Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[tlmotzkus]

confused about my 6 Swedish flower hen's egg laying . they were laying about 4 eggs a day then stopped suddenly and did not lay any eggs for a few weeks. then I got 5 eggs in 6 days and then nothing again for about 2 weeks now. can the weather affect their egg laying that much ? that has been about the only thing that has changed the weather. it has been very cold except the stretch when I got the eggs. I have 5 rhodebars in another coop that have been laying from 1 to 3 eggs regurally. I have artificial light coming on in both coops at 3 am. just finished candeling eggs and my 5 sfh eggs look great at 13 days. cant wait for hatch day.
just wondering how other sfh have been laying this winter and if this is typical ?

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

tlmotzkus, how old are your hens? With my spring 2013 pullets, the weather hasn't impacted their rate of lay too much because they're just coming into production. My spring/summer 2012 hens, all of whom went through a moult this fall, have been up and down the laying roller coaster. It seems to me that the ones just starting to lay are being impacted less by the weird weather. I don't keep artificial lighting during the winter so I don't have that variable impacting my observations.

 

[Bulldogma]

I've had some fluctuations in laying also. Little things can set them off, or things you and I might not consider. Temperature changes, snow on the ground, changes to their diet (if they free range, all the bugs are gone in the winter), hawk or predator activity. Hang in there. Rate of lay usually picks up nicely in the spring!

 

[tlmotzkus]

my sfh were hatched in mid march last year not quite a year old yet.

 

[CackleJoy]

So how old are the SFH when they start laying? Mine are 4 months old and I've noticed a pullet's comb is pinking up nicely.

 

[Trooper Man]

These chickens are beautiful I would not mind having a few of them I live in north east TN and would gladly meet someone or come pick them up if someone is willing to work with me.

 

[OHfarmerswife]

niceI have SFH that hatched on September 11th.
One of the girls came running out of the coop late this afternoon, right before lockup, she laid an egg in the run!
My last SFH pullet didn't begin to lay until she was over 6 months.
This pullet is not quite 5 months. Is that early? It was a nice bullet shaped light brown.

 

[TxFlowers]

So how old are the SFH when they start laying? Mine are 4 months old and I've noticed a pullet's comb is pinking up nicely.

I have a group of 10 pullets born latter August. A couple began laying right at five months. I think now at 5 1/2 months, I have 3 or 4 laying.

 

[redhen689]

I'm sure this has been asked lol but how do you find your hens as layers, consistensy wise. Did it take them longer then other breeds to get into the swing of things?

I don't know if anyone replied to you yet. Mine started laying at 6 to 7 months old. This might be because the time of year (they hatched in June) and the fact that I didn't use any supplimentary lighting. They started right out with good sized eggs, not little pullet eggs. Each hen is laying about 5 eggs per week.

 

[FeyRaine]

I don't know if anyone replied to you yet. Mine started laying at 6 to 7 months old. This might be because the time of year (they hatched in June) and the fact that I didn't use any supplimentary lighting. They started right out with good sized eggs, not little pullet eggs. Each hen is laying about 5 eggs per week.

That is really interesting b/c I had some cream colored JUMBO eggs in late fall & while I couldn't believe they could be pullet eggs (due to size) I couldn't figure anyone but my SFH pullet (hatched March2013) to be laying them, but several other birds where laying at the time & I never could see who laid the jumbo creams, w/ what you say I'm even more sure those were first time pullet eggs from Flo (SFH) which makes me very happy

Her new boyfriend options are looking great, nobody has crowed yet but I'm going to re-do pens for spring laying/breeding this week (was planning for today, but it is currently snowing ??forecast was for 55F & sun??)

Anyway, I can't wait to get more of those jumbo cream eggs when Flo is w/ a SFH Roo, they are all going right into the bator!!!

Spring Spring Spring pls get here sooon so we can all get those wonderful eggs and adorable SFH chicks....