Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[ki4got]

Quote:
I have some 4" pvc pipe, cut into 18" sections and then cut in half and hang on the wire of the pens with zip ties for my feeders. the birds clean them out, I don't... then again i'm currently feeding 6 pens plus the free rangers plus the chicks. for 13 birds in a single pen, I would probably use 3-4 sections of the pipe feeders spread out. some people use the plastic gutters.

i have 3 plastic 5 gallon buckets that i rotate. that way the grain has 2 days to ferment before feeding. it's pretty simple, not time consuming at all.

2 buckets have feed in them at all times, the 3rd bucket is used to start a new batch each day. the mash settles out on the bottom, so each morning i pour any excess liquid off the top of that day's bucket (some mash goes with it - a strainer is used to catch any solids or floating grains/seeds like boss, which is dumped back into the feed mix) and then feed what's left using a large strainer scoop for each feeder/pen. any feed/liquid left gets dumped into the extra bucket with the rest that was poured over earlier. then i add enough feed/grains/etc for one day's worth of feeding, adding water to the bucket i fed from (to rinse it) and add that rinse water to the new batch, filling the new bucket within 2" of the top. stir it up and put the lid on. then i stir both buckets (the new one and the one that was mixed the day before) at lunch time and before bed. the next day, i use the second batch that was mixed 2 days before following the same routine. that gives 2 good days of fermentation to break down the grains, making them more digestible.

for 60-70 birds i use 4-5 scoops of pellets, 1 scoop of scratch grains (cracked corn, oats, wheat & boss) each scoop being a 4 cup measuring cup... stirring at least once the first day is important as the fermentation produces a lot of gas at first and will shove all the solids to the top, in contact with the air. FF needs to have water covering it, since LABs are anaerobic.

the actual mixing, feeding and stirring takes me probably half hour a day, but the majority of that is actually feeding the multiple pens and turning the free rangers loose, checking waters, & looking the birds over to make sure they're all healthy.

 

[fintuckyfarms]

I didn't ask if I can return them. It would be a really long drive and probably not worth it. If anything I will sell them or donate the to the 4-H poultry auction. I really would like to keep them but I have to talk the hubby into it.

 

[Bulldogma]

I didn't ask if I can return them. It would be a really long drive and probably not worth it. If anything I will sell them or donate the to the 4-H poultry auction. I really would like to keep them but I have to talk the hubby into it.

Are you allowed to have roosters where you live?

 

[fintuckyfarms]

Are you allowed to have roosters where you live?

Yes I can have them but find my egg customers don't want to worry about the eggs being fertilized. If I keep them for breeding, I will have to build separate coops and runs.

 

[OldChurchEggery1]

Would the customers even be able to tell a fertilized from an unfertilized egg? There's always at least one person on the hatching thread asking "Is this egg fertilized?" because on the day they're laid, the eggs don't have obvious clues aside from the tiny germinal disc on the yolk. If the eggs are collected and stored at cool temperatures daily, I don't see what the customers could be worried about.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
um... there's no difference in taste or nutrition between a fertilized egg and an unfertilized one... unless you incubate them. if you're worried about the red specs sometimes found in eggs, that is entirely dependent on the girl and whether she's 'leaky' when she ovulates.

 

[FeyRaine]

Finally got some photos of how the birds re looking

First a pair hatched in Nov 2013 from PapaBrooder's eggs

so the cockerel (behind) is Blue based, & I guess the (front) pullet is black based, but not really a "black" bird compared to say the Roo below

These are the 2 Cockerals I got from Ki4got which are if I understood correctly
on left in 1st pic #1) "B.V." who was a little older (sept 16) black based credsted roo from Kytinpusher

#2) As yet unnamed, un-crested mille/calico roo from Leigh's Sorenson (GFF roo)


"BV" by himself


So that is how they are looking, and yes I ended up w/ a total of 4 roos 2 pullets.

 

[Bulldogma]

Finally got some photos of how the birds re looking

First a pair hatched in Nov 2013 from PapaBrooder's eggs

so the cockerel (behind) is Blue based, & I guess the (front) pullet is black based, but not really a "black" bird compared to say the Roo below

These are the 2 Cockerals I got from Ki4got which are if I understood correctly
on left in 1st pic #1) "B.V." who was a little older (sept 16) black based credsted roo from Kytinpusher

#2) As yet unnamed, un-crested mille/calico roo from Leigh's Sorenson (GFF roo)

"BV" by himself


So that is how they are looking, and yes I ended up w/ a total of 4 roos 2 pullets.

Clearly you have too many roos. I'll just take BV off your hands to help you out.

 

[ki4got]

Finally got some photos of how the birds re looking

First a pair hatched in Nov 2013 from PapaBrooder's eggs

so the cockerel (behind) is Blue based, & I guess the (front) pullet is black based, but not really a "black" bird compared to say the Roo below

These are the 2 Cockerals I got from Ki4got which are if I understood correctly
on left in 1st pic #1) "B.V." who was a little older (sept 16) black based credsted roo from Kytinpusher

#2) As yet unnamed, un-crested mille/calico roo from Leigh's Sorenson (GFF roo)


"BV" by himself


So that is how they are looking, and yes I ended up w/ a total of 4 roos 2 pullets.

got any more pics from the mille pullet? the color says girl, but for 3 months old, she's got an awful lot of wattle going on... I think... (sorry, don't shoot the messenger!)

and the one from Leigh's, may not be from Sorenson but may be Mace or Blue... Sorenson throws only blue and splash I think. at least that's all I've gotten from him so far.

 

[ki4got]

Clearly you have too many roos. I'll just take BV off your hands to help you out.

you were given the right of first pick, but said no...

but at least I have a Sorenson-son (Soren-squared?) for you. I think he's going to be very much like his sire looks wise.