Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[Kyzmette]

Any time you put an animal in a controlled environment and restrict their natural inclinations you're upsetting the natural order, of course. Nobody said otherwise and I'm not suggesting otherwise. If, however, you get down the road with a non-crested flock, and are adding fresh genes to the pool, considering re-adding crested to your genome may have benefits that aren't immediately visible.

It's like the Araucana and their predecessors... if the only thing that tufted gene sequence had to offer was a homozygous lethality, it would have likely killed itself out. Instead, it continues to persist within the breeds, so there may be something attached to it which adds to the viability of the bloodlines. You can't breed a single trait out of an organism outside of a lab. Every trait found within that sequence is bred out with it.

 

[TxFlowers]

Any time you put an animal in a controlled environment and restrict their natural inclinations you're upsetting the natural order, of course. Nobody said otherwise and I'm not suggesting otherwise. If, however, you get down the road with a non-crested flock, and are adding fresh genes to the pool, considering re-adding crested to your genome may have benefits that aren't immediately visible.

It's like the Araucana and their predecessors... if the only thing that tufted gene sequence had to offer was a homozygous lethality, it would have likely killed itself out. Instead, it continues to persist within the breeds, so there may be something attached to it which adds to the viability of the bloodlines. You can't breed a single trait out of an organism outside of a lab. Every trait found within that sequence is bred out with it.

I did say I had a preference for non crested and I still say that. I also said that I think the crested birds are cute but also said that I think non crested my have an edge on being able to avoid flying predators especially over those that have the huge crest from being homozygous like that one I had. He couldn't see much of anything in any direction! lol My conclusion that non crested may be better able to see flying predators comes from others that have had the breed and saw increased loss in the crested birds but I know not everyone finds they have the same problems. I never did say my goal was to establish a totally non crested flock. In following such a goal, I would lose out on many beautiful birds that have much to offer in not only looks but genetic diversity. Almost all my beautiful blues right now are crested. Another thing is that many people like the crested. At the very least I would limit the saleability of my chicks if I could only offer non crested. As I said, my PREFERENCE is for non crested and for avoiding the huge crests, vaulted skulls and potential health issues of homozygous birds. I don't have a problem with crested birds in general if their crest doesn't interfere with their health or vision. Pretty simple. You will find many, actually mostly, crested birds pictured in my SFH album.

 

[Bulldogma]

This gray kiddo was a crest to crest breeding quite by mistake also. Not vaulted from what I can tell. But a good sized crest. I prefer non-crested birds myself and would like all my birds to be non-crested. Hoping to find a good non-crested rooster.

You need to plan a trip to VA! I have 2 Mace x Alma (my biggest and very well built hen) sons growing out. Both will be black-based mille fleur.

I have a girl colored a lot like yours - she's silver and gold, so we named her Precious. LOL!

I'm also growing out a BUNCH of roos. lost the only crested one (so far) to a coon, but knock on wood, I think the coon's got a taste for boys. LOL at least as far as the sfh goes... it also ate my ONLY bantam blrw pullet, so i'm down to the one roo, again.

Sorry about your BLRW - was this a recent attack?

And just a few pics from here today -

"I'm not a chicken... I'm a bald eagle!"


Mace - standing out in the freezing wind.


Sorenson's son. (Sorensonson? LOL!) He's not crested... it's just a teenage hairstyle he's trying out...

 

[Leahs Mom]

Leigh, I would seriously consider a trip. But I'd have to come back with either your chocolate girl in tow or one of her "look alike" daughters as well.

 

[Leahs Mom]

"I'm not a chicken... I'm a bald eagle!"

Sheesh! I'd be concerned that kiddo would swoop down from a tree and eat one of the flock.

(My one girl always had that same "look" about her when she was younger.)

 

[insanity]

Hi
I am just getting started in SFH. 1 little guy (probably a roo) and eggs on order and chicks ordered for spring. I only have 1 run/coop so my layers(mostly EE and SS) will be in with them.I will be setting up a second coop but until then mixing will be inevitable. Has anyone gotten EE x SFH chicks?How do they turn out? Any pics and what color eggs do they lay?

Thanks

 

[SunnySkies]

The thing is IF your crested x crested does throw a vault, you have a problem in reduced hatching, early chick loss, and then what do you do with them? You can't let those ones mingle for two reasons:
1. Predators. They could be at higher risk. Maybe. Maybe not. I have lost equal numbers of birds to predators.

However, I would venture a guess that most of us do limit predator pressure. Otherwise, you lose a bird virtually daily as a meal. So, eliminating unwanted genes via allowing natural selection...well...doesn't happen. Only if they die are you going to eliminate unwanted genetics via natural selection. Otherwise, it is you making breeding decisions.

2. So, you got a double crested bird, with or without a vaulted skull. You can't let it just breed willy-nilly. You would have to control its breeding. What if that bird breeds with another double crested or a single crested? I don't even want to contemplate that mess. Thus, that bird gets culled or kept in a run and breeding is managed.

This is why this issue strikes home for me....we free range 100%. I have LGDs to prevent loss and have no large fowl in runs (bantams are in runs because they fight with the LF).

This does mean letting them breed landrace style is problematic. It could be done, but you will always have to make some selection. Going out to pick one for dinner changes things, unless you pick at random and butcher whatever you catch, even if it's a favorite hen, for example. Eliminating predators will allow your flock to flourish and embed the crested gene.

The first GFF importation came from flocks with NO crests....those breeders had eliminated the gene from their flocks.

My crested splash rooster was shivering this morning. The only one of ALL my birds to seem cold, other than Silkies. I am in Maryland too, a little further north than DCChickens.

I like both configurations. The small crest is cute, and without looks very clean. But I DO NOT want any more vaults or double crests, and I probably won't buy birds that originate from flocks that allow it either after this experience.

I need to photograph these vaulted chicks, and wish I could figure out which one is going to be a double crest....looks like all the others right now, as its skull is normal. But it will be double crested since both parents are.

Fortunately, looks like I've sold all these chicks so I don't have to manage it...buyer has uncrested roosters.

 

[SunnySkies]

And no, GFF does NOT raise the SFH as landrace. From what I have been told, they have several breeding pens and control it.

 

[TxFlowers]

SunnySkies, here is a picture of that chick that ended up having the huge crest. I don't remember how old he was here. Probably a couple wks old. Under that lump of fuzz on the top of his head, you could feel a bony "cap" on the top of his skull. Somewhere I have some pics of him full grown but hadn't come across them yet. If I find, I will post.

 

[SunnySkies]

Yep. What I expect these will look like. I need to photograph mine and post them, at just a couple days of age. Cute, and they seem to be ok now, but it does make me wonder what they will look like as adults...likely nothing like what we expect when we think crested SFH.