Crested Swedish Flower chicken breeding

[thatakfarmgirl]

I have heard mixed information and was hoping someone here would know. Someone told me that you should never breed a crested swedish flower chicken to another crested swedish flower. Very little info to back this up was provided. Does anyone have information about this and why I was told it should never be done?

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

I think it’s because the smaller crest is preferred, and breeding two birds with small crests may result in chicks with bigger crests.

 

[thatakfarmgirl]

I think it’s because the smaller crest is preferred, and breeding two birds with small crests may result in chicks with bigger crests.

It was implied that it may be physically harmful (possible brain damaged chicks?) And I am failing to find any info to back that up.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

It was implied that it may be physically harmful (possible brain damaged chicks?) And I am failing to find any info to back that up.

I’ve read that it may lead to a vaulted skull, which is more vulnerable than an un-vaulted skull. In breeds such as polish and silkies, vaulted skulls are actually pretty common. Though I do believe it’s undesirable in Swedish flowers.

I do find it odd that legbar breeders always breed crested to crested without apparent issues, since legbars have the same small crests as Swedish flowers.

 

[KW Farms]

Breeding crested to crested can result in vaulted skulls. You want to breed any crested to non-crested. https://bitchinchickens.com/2021/04/05/vaulted-skulls-in-chickens/

 

[Perris]

I have bred crested x crested SFH without problems, and besides no skull issues, the crests on offspring have to date all been less full than the roo's (you can see his full one in my avatar). As RoostersAreAwesome said, this is never raised as an issue with CCL and, if it's not pure myth, it may be based on examples in heavily crested breeds such as polish, houdans or whatnot. But it does not, in my experience, apply to SFHs.

 

[KW Farms]

I have bred crested x crested SFH without problems, and besides no skull issues, the crests on offspring have to date all been less full than the roo's (you can see his full one in my avatar). As RoostersAreAwesome said, this is never raised as an issue with CCL and, if it's not pure myth, it may be based on examples in heavily crested breeds such as polish, houdans or whatnot. But it does not, in my experience, apply to SFHs.

It’s definitely not a myth. You’ve just been lucky to not get any vaulted skulls if you’re breeding crested to crested. I own two SFHs with this deformity. Heterozygous crested to heterozygous crested gives you a 25% shot at homozygous crested which is when you’ll get vaulted skulls. You simply haven’t produced any homozygous crested birds yet.

 

[Perris]

Or maybe you've just been unlucky with the gene pool behind your SFHs. Given the lack of an official standard, all sorts of hybrids get advertised as SFHs.

 

[KW Farms]

Or maybe you've just been unlucky with the gene pool behind your SFHs. Given the lack of an official standard, all sorts of hybrids get advertised as SFHs.

It’s a well known occurrence in the breed and common knowledge amongst SFH breeders to not breed crested to crested.

 

[Perris]

The OP in this thread suggests not. Repeating it does not make it true. And specifically as a landrace breed, what 'breeders' of your acquaintance think or do to interfere in their reproduction is, frankly, irrelevant.

The OP @thatakfarmgirl might find this page useful for some supported information,
https://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2013/09/breed-overview-skansk-blommehons.html