Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[Bulldogma]

Left the lid off the compost bin for a second.

Awwww... so cute! Smart birds! They know where the treats are crawling about!

 

[Melabella]

So, I have to tell you all something, and ease my guilt. I have often written, and thought I would jinx myself, that in the 2 and a half years I have owned chickens, I have never lost one to a predator. It is not a boastful statement, in fact, I am rather shocked by it. I have 100 acres out behind my property with every single thing the northeast has to offer with carnivores looking for their next meal. I have seen bobcat, coyote, fox, raccoon, possum, and tons of hawks, bald eagles, and have a large pond on one side of my neighbors property where there are lots of herons the size of small dinosaurs. The flock has survived two stray dog invasions, with the second one my wonderful neighbor ran outside in her pajamas and a broom to make the dog let go of my Barred Rock Kate he was carrying off property. I was not home, and Jackson my LSGD was in the house, (my son had committed the sin of bringing him in the house while the flock was free ranging). I usually let the flock out after morning egg laying, except if I am gone all day, which is rare. The teenagers have taken to the same schedule.

Last night, I put the laying flock in first, letting the teenagers have some free time to themselves without the elders criticizing their every move. I noticed right before I turned to go in the house, that my black Ameraucana hen Vivian was a late comer. She is a freaky skittish type, low girl on the totem pole as she was a late addition to the flock when she arrived with Clark, my adult roo. She only lays for about 2 months every spring, and the first hot day, she quits. Haven't had an egg from her since late May. I think she was actually older than the woman I bought her from let on. Anyway.. I had burgers on the grill, and after 3 attempts at trying to get her in, Jack wasn't around to help me, I just closed the door, and figures when it started getting dark, I would run out and put her in. WELL.. I FORGOT! After feeding the family, the dogs, the horses.. I plain ol forgot she was out. This morning when I remembered, she was no where to be found. All day I was praying she would come slinking in from the woods, or the high grasses but nothing. Funny when I went out to let the dogs out for a final time, Jackson went bonkers. I wonder if he smelled the son of a ITCh that got her. There are black feathers from the birds molting, but nothing like an attack. What ever took her, carried her away to wherever. I feel SO GOD awful. I left the poor thing out and forgot about her. I wish I had taken the extra 5 minutes, and got the dog to help me put her in. Funny too as she usually heads up to the perch first.. very early when there is 2 hours still left of daylight.

Now I am also concerned, what ever scored a free meal, will not start to visit often. I am sorry Vivian, even though you were my freaky girl, I feel I have so let you down. Crap!

bad chicken mom,
MB

 

[Sunny Flowers]

So, I have to tell you all something, and ease my guilt. I have often written, and thought I would jinx myself, that in the 2 and a half years I have owned chickens, I have never lost one to a predator. It is not a boastful statement, in fact, I am rather shocked by it. I have 100 acres out behind my property with every single thing the northeast has to offer with carnivores looking for their next meal. I have seen bobcat, coyote, fox, raccoon, possum, and tons of hawks, bald eagles, and have a large pond on one side of my neighbors property where there are lots of herons the size of small dinosaurs. The flock has survived two stray dog invasions, with the second one my wonderful neighbor ran outside in her pajamas and a broom to make the dog let go of my Barred Rock Kate he was carrying off property. I was not home, and Jackson my LSGD was in the house, (my son had committed the sin of bringing him in the house while the flock was free ranging). I usually let the flock out after morning egg laying, except if I am gone all day, which is rare. The teenagers have taken to the same schedule.

Last night, I put the laying flock in first, letting the teenagers have some free time to themselves without the elders criticizing their every move. I noticed right before I turned to go in the house, that my black Ameraucana hen Vivian was a late comer. She is a freaky skittish type, low girl on the totem pole as she was a late addition to the flock when she arrived with Clark, my adult roo. She only lays for about 2 months every spring, and the first hot day, she quits. Haven't had an egg from her since late May. I think she was actually older than the woman I bought her from let on. Anyway.. I had burgers on the grill, and after 3 attempts at trying to get her in, Jack wasn't around to help me, I just closed the door, and figures when it started getting dark, I would run out and put her in. WELL.. I FORGOT! After feeding the family, the dogs, the horses.. I plain ol forgot she was out. This morning when I remembered, she was no where to be found. All day I was praying she would come slinking in from the woods, or the high grasses but nothing. Funny when I went out to let the dogs out for a final time, Jackson went bonkers. I wonder if he smelled the son of a ITCh that got her. There are black feathers from the birds molting, but nothing like an attack. What ever took her, carried her away to wherever. I feel SO GOD awful. I left the poor thing out and forgot about her. I wish I had taken the extra 5 minutes, and got the dog to help me put her in. Funny too as she usually heads up to the perch first.. very early when there is 2 hours still left of daylight.

Now I am also concerned, what ever scored a free meal, will not start to visit often. I am sorry Vivian, even though you were my freaky girl, I feel I have so let you down. Crap!

bad chicken mom,
MB

This is so sad, I'm sorry you lost your Vivian. But it's so completely not your fault. First you're human, and second it sounds like she went missing before your big girls came in. But I too feel responsible and guilty for every **** thing and I know how you must feel and I'm sorry for that.

 

[Sunny Flowers]

Silly you! Tricks are for chickens! I love it! Wonder what that pullet on the left was checking out up high in the sky??


MB

Sadly the two on the left are 8 week old boys. It's just a bad phone pic. I'm not allowed to have roos. But I'm making plans to keep them. Blackout shutters on the coop, rooster collars, egg bribes to the neighbors, whatever it takes because I adore them both.

