Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[ruriksson]

I live in Los Angeles proper so finding any breeder is difficult. It's a 1.5 hour drive for a sketchy breeder and 3-4 hour drive for someone who got their parent stock direct from GFF. And everything else in between. I had not planned on buying any cockerels that day, but I liked his speckles/mottling. The breeder is a man in his 80s. I did find it strange that he still had 8+ week olds in brooders. When I was there the only breeds he had were SFH and Golden Cuckoo Marans; I saw a bantam cochin rooster wandering around, but that was it.

Here are more images of the off cockerel. It seems all his feathers other than the flight are not "knit together" and downy/silkie. See last pic for a random sampling of feathers. Maybe he's a mutant and missing the hooklets on his feather barbules. I also think his eyes are kinda weird. They look sad compared with every other chicken I've seen.

 

[minihorse927]

I live in Los Angeles proper so finding any breeder is difficult. It's a 1.5 hour drive for a sketchy breeder and 3-4 hour drive for someone who got their parent stock direct from GFF. And everything else in between. I had not planned on buying any cockerels that day, but I liked his speckles/mottling. The breeder is a man in his 80s. I did find it strange that he still had 8+ week olds in brooders. When I was there the only breeds he had were SFH and Golden Cuckoo Marans; I saw a bantam cochin rooster wandering around, but that was it. Here are more images of the off cockerel. It seems all his feathers other than the flight are not "knit together" and downy/silkie. See last pic for a random sampling of feathers. Maybe he's a mutant and missing the hooklets on his feather barbules. I also think his eyes are kinda weird. They look sad compared with every other chicken I've seen.

this is just odd. Maybe he is just one poor example. I would let him grow out and see what he grows into. Not every bird I hatch and grow is quality and every once in a while I get a super oddball but I've never seen this in Swedish flowers.

 

[zemchick]

Gorgeous! I had never heard of them.

 

[EastNashChick]

this is just odd. Maybe he is just one poor example. I would let him grow out and see what he grows into. Not every bird I hatch and grow is quality and every once in a while I get a super oddball but I've never seen this in Swedish flowers.

He looks an awful lot like a Jubilee Orpington. Did the breeder also have Jubilees? Is he considerably larger than all the other chickens.

 

[ruriksson]

He looks an awful lot like a Jubilee Orpington. Did the breeder also have Jubilees? Is he considerably larger than all the other chickens.

Very astute of you. I went searching Craigslist this afternoon and found a new post from him selling Jubilee Orpingtons. But I have a Jubilee hen and her feathers are not as downy as his and only towards the end of the feather. Seems like he's missing hooklets along the entire length of the feather. Isn't his color and pattern totally off for a pure Jubilee? I can only surmise that's he's a cross of the two breeds. I wouldn't mind all the fluff if it didn't also affect his tail feathers. His silhouette is so bad.

 

[Lamancha]

Very astute of you. I went searching Craigslist this afternoon and found a new post from him selling Jubilee Orpingtons. But I have a Jubilee hen and her feathers are not as downy as his and only towards the end of the feather. Seems like he's missing hooklets along the entire length of the feather. Isn't his color and pattern totally off for a pure Jubilee? I can only surmise that's he's a cross of the two breeds. I wouldn't mind all the fluff if it didn't also affect his tail feathers. His silhouette is so bad.

thats kinda what I was thinking, maybe a cross between a flower and an orp. His skin color and comb aren't right for a SFH in my opinion either. Im no expert though, so maybe more will chime in. He is pretty cute though, whatever he is.

 

[minihorse927]

He looks an awful lot like a Jubilee Orpington. Did the breeder also have Jubilees? Is he considerably larger than all the other chickens.

Very astute of you. I went searching Craigslist this afternoon and found a new post from him selling Jubilee Orpingtons. But I have a Jubilee hen and her feathers are not as downy as his and only towards the end of the feather. Seems like he's missing hooklets along the entire length of the feather. Isn't his color and pattern totally off for a pure Jubilee? I can only surmise that's he's a cross of the two breeds. I wouldn't mind all the fluff if it didn't also affect his tail feathers. His silhouette is so bad.

thats kinda what I was thinking, maybe a cross between a flower and an orp. His skin color and comb aren't right for a SFH in my opinion either. Im no expert though, so maybe more will chime in. He is pretty cute though, whatever he is.

I hadn't quite put my finger on it but English Orpington have that typical basketball body shape that he has. Jubilee Orpington are a project still and many individuals are poorly colored. I would bet is he has Orpington he is either a poorly colored example or he is a cross. Those legs do look awfully white, which is another Orpington characteristic.

I raise chocolate cuckoo and I'll see if I can find a photo of my older cock. They have such soft feathers that they look horrible growing up.

 

[minihorse927]

see the body shape? Similiar to yours. This cock was sold to a friend who wished to sell him back after deciding he was mean. He came back mooring and with bumblefoot so excuse the poor condition. He looks a lot better now.

 

[EastNashChick]

Very astute of you. I went searching Craigslist this afternoon and found a new post from him selling Jubilee Orpingtons. But I have a Jubilee hen and her feathers are not as downy as his and only towards the end of the feather. Seems like he's missing hooklets along the entire length of the feather. Isn't his color and pattern totally off for a pure Jubilee? I can only surmise that's he's a cross of the two breeds. I wouldn't mind all the fluff if it didn't also affect his tail feathers. His silhouette is so bad.

I have Jubilees, he looks like a poorly colored blue Jubilee, the feather type is weird though, your right about that. He shouldn't have the blue ring about his neck.

 

[ruriksson]

see the body shape? Similiar to yours. This cock was sold to a friend who wished to sell him back after deciding he was mean. He came back mooring and with bumblefoot so excuse the poor condition. He looks a lot better now.

OK, yours looks like his feathers are all fluffy too and had no pronounced tail feathers. I'll hold onto him and figure out what to do when he gets to 6-7 months and see what he turns into.