Helping the Swedish Flower Hen

[Bulldogma]

Count me in - and you can use the information on my SFH page HERE.

Here's info
http://www.kackel.se/lantras_hons.html

And here's the translation from the above site:

Rasramar
When the native breeds of poultry are described, it is done in broad rasramar. It is imperative that a landrace is allowed to vary! That means in plain language that you are not allowed to put up one-sided breeding objectives when selecting livdjuren. Examples of such unilateral breeding goal is maximum egg production or a standardized appearance. On this website reproduced rasramarna briefly. In the book Gene banks and rasramar are full rasramar.

A rasram should not be confused with a breed standard which consists of one exterior (appearance) ideal image. With rasram provided a record of the variation that landrace so far has shown, without signs of recent crossings.

Rasbeskrivningar and images​

Skånsk blommehöna (Swedish Flower Hen)
From the Sydskånska plain will this our largest native breed hen. In the villages Vomb, Tofta and Esarp found farm flocks that make up today's blommehöns. Chickens breed has been named after older people in Skåne who spoke of them as "di old flower mede."

Average weather in Vomb: 28 F to 70 F
Average weather in Tofta: 32 to 68
Average weather in Esarp same
Characteristics
Body shape is round and robust. Spring color has been the character of the white feather tips of different colored background. The primer can be black, blue (gray), wild-colored (red-orange roosters and hens brown) or light yellowish. like most other breeds of chickens have blommehöns a simple and serrated ridge. Some animals may tassel (spring bush) on the head. Weight 2 to 2.5 hen, rooster 2.5-3.5 kg.

Also, here is the contact information for the Swedish genebank representative:
Skånsk blommehöna
January Perdén
Fäladsvägen 287, 275 91 Sjöbo
0416-142 45
[email protected]

 

[Bulldogma]

And here's a quote from Henrik Petersson:

Chickens have lived in Sweden for around two thousand years (around 1000 for the Swedish Black Hen). During most of this time, they lived in small flocks among poor farmers, free ranging on small farmsteads. Over the centuries, several breeds emerged that became adapted to this situation. One of these were the Swedish Black Hen.

Then, some hundred years ago, industrialisation came about, changing the way chickens were kept. The traditional breeds were rejected, paving the way for profilic egg layers and specialised meat birds. These new breeds were not kept free or in small numbers, but locked up in their thousands in factory like conditions. Since people saw no value in the traditional breeds, they went all but extinct.

In the 1980's, the attitude started to change. People started to see that keeping the traditional breeds around had both ecological and cultural value. A major search started, and several old breeds were found, that had been kept by stubborn old farmers who had refused to give in to the industralisation.

The search was not only for chickens. People also found several traditional breeds of most type of livestock - geese, ducks, cows, goats, pigs, etc. These old traditional breeds were collectively refered to as "lantraser", meaning "farmer breeds".

In connection with this, something was formed called "genbanken", meaning "the gene bank". All individual animals were registered. When those animals bred, their offspring was registered as well, creating a pedigree of animals dating back to the time they were rediscovered. This collection of registered animals make up the gene bank of Swedish farmer breeds today.

Animals don't count as members of the gene bank until they are registered. So if a gene bank registered Swedish Black rooster and a gene bank registered Swedish Black hen have chickens, the chickens don't count as part of the gene bank from the moment they are hatched. You have to register each individual animal.

To complicate things further, there is something called "genbanksbesättning", roughly translating as "gene bank stock". This means that one has a whole flock of gene bank animals, and also has to be applied for.

It is possible to go out of the gene bank, simply by not registering your animals. But it is not possible to enter the gene bank again, if you miss a generation.

There are several rules for those wanting to keep a gene bank stock. For example, you must keep them separated from chickens of other breeds for at least three weeks before the mating takes place. Also, apart from in exceptional circumstances, you are not allowed to put eggs in a brooder.

There is an organisation dedicated to the preservation of Swesih farmer breeds of poultry: Svenska Lanthönsklubben, meaning "the Swedish Farmer Chickens Club". They have a website, who unfortunately is not available in English, but perhaps may be interesting to browse: www.kackel.se

There are, as of 2007, 430 gene bank registered Swedish Black Hens in Sweden (plus, of course, a lot of unregistered ones). This means it's a threatened breed.

