Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[Crickett30]

Very nice looking birds!

Thank you!

 

[Bulldogma]

Today Snoleopard laid her first egg since being moved to a new pen with Magnus! Don't they make a lovely couple?

 

[TheGeekySheep]

Day 14! I'm down to just 3 now, I hope they can make it another week to hatch.

 

[Melabella]

Today Snoleopard laid her first egg since being moved to a new pen with Magnus! Don't they make a lovely couple?

Hummina, Hummina......Love them Leigh!

MB

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Melabella
We need to see some photos of your kiddos

 

[Melabella]

@Melabella

We need to see some photos of your kiddos

Hi LM!
But of course!!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Why, thank you !

Editing to add...
How old are these now?

Also -
Are they integrated into your older flock yet?

 

[Melabella]

Why, thank you !

Editing to add...
How old are these now?

Also -
Are they integrated into your older flock yet?

They are 8 weeks old yesterday.

They are in a grow out stall with three15 week old laying girls, (speckled Sussex, white maran, and Leghorn hybrid) and until very recently four 12 week old Lavender Ameraucana, (now 2). They were in a separated part of the stall for their safety as 2 of the Lavs were cockrels, and quite larger than them. The Lav cockrels... HATED the SFH, and would attack when I tried to integrate them all. Had no intention of keeping the Lav cockrels, even though I loved them, and they were very friendly with me, flying up on my lap. I sold them in a poultry swap/sale at Tractor Supply last weekend. Now they are with the three older pullets, and the lavender pullet. Nero, the black SFH cockrel now attacking the lavender pullet. Stressful stuff. All this hatching I am having fun with brings me with all these different age groups, and it isn't so easy to integrate them as I thought.

My original flock of layers is with 9 hens, and my Black Ameraucana roo Clark. The coop in there can only house12 hens tops..maybe 14 if they all love each other..lol. The run is very large. I scored an 8 x 10 used shed on Craigslist. Its in great shape and am in the process of turning it into a coop, and will build a run. My goal is to have two separate flocks, one with generic layers to give me lots of eggs, and the other for my enjoyment with some of these breeds I have dreamt of owning. The SFH, and Isbars I love. I also love Maraduna Basque EO. I am a sucker for that beautiful cuckoo barring stuff. I could go on and on.. couldn't we all? Since in my first hatch of SFH eggs, I got the two cockerls, and the shed can hold 20 chickens easily, I intend to keep the two SFH boys I have and hopefully get more girls to go with them. I was thinking I would keep Ameraucana and was hoping Isbar girls with them also so that I would never mix up the SFH eggs with the blue/green eggs. I hatched out some of my own EE's that will hopefully join up too.

I currently have 7 Leighs eggs in my Brinsea mini advance. I'm slowly getting there but as I stated, it's a lot of time and patience and separating but still allowing them to see each other. It has shown me that they have quite an intelligent social structure. They know each other, and who they have been raised with, and who they have bonds with. Makes me feel for my little Lav girl, she is missing her two boyfriends. Now she has this black haired Swedish guy trying to rough her up all the time. lol. Silly me when I was getting started, thinking you could just all join them together. As if I didn't learn what pecking order meant in Middle School, I sure understand it now!


MB

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Melabella

Sigh.
I am struggling with some of the same issues as you with integrations. I haven't even tried to bring the 3 little girls (SFH) into the big flock yet but they house in half of the same shed and have a divided area in an outdoor run that is totally visible - but not open to - the big girls.

I wish I had a local TSC swap that I could sell a couple of hens/pullets out before winter. If I can't find a home for them they will probably end up as soup, unfortunately. They're still laying well but the pecking order is such that it will not work for winter when some of them will likely be forced to stay outside when it's too cold by the more aggressive ladies. Very frustrating.

 

[Chipper Chicken]

@Melabella


Sigh. 
I am struggling with some of the same issues as you with integrations.  I haven't even tried to bring the 3 little girls (SFH) into the big flock yet but they house in half of the same shed and have a divided area in an outdoor run that is totally visible - but not open to - the big girls.

I wish I had a local TSC swap that I could sell a couple of hens/pullets out before winter.  If I can't find a home for them they will probably end up as soup, unfortunately.  They're still laying well but the pecking order is such that it will not work for winter when some of them will likely be forced to stay outside when it's too cold by the more aggressive ladies.  Very frustrating.

Ohhhh, I wish my coop were done and you weren't so FAR from me!