Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[Bulldogma]

Beautiful birds, LM!!

 

[Ronh]

Hi, thanks for the teaching moment. I always try and learn something new on a daily basis. Your points are defininatly good enough for me. Like I said at the onset of posting, I was curious about the differences for sustaining this breed and you're right, as you look at it human help will have to play a role in the breeds survival for typical body type, broodiness and ultimately how a breeders perception of how the breed should progress etc. But I sure wouldn't mind having 20 - 40 acres to give it a try.

Thanks again for helping me understand that it takes a lot of work for this to happen (from what I've learned). I'm your typical surban backyard chicken wrangler with 6 birds and 2 possible SFH's in the not so distant future.

Thanks again!!!

 

[ivyrose7]

They are gorgeous aren't they. I recently got one that I'm pretty sure is a Roo, so I may be listing him in the BST thread as soon as I know for sure. Great temperament too!

 

[OHfarmerswife]

These are our newest "little flowers", bred & hatched here at our farm.

Proud poppa!

 

[subhanalah]

[...]? What happens to the young cockerels? Are they booted? Do they come back? Do they live as bachelors?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Here is a definition:

animal or plant species which has developed over time, by adaptation to the natural and cultural environment in which it lives.[1] Specimens of a landrace are usually more genetically and phenotypically diverse than members of a formal breed. Many such breeds originate from attempts to make landraces more consistent through selective breeding, and sometimes a particular type has both landrace and formal breed populations. Confusingly, sometimes the name of a formalised breed based on a landrace retains the word "landrace" in it, despite the breed no longer being a true landrace, or may have the same name as the landrace from which it was derived. When an animal landrace is formalised as a pedigree breed without significant selective breeding to alter it, but rather to lock in what are thought of as its defining traits, it is often referred to as a natural breed or traditional breed by breeder and fancier organisations. Similarly, the term traditional variety is sometimes applied to plant landraces, and heirloom plants may in some cases be samples of landraces.

Landraces are distinct from ancestral species of modern stock, and from separate species or subspecies derived from the same ancestor as modern domestic stock. Landraces are not all derived from ancient stock unmodified by human breeding interests. In a number of cases, most commonly dogs, domestic animals have reverted to "wild" status by escaping in sufficient numbers in an area to breed feral populations that, through evolutionary pressure, form new landraces in only a few centuries. Modern plant cultivars can also fairly quickly produce new landraces through undirected breeding.

I think the way it is being used for SFH is that it hasn't become a "breed" that was altered by selective breeding to the point that it is not what the breed originally was.

The ones that survived in Sweden were adapted to that environment. It would seem to follow that as they begin to grow in numbers in the US that they would continue to adapt to the environment and that the ones that have the traits that make them able to be successful in the specific area would continue to propegate and those that aren't would eventually die out (if the owners allow for that).

An example of that would be my 2 gray birds. Both had excessive crests; both were "skittish" to the point of being "afraid" of their own flock; neither would integrate into normal flock dynamics. Both probably lived longer than they would have naturally. Gray #1 died in a hawk attack. Gray #2 was also hawked but survived. If I had kept her here she would either have had to be kept in her own special pen away from the flock or would have caused havoc. She ended up going to a "pet" home that will not cull her but won't breed either. Neither bird was adapting to the environment.

Gray 1 was the bio-mom of Gray 2. Passed down the bad characteristics to her daughter and she was hatched quite by mistake as I thought I was getting a different girl's egg. No matter....she culled herself from my flock and would be dead now if a young lady hadn't wanted her. She continues to not be able to integrate w/her flock and she keeps her separately from the others....

 

[Tippylou]

Here is a definition:



I think the way it is being used for SFH is that it hasn't become a "breed" that was altered by selective breeding to the point that it is not what the breed originally was.

The ones that survived in Sweden were adapted to that environment. It would seem to follow that as they begin to grow in numbers in the US that they would continue to adapt to the environment and that the ones that have the traits that make them able to be successful in the specific area would continue to propegate and those that aren't would eventually die out (if the owners allow for that).

An example of that would be my 2 gray birds. Both had excessive crests; both were "skittish" to the point of being "afraid" of their own flock; neither would integrate into normal flock dynamics. Both probably lived longer than they would have naturally. Gray #1 died in a hawk attack. Gray #2 was also hawked but survived. If I had kept her here she would either have had to be kept in her own special pen away from the flock or would have caused havoc. She ended up going to a "pet" home that will not cull her but won't breed either. Neither bird was adapting to the environment.

Gray 1 was the bio-mom of Gray 2. Passed down the bad characteristics to her daughter and she was hatched quite by mistake as I thought I was getting a different girl's egg. No matter....she culled herself from my flock and would be dead now if a young lady hadn't wanted her. She continues to not be able to integrate w/her flock and she keeps her separately from the others....

Leah's Mom, that is a wonderful answer! I think it sums up what attracted me to this breed, a sturdy self -sufficient breed. Not a "hothouse" breed. Thank you.

 

[subhanalah]

[...]

 

[Bulldogma]

*** Leg Color Update ***

I contacted Jan who is with the Gene Bank in Sweden and specializes in Swedish Flower Hens concerning the confusion over proper leg color in the breed, and this is his/her (?) response:

"Hi Leigh,
Leg color can be different of the Swedish Blomme hens, normally yellow but also skin color and with black mottling is common. So you can not decide if it´s Blomme or not with help of color of the legs.
Regards
Jan Perdén"

So - pink and pink with black mottling is not uncommon in Sweden. Don't cull those birds!!

 

[subhanalah]

[COLOR=FF0000]*** Leg Color Update ***[/COLOR]

I contacted Jan who is with the Gene Bank in Sweden and specializes in Swedish Flower Hens concerning the confusion over proper leg color in the breed, and this is his/her (?) response:

"Hi Leigh,
Leg color can be different of the Swedish Blomme hens, normally yellow but also skin color and with black mottling is common. So you can not decide if it´s Blomme or not with help of color of the legs.
Regards

Jan Perdén"

So - pink and pink with black mottling is not uncommon in Sweden. Don't cull those birds!!

yeah, who is the person who decided they know the ONE conformation appropriate for this very varied breed!