Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[philyaw539]

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Tomorrow or Monday I will try to get better photos!


When you get a chance, post more pictures for us.  

 

[philyaw539]

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When you get a chance, post more pictures for us.  

Tomorrow or Monday I will try to get better photos!

 

[OHfarmerswife]

Thanks for the good wishes everyone!

Good luck to you too Cackle Joy!

Fingers crossed for you insanity!

 

[dbarjacres]

Ok, I have a question about Swedish Flowers. Are they a difficult breed to work with as far as breeding/hatching? I've tried two batches now (well, three if you count the first two dozen an ebay person sent me that were poorly packaged and scrambled when I got them, salvaged half but they all either didn't develop or died off by a couple days). She sent me another dozen and we were having problems with our furnace and my incubator temps were bouncing between 97 and 101 the last week so think that played a part - two of them hatched. I knew they weren't doing well, so got another dozen from a BYC person and got 15, 14 developed, 9 till lockdown. Today is 21 days. One egg pipped Friday afternoon. This morning it still didn't make anymore progress and the pip hole was hardened (ran moisture about 25% then up to 70% on Thur to current), so I broke him out (I was paranoid as the last hatch had one pip and it was dead 4 hours later). Something is really wrong with that chick, it's still curled up in the fetal position, it cheeps, it's legs kick a little, but it doesn't move. It's eyes were pasted shut. WTH?

None of the other 8 eggs move or chirp or pip, nothing.

Hatching in an Eco 20 with 2 thermometers and Hygos.

I found some info today that said SFH are hard to hatch and need many roos in the pens. I'm just so frustrated, I think I'm going to sell my incubator and buy some chicks somewhere.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Ok, I have a question about Swedish Flowers.  Are they a difficult breed to work with as far as breeding/hatching?  I've tried two batches now (well, three if you count the first two dozen an ebay person sent me that were poorly packaged and scrambled when I got them, salvaged half but they all either didn't develop or died off by a couple days).  She sent me another dozen and we were having problems with our furnace and my incubator temps were bouncing between 97 and 101 the last week so think that played a part - two of them hatched.   I knew they weren't doing well, so got another dozen from a BYC person and got 15, 14 developed, 9 till lockdown.  Today is 21 days.  One egg pipped Friday afternoon.  This morning it still didn't make anymore progress and the pip hole was hardened (ran moisture about 25% then up to 70% on Thur to current), so I broke him out (I was paranoid as the last hatch had one pip and it was dead 4 hours later).  Something is really wrong with that chick, it's still curled up in the fetal position, it cheeps, it's legs kick a little, but it doesn't move.  It's eyes were pasted shut.  WTH? 

None of the other 8 eggs move or chirp or pip, nothing. 

Hatching in an Eco 20 with 2 thermometers and Hygos.

I found some info today that said SFH are hard to hatch and need many roos in the pens.  I'm just so frustrated, I think I'm going to sell my incubator and buy some chicks somewhere.

Ya know...I tried hatching them myself once but it didn't go well. It was the first time I incubated them so I'm pretty sure it was me. I sold the incubator. I have asked friends to incubate for me and they have great success. They don't do anything special or different from what they do with their own breeds. Shipped eggs usually don't give you great results, but there are exceptions. My roo covers 15 hens. I collected 36 eggs, 24 were viable. They went into lock down and today one hatched. I'll report back when they're done. I do know that they can take a little longer sometimes. The last ones that hatched did so on day 23.

 

[KYTinpusher]

Ok, I have a question about Swedish Flowers.  Are they a difficult breed to work with as far as breeding/hatching?  I've tried two batches now (well, three if you count the first two dozen an ebay person sent me that were poorly packaged and scrambled when I got them, salvaged half but they all either didn't develop or died off by a couple days).  She sent me another dozen and we were having problems with our furnace and my incubator temps were bouncing between 97 and 101 the last week so think that played a part - two of them hatched.   I knew they weren't doing well, so got another dozen from a BYC person and got 15, 14 developed, 9 till lockdown.  Today is 21 days.  One egg pipped Friday afternoon.  This morning it still didn't make anymore progress and the pip hole was hardened (ran moisture about 25% then up to 70% on Thur to current), so I broke him out (I was paranoid as the last hatch had one pip and it was dead 4 hours later).  Something is really wrong with that chick, it's still curled up in the fetal position, it cheeps, it's legs kick a little, but it doesn't move.  It's eyes were pasted shut.  WTH? 

None of the other 8 eggs move or chirp or pip, nothing. 

