Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[Bulldogma]

What color are Swedish Flower Hens?

This color!

 

[Country Squire]

Hi. I need some newbie advice: Yesterday, I put 12 fertilized Swedish Flower Hen eggs that I bought from a nice lady in SE Texas under my broody cuckoo maran. They are all marked with a dot on the end. She is in a nesting box in my coop @ 3 feet off the ground. There are five other nesting boxes, all with golf balls in them. I have had some trouble with the other chickens climbing into her box to lay, but they didn't do it yesterday after I gave her the eggs.

I have a separate brooding hutch/run adjacent to the main coop and run, but the seller advised against moving the maran to the hutch for fear it could break her broodiness.

So, my question is: How soon after the chicks hatch should I move the maran and chicks to the brooding hutch? Or should I do something else before then (i.e., risk breaking her broodiness and move her now to prevent eggs from getting broken by other chickens laying in the box)? If I wait until the chicks hatch, do I move the maran first, and then the chicks, or vice versa.

Thank you!

P.S. My australorp is broody, too, and I initially put six of the SFH eggs under her. Then, I noticed that she wasn't even sitting on all the eggs; one was in the corner of the box behind her, and one was in front of her. She also doesn't screech when I reach under her, So, I placed the six eggs in front of the maran (to her protesting screech), and after doing a double-take, she quickly beaked them underneath her, adjusted the clutch, and settled over all the eggs. Good move or not?

 

[subhanalah]

I think I hatched mostly cockerels

maybe the crested one is a pullet?

 

[ki4got]

Hi. I need some newbie advice: Yesterday, I put 12 fertilized Swedish Flower Hen eggs that I bought from a nice lady in SE Texas under my broody cuckoo maran. They are all marked with a dot on the end. She is in a nesting box in my coop @ 3 feet off the ground. There are five other nesting boxes, all with golf balls in them. I have had some trouble with the other chickens climbing into her box to lay, but they didn't do it yesterday after I gave her the eggs.

I have a separate brooding hutch/run adjacent to the main coop and run, but the seller advised against moving the maran to the hutch for fear it could break her broodiness.

So, my question is: How soon after the chicks hatch should I move the maran and chicks to the brooding hutch? Or should I do something else before then (i.e., risk breaking her broodiness and move her now to prevent eggs from getting broken by other chickens laying in the box)? If I wait until the chicks hatch, do I move the maran first, and then the chicks, or vice versa.

Thank you!

P.S. My australorp is broody, too, and I initially put six of the SFH eggs under her. Then, I noticed that she wasn't even sitting on all the eggs; one was in the corner of the box behind her, and one was in front of her. She also doesn't screech when I reach under her, So, I placed the six eggs in front of the maran (to her protesting screech), and after doing a double-take, she quickly beaked them underneath her, adjusted the clutch, and settled over all the eggs. Good move or not?

move the hen. do it after dark, put the eggs back under her and let her be... if you can confine her to the nesting area for 24 hours that would be best to guarantee she'll set there.

otherwise the other hens laying in the nest will result in scrambled or broken eggs.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I agree w/ki4got. I moved my broody to an adjacent area with a nest box made from a rubbermade tub. Did it after dark and in the dark with little or no light. Worked fine.

BUT...
I did test her to be sure she was really broody before I gave her eggs. I would take her out and walk to one of the farthest areas of the yard and put her down to see if she would "break". After a couple days of that, I moved her in the dark w/her fake eggs to see if she'd continue. THEN I gave her eggs.

The second time she went broody I just moved her right away as I knew she would stick with it.

Here's her rubbermade broody box:

 

[Country Squire]

Okay, I just moved the maran and SFH eggs to the hutch, after putting in a nice layer of fresh hay. She was alarmed and not anywhere near the eggs when I closed the hutch for the night. I'll keep my fingers crossed, but I fear I've broken her broody and lost the eggs. We will see.

 

[Tippylou]

Hi all, Tomorrow is shipping day (I hope) from GFF for my 6 SFH chicks! I have gotten one e-mail from them telling me my shipping date. I e-mailed Jenny Friday to double my order if she had the chicks to send. No response. I must say I'm disappointed at GFF's lack of communication. I have heard nothing back. Even when I placed the order it was a week before I heard form anyone there. Is this a usual occurrence? I realize I am overly anxious to be a chicken momma. But this was 6 chicks @19.00 each plus $35.00 shipping $149.00. Not a small amount. Some feedback would have been appreciated. Any thoughts?

 

[Country Squire]

I went and checked on the maran in the hutch. She was not sitting on the eggs. She had nestled down in the hay in another part of the hutch. So I took the eggs and stuck them under her. She screeched at me. Thoughts? I'm distressed. This maran has been broody for two weeks, and I'm afraid I've broken it.

 

[Melabella]

I went and checked on the maran in the hutch. She was not sitting on the eggs. She had nestled down in the hay in another part of the hutch. So I took the eggs and stuck them under her. She screeched at me. Thoughts? I'm distressed. This maran has been broody for two weeks, and I'm afraid I've broken it.

Oh gosh, I know that feeling of panic... I have no experience with broody hens at all, and I am sure someone will offer some suggestions. One thing I do keep reading in here is how persistent broodys can be, and it takes so much more for them to give it up. I have read many times people who don't want their hen to go broody, and remove her from where she was setting, and the next day she was right back at it. Perhaps in the morning, she will have grown accustomed to her new place and be up on those eggs again.

Sorry you have to go through this, but I think you did the right thing trying to create a private place for her to brood in peace.


Keep us posted, and Good Luck!
MB

 

[subhanalah]

I think I hatched mostly cockerels

maybe the crested one is a pullet?

@KYTinpusher