Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[Bulldogma]

I mentioned before that the eggs I got from Betharrived in good shape except for one that was crushed. I let them sit over night and p[ut in the incubator on Tuesday the 25. When I candled them at 10 days I found one that was cracked on
the bottom, I also found 4 clears. I took them out and fed to the pigs. Pigs do like eggs. Mine are wild stock and if they can catch a chicken they will eat it.
Anyway I put the rest in lock down Saturday. Looking for them to hatch Tuesday the 16. I did put the cracked one in there too, because it did look fertile. 2 of them looked like they had bacteria, so that left 4 eggs out of the 12 sent that MIGHT hatch. I just went in and checked and GUESS what I have a new Swedish Flower Hen chick. Still wet BUTT looks like a pretty Strawberry blond.
Fingers crossed on the rest hatching.
BTW I finally got the nest box mounted on the back of my SFH girls coop Saturday and picked 3 eggs out if it this morning. So now I don't have to get off my wheelchair and stumble around in the coop raking in the sand looking for covered up eggs. The girls and their new BOSS are getting along great, I am gonna give them a couple more weeks and start setting some of their eggs.
Baby chick pictures tomorrow
Wish me luck.
Y'all great people.
Big Jim

Congrats on your SFH chick, Big Jim! Keeping my fingers crossed you get a few more! Great news about the girls using their new nesting box already! Smart girls

 

[Bulldogma]

Hi and good evening everyone!
hope you don't mind a stranger jumping in here with a question. I am considering getting SFH's if I am unable to acquire (or maybe in place of) Hedemora hens. Are SFH's good layers? I live in northern WI and am seeking nice cold hardy hens that are reasonably good layers (or even better, great!) Don't care about the meat part. My girls are strictly eggs and entertainment

thank you in advance for any wise words you might share

Swedish Flowers lay an average of 150 eggs a year. The eggs are light beige and large for the size of the bird. I'm not sure how cold hardy they are - they originated in the south part of Sweden where the temperatures rarely drop lower than 32 F. I'm not sure we have any SFH owners active on this thread from up North to tell us how they do in your super-cold winters. (Please chime in if you are a Northerner successfully raising SFHs.)

I guess the temperatures you have up there would be of most concern to me, but I don't have first-hand experience with these birds in those temperatures to tell you for sure.

 

[Herducks]

My sfh chick. I hatched him from eggs from kytinpusher. Isn't he cute? I have more sfh eggs in the incubator. one set is only about a week in and the others just went in friday so still a couple week til hatch time. I can't wait! I am hoping for a wide range of colors.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: usually the biggest threat to chickens is their comb... single combed birds are the highest risk with extreme cold temps, but as long as their coop is dry, then the risk of frostbite is lessened. when it becomes an issue is if the bedding is damp, it causes the humidity in the air to condense out and onto the exposed skin of the chickens, and then freezing. if the coop is kept dry, then frostbite isn't usually as much of a concern.

 

[Cynthia12]

I mentioned before that the eggs I got from Betharrived in good shape except for one that was crushed. I let them sit over night and p[ut in the incubator on Tuesday the 25. When I candled them at 10 days I found one that was cracked on
the bottom, I also found 4 clears. I took them out and fed to the pigs. Pigs do like eggs. Mine are wild stock and if they can catch a chicken they will eat it.
Anyway I put the rest in lock down Saturday. Looking for them to hatch Tuesday the 16. I did put the cracked one in there too, because it did look fertile. 2 of them looked like they had bacteria, so that left 4 eggs out of the 12 sent that MIGHT hatch. I just went in and checked and GUESS what I have a new Swedish Flower Hen chick. Still wet BUTT looks like a pretty Strawberry blond.
Fingers crossed on the rest hatching.
BTW I finally got the nest box mounted on the back of my SFH girls coop Saturday and picked 3 eggs out if it this morning. So now I don't have to get off my wheelchair and stumble around in the coop raking in the sand looking for covered up eggs. The girls and their new BOSS are getting along great, I am gonna give them a couple more weeks and start setting some of their eggs.
Baby chick pictures tomorrow
Wish me luck.
Y'all great people.
Big Jim

Ok, chair? I missed that somewhere probably waaaaay back there in a thread. I have a son in a chair. Was born with Spina Bifida. Maybe you had surgery?
Anyway, congrats on that baby chick, hoping you have more by now!!

 

[Cynthia12]

usually the biggest threat to chickens is their comb... single combed birds are the highest risk with extreme cold temps, but as long as their coop is dry, then the risk of frostbite is lessened. when it becomes an issue is if the bedding is damp, it causes the humidity in the air to condense out and onto the exposed skin of the chickens, and then freezing. if the coop is kept dry, then frostbite isn't usually as much of a concern.

You always make such great learning comments. This only makes sense, but sometimes, we just don't see what's right in front of us. I have to think about the big chicken door now, and make sure I keep it closed while it's snowing, so it won't even be damp in the doorway. I like leaving that door open most of the time during the day, and sometimes when it's raining in the summer, but will make sure it's closed now when the snow is flying and cold out there.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: you might think about making a cover for the doorway to keep moisture out? or maybe a door with a hallway kinda thing? it's hard to explain what i'm thinking about but i used a similar door on a parakeet aviary. basically an extended hallway of sorts along the front of the coop before opening into the main coop...

that way any directly blown wind/rain/snow wouldn't make it into the coop but the fresh air would still...

 

[LazyQ]

Ok, chair? I missed that somewhere probably waaaaay back there in a thread. I have a son in a chair. Was born with Spina Bifida. Maybe you had surgery?
Anyway, congrats on that baby chick, hoping you have more by now!!

About 25 years ago I got an infection in my left foot. I am also diabetic, that resulted in a below knee amputation. About 7 years ago my house burned down,
I stepped on a nail with my right foot while cleaning up the mess and that got infected. They cut that leg off below the knee too. That one bout done me in.
I don't use the chair in the house, BUTT do use it to get around outside where the walking is really rough, I live alone in the deep backwoods of North Florida and it is pretty rough.
In town where it all concrete and pavement I don't have many problems getting around, BUTT do use it when shopping in stores where they don't have electric carts..
Add to that being old (70) and fat (about 300, was 398) don't help either. However because of the way I mostly eat all my numbers are for the most part great.
I have lost 80 pounds in the last couple years and have another 50 to go.
I grow and put up, (can, freeze, cure) almost everything I eat. If I was able to exercise more I would be there already..
BTW still only one chick so far.

 

[LazyQ]

Congrats on your SFH chick, Big Jim! Keeping my fingers crossed you get a few more! Great news about the girls using their new nesting box already! Smart girls

As promised, here is the strawberry Blond. Don't look as strawberry as when wet. From the hairdo looks like might be crested. When I came in from feeding what critters the wildlife has been kind enough not to eat before I got the survivors penned and a new Guard pup installed. There was another hatchee. I had set up one brooder pen while I was out feeding, so I took the youngsters out there and put them in with a nice warm light, some fresh water and some grub.
Now we see how many more are going to join these,
I am thinking at least 2 more. Today is hatch day.

Hatchling number one




And with number two. Number 2 ain't standing good yet<g>

 

[Bulldogma]

The darker one... Yup - that's how I feel before I have my coffee!

Congrats on TWO chicks (and counting)! The darker one is marked the same way my Frida was at that age... and she's the most beautiful hen now! I'm just taking a wild guess here, but I'm gonna put money on that darker one being a roo and the strawberry being a pullet. In the next day, take a peek at their primary wing feathers and tell us what you see!