Hatching in an Eco 20 with 2 thermometers and Hygos.

I found some info today that said SFH are hard to hatch and need many roos in the pens.  I'm just so frustrated, I think I'm going to sell my incubator and buy some chicks somewhere.

Shipped SFH eggs can be very difficult to hatch. One thing some of us have noticed is that they often take an extra day or two to hatch so you have to be patient. I know it's hard, but don't open the incubator! Helping them hatch usually just results in a weak chick that isn't going to make it anyway.

Where are you from? You might be able to find a breeder locally.

To all the regulars:
Does anyone here still have the link to the map where all the breeders are?

 

[ki4got]

Ok, I have a question about Swedish Flowers. Are they a difficult breed to work with as far as breeding/hatching? I've tried two batches now (well, three if you count the first two dozen an ebay person sent me that were poorly packaged and scrambled when I got them, salvaged half but they all either didn't develop or died off by a couple days). She sent me another dozen and we were having problems with our furnace and my incubator temps were bouncing between 97 and 101 the last week so think that played a part - two of them hatched. I knew they weren't doing well, so got another dozen from a BYC person and got 15, 14 developed, 9 till lockdown. Today is 21 days. One egg pipped Friday afternoon. This morning it still didn't make anymore progress and the pip hole was hardened (ran moisture about 25% then up to 70% on Thur to current), so I broke him out (I was paranoid as the last hatch had one pip and it was dead 4 hours later). Something is really wrong with that chick, it's still curled up in the fetal position, it cheeps, it's legs kick a little, but it doesn't move. It's eyes were pasted shut. WTH?

None of the other 8 eggs move or chirp or pip, nothing.

Hatching in an Eco 20 with 2 thermometers and Hygos.

I found some info today that said SFH are hard to hatch and need many roos in the pens. I'm just so frustrated, I think I'm going to sell my incubator and buy some chicks somewhere.

can't say about the number of roos, i'll leave that for others who have larger numbers of girls. I've got 3 girls to 1 rooster and 100% fertility.

as for hatching, I've hatched literally hundreds over the last year (my own, Leigh's and shipped), and IMO the key to it all is dry incubation. I also don't go into lockdown until day 19 (20 this time, I forgot them LOL)

my last hatch of sfh and bantam cochins (and a few ee and dorking) was 33/35. the 2 unhatched eggs were both clear olive eggers that my flashlight won't shine thru. LOL I had one assist, an EE that pipped and didn't progress, but was also at the front of the hatcher, where I open it to pull chicks when it starts getting crowded (about 10 at a time usually)

I'm using nothing more than hovabator incubators with wafter-style thermostats (that haven't been adjusted in 3 years!) old computer fans for air circulation and auto turners. I use a 4th one for hatching only. (also with fan). the incubators get NO water added to them ever. the hatcher, I keep a bowl with hardware cloth wire covering it (to keep chicks from drowning) and then when I pull eggs out I have a condiment bottle I use to squirt water in with, either onto paper towel or into a section of the paper egg crate I use to hold the eggs while hatching (large end up).

I keep the humidity between 55-65%. any higher than 65% prior to chicks actually drying and you're asking for problems IMO. they're just learning to breathe, and overly humid air is harder to breathe and carries less oxygen. both of which can contribute to late quitters.

too much humidity during incubation can also cause problems, because the eggs haven't lost enough moisture. in that case though, the chicks absorb that extra liquid, which can raise blood pressure and put additional strain on the heart and developing lungs, resulting in what people tend to refer to as 'drowned' chicks...

dry incubation for me, RH in the house is usually 40-50 (a bit lower in the winter, higher in the summer) and the incubators register anywhere from 10-20% depending on the season...

 

[ki4got]

To all the regulars:
Does anyone here still have the link to the map where all the breeders are?

View

SFH Chain​

in a larger map

 

[dbarjacres]

I'm in WI so could only deal with Our Fly Babies and have heard horrible things and actually I think that's the place we went last spring to pick up some heritage piglets they had for sale and their chickens all just lived in small little pens in their shed, not very nice. So, no choice but to ship. I see GreenFire has some for sale on one of the auction sites. I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed I have chicks tomorrow. My husband is saying no more eggs, as right now if these don't hatch, I'll have 2 chicks for $90, and one is a mutt.

 

[philyaw539]

Can anyone help me out with my question? My SFH hatching eggs from my own stock will be fully developed in the egg and just won't hatch! All other eggs will hatch except theirs! Can anyone tell me why this is so?