 

[Bulldogma]

I plain ol forgot she was out. This morning when I remembered, she was no where to be found. All day I was praying she would come slinking in from the woods, or the high grasses but nothing. Funny when I went out to let the dogs out for a final time, Jackson went bonkers. I wonder if he smelled the son of a ITCh that got her. There are black feathers from the birds molting, but nothing like an attack. What ever took her, carried her away to wherever. I feel SO GOD awful. I left the poor thing out and forgot about her. I wish I had taken the extra 5 minutes, and got the dog to help me put her in. Funny too as she usually heads up to the perch first.. very early when there is 2 hours still left of daylight.

Now I am also concerned, what ever scored a free meal, will not start to visit often. I am sorry Vivian, even though you were my freaky girl, I feel I have so let you down. Crap!

bad chicken mom,
MB

Mela - I'm so sorry for your loss! But please don't be so hard on yourself! We have all done stuff like this before!

Only 2 nights ago I forgot to close the hoop-coop door. I was so lucky that nothing got my German boys!!! I found out yesterday that there has been a bear sighting and a fox sighting in our neighborhood... so I got REALLY lucky!

I also closed a coop door about 3 weeks ago, not realizing a Silkie hen was still in the pen and not in the coop. Realized my mistake when I went out in the morning and my black Silkie was happily wandering about the pen alone!

Hugs. You're a GOOD chicken mamma. You just made a mistake that most of us have made and you weren't lucky this time.

 

[Melabella]

Mela - I'm so sorry for your loss! But please don't be so hard on yourself! We have all done stuff like this before!

Only 2 nights ago I forgot to close the hoop-coop door. I was so lucky that nothing got my German boys!!! I found out yesterday that there has been a bear sighting and a fox sighting in our neighborhood... so I got REALLY lucky!

I also closed a coop door about 3 weeks ago, not realizing a Silkie hen was still in the pen and not in the coop. Realized my mistake when I went out in the morning and my black Silkie was happily wandering about the pen alone!

Hugs. You're a GOOD chicken mamma. You just made a mistake that most of us have made and you weren't lucky this time.

Thank you L,

My husband keeps reminding me I was talking just last month how she was going to be the first to go...lol.. true words they ended up being.

I still can't believe she is just gone...no signs of anything. I even fought off dense brush in the woods, and went to the fox den thinking I would see something, but nothing. Why didn't she just perch up high on the horse fence and wait till morning? ..she really wasn't the smartest thing. ugggg....

You are right about the luck thing,, I have left the door to the run open, with the coop door open before a few times, and got lucky. Ah... hopefully never again!

MB

 

[Alpine Chicken]

Melabella-
I´m with Bulldogma- that could have happened to anyone, I don´t think you´re a bad chicken Mama. Besides, by what it sounds like, she was behaving a bit strangely on that day- maybe she was sick?

On a completely different note: I hope I don´t offend anyone with this question, but I haven´t found this theme on this thread yet...

We all know the problem. We hatch out chicks, about half of them are male. A couple we can keep, a couple we can sell... usually a few are left over (besides,maybe a couple also have some defect, so that they can´t be kept for breeding or selling)...
So has anyone out there butchered their extra swedish flower roos yet? I have a few that have just started crowing, and it´s time for them to go. How is their meat quality compared to other breeds? Do they make a decent grilled chicken, or are they more likely to end up as chicken soup? Thanks for any answers.

 

[ki4got]

Melabella-
I´m with Bulldogma- that could have happened to anyone, I don´t think you´re a bad chicken Mama. Besides, by what it sounds like, she was behaving a bit strangely on that day- maybe she was sick?

On a completely different note: I hope I don´t offend anyone with this question, but I haven´t found this theme on this thread yet...

We all know the problem. We hatch out chicks, about half of them are male. A couple we can keep, a couple we can sell... usually a few are left over (besides,maybe a couple also have some defect, so that they can´t be kept for breeding or selling)...
So has anyone out there butchered their extra swedish flower roos yet? I have a few that have just started crowing, and it´s time for them to go. How is their meat quality compared to other breeds? Do they make a decent grilled chicken, or are they more likely to end up as chicken soup? Thanks for any answers.

yes I have, and... well, it tastes like chicken. LOL I've had better looking carcasses but they were Dorkings or dorking crosses mostly. I rarely eat a non-meaty breed but even a sfh can make a good meal. the biggest reason I don't tend to eat the smaller breeds is simply because there isn't as much meat. but extra roosters are extra roosters, only so many things you can do with them. keep, sell, eat.

 

[Alpine Chicken]

Hi everyone,
Today I got 15 SFH-hatching eggs in the mail from a German breeder in order to increase the genetic diversity of my flock a bit. They´re all in the incubator now, I´m reallly hoping for at least one nice boy and maybe 2 or 3 girls to keep. Was going to wait til the spring, but you know how that goes- couldn´t wait! Wish me luck!

 

[Melabella]

Hi everyone,
Today I got 15 SFH-hatching eggs in the mail from a German breeder in order to increase the genetic diversity of my flock a bit. They´re all in the incubator now, I´m reallly hoping for at least one nice boy and maybe 2 or 3 girls to keep. Was going to wait til the spring, but you know how that goes- couldn´t wait! Wish me luck!

Congratulations! I'm so excited to keep up with your updates the next 3 weeks! Please keep us posted and let us know how it goes. Fingers crossed for you to have a successful and plentiful hatch! Oh, and I forgot to mention, I'M JEALOUS!!!


Good Luck!,
MB