Personally, I love the idea of a gene bank stock kept in America! But I don't know whether foreigners are allowed to apply. And since you have other breeds already, it may be easiest not to apply.

As for the temperament of the Swedish Black Hens: the lady I bought the rooster from, has an entire flock of them (gene bank registered, by the way). When I came to pick my rooster up, she had them free ranging on the lawn. As they spotted us, they clucked and moved away, keeping several yards between us and them. So it seems the breed is pretty shy. I have also read that country breeds generally are shy, as an adaption to living in an environment with a lot of predators.

Our roo was very shy too, in the beginning. Nowadays he's pretty personable, but that might be a result of him living among a flock consisting entirely of Lohman Brown hens. Lohman Brown are known to be pretty up front.
But all hens can get pretty tame, I believe, with proper handling.

The country breeds are known for having a lot of the primal instincts left. For example, the hens often go broody and are excellent mothers. They are also known for being very hardy, and good at foraging.~~~~

 

[Bulldogma]

I've been doing research on these birds for a while... and unfortunately there is not much information available.

There is no SOP for these birds but I have narrowed down conformation information to the following:

Conformation:

• Body shape is round and robust
• Color characterized by a wide range of base color with white feather tips
• (Black, Blue (gray), red/orange, brown)
• Translation from Swedish site: “The primer can go in black, brown, off-white, red or yellow with a speckle caused by the white dots at the tip of the springs. There are also chickens that are gray-blue with gold colored collar, bright white-gray to blue-gray or tan collar and all-black hens.”
• Single, serrated comb
• Some SFH are crested – tassels or whole cap – crest is not so large as to impede the bird’s vision.
• Un-feathered, Light tan to yellow legs (may start out pink or gray as chicks). skin-colored, yellow or black mottled
• Weight 2 to 2.5 hen, rooster 2.5-3.5 kg.

 

[Kimbroe1981]

great info. I love learning more about this wonderful breed!

 

[jbarrett]

Hey all I am asking now if there is anyone I can put down as interested in getting into the "program"....I am trying to set this up, the ALBC has said there needs to be at least 50 breeding birds in a community....The community can be of anyone who has the Swedish Flower Hen and wants to help the breed! We will be the first official with the American Livestock Breed Conservancy.....Now within the community we would need to swap bloodlines on a regular basis, all this means is that we need to send each other eggs or chicks so we can all get new bloodlines to keep the genetics diverse! So if you are interested pm me or post here and I will be in contact with you, again please help the SFH I believe they deserve it!

 

[CasieD]

I've got one rooster and two hens with more eggs on the way.

 

[SunnySkies]

I only have 10, gender mostly unknown at this point.

 

[ChickNmamma]

I have four juveniles, one definite cockerel, one definite pullet, one probably pullet.. and one unknown but I (and a few others) suspect a cockerel. There's my 4 cents worth...

 

[KYTinpusher]

Well, the number changes on a regular basis.

At the moment, my laying flock consists 2 uncrested roos and 8 hens, 4 crested and 4 uncrested. I have a juvie pair, about 13 weeks old, that will be joining them soon, but I am not sure I am going to keep them. They have curled toes.

I have 7, 5 pullets and 2 roos I think, that are in the grow out pen, from the NYD hatch. I will keep all the pullets and at least 1 of the roos. I have 3 in the brooder, about 4 weeks old, I think. And I have 4 more eggs in the incubator for me (9 for someone else).

I think that just about covers it at the moment.

Oh, and I have side swaps pending with 2 more individuals for more eggs!

I would eventually like to maintain a flock of 35-40 hens and 3 roos, in as many of the colors as I can collect. BTW, I'll be happy to help with this endeavor in whatever way that I can.

 

[FeyRaine]

I have 14 SFH eggs in the incubator atm , but Don't count them b/f they hatch !!!

Seriously, I do very much intend to keep a breeding group of SFH
I'll subscribe to this thread & update when I have actual live chicks, hopefully 3/9...

& as far as the conservation part goes, do count me in - by which I mean I will be happy in the future to trade hatching eggs or Roos as nec. w/ others in the conservation community so that we can keep the genetic variety of this landrace breed going strong. Lets all work together doing what each of us can so these lovely and robust birds continue : )