Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[bluehousefarm]

Got some Swedish Flower Hens coming in from Meyer in a few days! What should I expect about them?

I hope yours will look better than the pictures on their website...

 

[KYTinpusher]

Got some Swedish Flower Hens coming in from Meyer in a few days! What should I expect about them?

Based on the pictures on their website, my guess is they will be pretty and productive, but nowhere close to breeder quality.

 

[Chickenrandomness]

Thanks guys

I'm certainly not expected the world out of hatchery stock, but hopefully they'll spruce up my growing flock!

 

[Ashdoes]

Thanks guys 
I'm certainly not expected the world out of hatchery stock, but hopefully they'll spruce up my growing flock!

I'd enjoy update pictures as your little hatchery chicks mature. I sure hope you get some nice color in your group.

 

[Dalhart]

Hello are you selling eggs from you swedish flower chick

 

[ki4got]

Hello are you selling eggs from you swedish flower chick

I don't know about anyone else, but I sold only 2 dozen this year, I plan to hatch everything else now that I'm working on fixing the sportsman... the hatcher is in place now for the 3 doz I have set of Leigh's eggs. I've got about 5 dozen eggs ready to set of my own birds (sfh, dorking and blrw)

 

[UrbanFarmOC]

When I went to lock up my chickens after I came home from a family gathering today, I found my 7 month old SFH in the nest. She wouldn't get off when I shoved her and she was sitting on her egg. So, I'm assuming she's gone broody. This is my first time with a broody.

I have a 6 month old Salmon Faverolles cockerel and I'd like to try to put some eggs under her. I'm not sure how fertile the eggs will be, since 5 out of my 9 hens are all newer layers at around 6-7months old, and only 1 of my 4 one-year old hens will let the cockerel mate them (the others beat him up when he tries. Lol)

Are SFH good broodies/ mothers? How many eggs should I try to put under her?

 

[Alpine Chicken]

When I went to lock up my chickens after I came home from a family gathering today, I found my 7 month old SFH in the nest. She wouldn't get off when I shoved her and she was sitting on her egg. So, I'm assuming she's gone broody. This is my first time with a broody.

I have a 6 month old Salmon Faverolles cockerel and I'd like to try to put some eggs under her. I'm not sure how fertile the eggs will be, since 5 out of my 9 hens are all newer layers at around 6-7months old, and only 1 of my 4 one-year old hens will let the cockerel mate them (the others beat him up when he tries. Lol)

Are SFH good broodies/ mothers? How many eggs should I try to put under her?

Hi,
you might want to wait just a little before putting eggs under her. Mine will act like that, too, if they´ve just layed the egg, or are about to lay, so it could be you just caught her at that time and she´s going to get up again. I have one that will stay like that for about 2 hours after laying, and I´ve gotten my hopes up a few times that she had gone broody. I would say if she´s still sitting on the egg in the evening, it´s a go. I´m still waiting for mine to go broody; I think the days just aren´t long enough for them, yet.
Mine were too young last year to go broody, so I´m hoping they will hatch out some eggs this year. My only experience with this breed has been with the incubator, but they´re supposed to be good mothers- I would guess she should be able to handle 8-10 eggs. My Brahma would sit on 15 eggs without a problem, but of course they´re a lot bigger.
Good luck!

 

[KYTinpusher]

When I went to lock up my chickens after I came home from a family gathering today, I found my 7 month old SFH in the nest. She wouldn't get off when I shoved her and she was sitting on her egg. So, I'm assuming she's gone broody. This is my first time with a broody.

I have a 6 month old Salmon Faverolles cockerel and I'd like to try to put some eggs under her. I'm not sure how fertile the eggs will be, since 5 out of my 9 hens are all newer layers at around 6-7months old, and only 1 of my 4 one-year old hens will let the cockerel mate them (the others beat him up when he tries. Lol)

Are SFH good broodies/ mothers? How many eggs should I try to put under her?

As Alpine Chicken said, you should wait to see if she is serious. If you can afford to lose the eggs, though, go ahead and put them under her and see what happens. Just having a nest full of eggs can entice a hen to go broody. Your new layers are likely to be fertile if your cockerel has been mating them. When I do fertility testing on my new layers, it is usually excellent where the older girls can be hit or miss. If you just want to test her first, get some ceramic eggs and put them under her to see how serious she is.

 

[UrbanFarmOC]

As Alpine Chicken said, you should wait to see if she is serious. If you can afford to lose the eggs, though, go ahead and put them under her and see what happens. Just having a nest full of eggs can entice a hen to go broody. Your new layers are likely to be fertile if your cockerel has been mating them. When I do fertility testing on my new layers, it is usually excellent where the older girls can be hit or miss. If you just want to test her first, get some ceramic eggs and put them under her to see how serious she is. 

Thanks. Ok, I'll wait. How long should I wait? 2 days? 1 week? I put a gold ball under her instead. So far, even though it's early, I do think she is broody. This is different from her normal laying behavior. She also sits on her nest for 2-3 hours after laying an egg. She has never slept in a nest. I just let my chickens out and she did not budge.