starts laying (the other two are a welsummer and a legbar)!

 

[ChickNmamma]

A couple more showing their faces a little better. Here's hoping for four eggs whenever my little flock starts laying (the other two are a welsummer and a legbar)!

The multi is definitely a girl. The gray - probably a girl - but those crested ones can be sneaky. I would still guess girl on the gray... All my gray boys (and that was all of them, drat) had pretty orange and red feathers by that age - and way before that...

 

[Perkhens]

The multi is definitely a girl.  The gray - probably a girl - but those crested ones can be sneaky.  I would still guess girl on the gray...  All my gray boys (and that was all of them, drat) had pretty orange and red feathers by that age - and way before that...

If long saddle feathers would be apparent at this age on a crested male, then she's a pullet - her saddle feathers are super short, even compared to the multi. Fingers tightly crossed

 

[DeltaBluezTess]

Love these pens. Is that hardware cloth or screening?

We're building a new chicken building and divided pens like these will be the under roof portion. I've been trying to decide between traditional hex wire, hardware cloth and screening since I won't have to worry about predators inside the building (only the outside run part.)

Use wire a strong dog cannot chew through. I used the regular chicken wire and the local lab ripped it apart. Then I switched to the stronger square wire and it stopped the dog. May cost a little more but well worth it, especially it always seems the predator will kill your fav bird or the most expensive.

Diane

 

[Kikwi]

A couple more showing their faces a little better. Here's hoping for four eggs whenever my little flock starts laying (the other two are a welsummer and a legbar)!

I've got an SFH, welsummer, and legbar too -- when I saw your photo, I had to do a double take because that looks so much like my flock! Mine are at 16 weeks, so I probably won't see eggs until after winter.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: on my newest pens, i'm using chicken wire between sections, welded wire on the outside. 1x1 for the bottom 24" then 2x4 fence above that... the chicken's house is raised off the ground and ply covered, so i' not too worried about predators there.