Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[NM Chicks]

My second hatch was successful despite a temperature drop during lock down that might have lasted 24 hrs or more. The humidity had caused the thermometer display to break and I had trusted it to stay steady. When I got worried over no pipping, I quickly switched it out and found it had been 90 degrees in there. I was pretty certain I had killed them, but nope. Thirteen of them hatched. As I was about to clean out the incubator this morning, I heard a peep... and sure enough one more is working on hatching, so that will be 14. Here are the thirteen born over the past two days. Some eggs were swedes, some were crested swedes and others were mixed hens with Swede roo. They are all cute. The nine three and a half week olds are doing great too. They've grown so fast!

 

[Flowerbh]

Well, my first try with shipped eggs was kind of a let down. Three made it to lockdown but only one made to hatch day. The other two must have died shortly after lockdown because they were both completely upside down when I did the eggtopsies.

Here's the little one, it was pretty weak for the first few days but I think it's pulled through. I'll probably be looking for someone in the Atlanta area with small chicks to adopt it because it's way too tiny to put in with my older birds now.

I would still love to hatch some SFH to add to my flock, but I next time I'll definitely seek out some local eggs.

I live just north of Atlanta in Dawsonville. I just hatched a SF. I am thinking it might be a crested male. Are you interested in it? It is about a month old.

 

[TheGeekySheep]

Did you try the dry hatch method that so many experienced peeps on here suggested with the SFH?

I did dry incubation, yes. The ones that didn't take either had detached air cells that didn't reattach, or they were blood rings very early on, so I don't think humidity had much to do with it. I'm not sure what happened with the two that made it all the way to lockdown and then died, the only thing I can think is that I needed to turn them more. I turned manually 3 times a day (work full time) and maybe that's not enough to make sure the embryos get positioned correctly.

I live just north of Atlanta in Dawsonville. I just hatched a SF. I am thinking it might be a crested male. Are you interested in it? It is about a month old.

Hi neighbor! Aw what a cutie! I have some month-old-chicks from a previous hatch but I would be scared to put her in with them, she's so tiny right now. I was going to seek someone with day-old to week-old chicks to put her with, but I've held off for now because I'm not sure she's growing right. I would hate to give her away and then have her die shortly thereafter. It might be my imagination but she doesn't seem to be growing very fast and she spends a lot of time sleeping. She also makes a clicking noise when she breathes so I'm just watching her. The good news is she doesn't seem distressed at being alone like my last lone chick (he never stopped peeping, oh my gosh).

 

[TheGeekySheep]

So here's a question: If she/he makes it, based on the down color, what do y'all think she/he look like when fully feathered?

 

[Bulldogma]

So here's a question: If she/he makes it, based on the down color, what do y'all think she/he look like when fully feathered?

Do you have a picture from the side so wee can see her coloration?

 

[TheGeekySheep]

Do you have a picture from the side so wee can see her coloration?

I just noticed she's got little white wingtips now.

 

[Melabella]

The Swedes trying out the big roost far away from the teenage girls....

 

[Bulldogma]

I just noticed she's got little white wingtips now.

That is one adorable chick! Looks like she has a lot of red. hard to tell in the lighting you have if she is black or blue under the red... but she looks like she'll be primarily dark - could go darker... like mostly black with white flowering. Also could go dark blue with lots of red leakage with white flowering. Either way, it's a Swede, so it's going to be beautiful.

The Swedes trying out the big roost far away from the teenage girls...
.

Getting better looking by the day! All 3 of them will be stunning! Can't wait to see what you get in your next batch!

 

[TheGeekySheep]

That is one adorable chick! Looks like she has a lot of red. hard to tell in the lighting you have if she is black or blue under the red... but she looks like she'll be primarily dark - could go darker... like mostly black with white flowering. Also could go dark blue with lots of red leakage with white flowering. Either way, it's a Swede, so it's going to be beautiful.

Thank you!

 

[Melabella]

Yeah! One down, six to go(fingers crossed), this little one is a day early! Yippie yo !!
MB