Raising Swedish Hedemora on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

[Offshoreorca]

Hi All!

I'm embarking on a journey raising Swedish Hedemora at the base of the Cape Breton Highlands in Nova Scotia! I have been long fascinated by this landrace and think they will be well suited to the climate here. A few days ago I received seven little balls of fluff, so now begins the fun of watching them grow. There are relatively few posts regarding Hedemoras on this forum, so the goal is to keep this post as a log of what I learn while raising them. I will update this post throughout this adventure


Chick #1 Lavender Wooly

Chick #2 Lavender Wooly

Chick #3 White Wooly

Chick #4 White Wooly

Chick #5 Black/Grey Smooth

Chick #6 Brown Smooth

Chick #7 Black and White Smooth

 

[N F C]

You have some lovely chicks, thanks for sharing pictures with us!

 

[Offshoreorca]

You have some lovely chicks, thanks for sharing pictures with us!

Thanks!

I know Hedemora aren't a terribly popular breed (well, landrace), but I figure it will be nice for those who do have them - or are planning to get them - to have more information about them on the forum.

 

[N F C]

Thanks!

I know Hedemora aren't a terribly popular breed (well, landrace), but I figure it will be nice for those who do have them - or are planning to get them - to have more information about them on the forum.

A few years ago there was a Chicken Breed Focus thread about them, that might be of interest to you: chicken-breed-focus-hedemora.1035495

 

[Offshoreorca]

Learning and Advice - Week #1

It works better to raise your from Hedemora chicks separately from other breeds...

I've now had the Swedish Hedemora chicks for just over half a week. One thing that has become quite obvious is that they do not thrive when raised with any larger breed chicks. I had them in with Bresse and Black Copper Marans for the first two days (all the same age), and while some did well, others were obviously being pushed away from the food and water. It's not that the larger chicks were mean to the Hedemora, but they grow quicker and dominate the food/water even with multiple stations.

Since they have been separated, the Hedemora are doing much better. I have one chick that I'm not sure will survive (though this one has been off since I picked them up at the airport so this failure to thrive is likely unrelated to being in with larger chicks). The rest are active and doing very well.

In summary, Swedish Hedemora appear to be a bit more delicate in the beginning. I've been told this changes after a few weeks, but it is a good thing to be aware of if you haven't raised them before and plan to get several breeds of chicks at the same time.

They are very active for such small chicks!

The tiny Swedish Hedemora chicks shocked me by hopping on top of the brooder plate as soon as I put them in - at just a couple days old! Given that they seem to get into everything and explore every corner, it is important to make sure they have a water dish they can get out of (e.g. with pebbles in it) and there are no awkward corners in the brooder where they can get stuck.

They are overall very tiny!

Depending on what you buy, chick starter might be too large for them for the first couple of days, so you may want to have a backup plan for how to grind it down a bit further or an alternative chick starter that is finer in texture. I have been sifting through my starter to make sure they get the finer part, while the Bresse and the Marans get the larger crumbles.

 

[Offshoreorca]

A few years ago there was a Chicken Breed Focus thread about them, that might be of interest to you: chicken-breed-focus-hedemora.1035495

Thanks! I have read through this and one other longer thread that seems to be relatively inactive now.

I'm hoping to compile an article after raising them to help with any possible breed specific concerns or problems I encounter.

 

[Offshoreorca]

A bit more of a sad update - we lost chick #7 yesterday. This individual did not thrive from the beginning and rapidly began deteriorating yesterday morning - all the others are doing well and it seemed to be from some underlying condition (which sometimes happens). This is the first chick we have lost in 4 years. Rest easy little fella.

 

[N F C]

A bit more of a sad update - we lost chick #7 yesterday. This individual did not thrive from the beginning and rapidly began deteriorating yesterday morning - all the others are doing well and it seemed to be from some underlying condition (which sometimes happens). This is the first chick we have lost in 4 years. Rest easy little fella.

Sorry for your loss. Glad to hear the others are doing well.

 

[Offshoreorca]

Learning and Updates - Week #5

Hedemora chicks grow slowly and are delicate for the first few weeks of life...

We've had no more losses since the little black and white chick passed, but one of the lavenders seems to have either had a hip injury or its hip has developed wrong. It is managing well despite this (with a little hobble, but no sign of pain) and we'll likely keep it as a special needs chicken if it ends up being a pullet.

The chicks did end up getting coccidiosis and are currently on Amprol. Only one showed the telltale signs of lethargy and bloody stool. The vet confirmed this from a faecal sample and we were able to acquire the right medication (which is fairly strictly regulated in Canada). We've only dealt with coccidiosis once before and so far have always been successful in treating without any losses.

They are just now starting to feather out well and become more robust - far behind the Bresse and Marans chicks they came with (who are now outside in a small coop, being fully feathered).

The breeder did warn about the delicateness of Hedemora when young, and it is the first breed I have dealt with that needs an extra close eye and care as small chicks. However, their calm and quiet nature more than makes up for this vice.

They are extremely calm and quiet for chicks

As the weather is now cold outside, we are keeping the six Hedemora chicks in a brooder in the house. They are so quiet and calm that one almost forgets about them. They also seem to make less of a mess than the other heritage breeds I have raised. For these reasons, they have earned brownie points with my partner, who tolerates (but is not fond of) my chicks in the house.

They start showing telltale signs of sex at about five weeks

I'm sure varying lines have differences in this maturity rate, but given that most (if not all) Hedemora in North America originate from Greenfire Farms imports, this is likely to hold true in this part of the world.

I have only over the last few days started to be able to guess the sex of the Hedemora chicks. I'm sure there will be more surprises, but I am confident that Chick #4 (White Wooly) and Chick #6 (Brown Smooth) are young cockerels, whereas Chick #1 (Lavender Wooly), Chick #2 (Lavender Wooly), and Chick #3 (White Wooly) show no signs of growing combs or wattles yet. Chick #5 (Black/Grey Smooth) remains a mystery as well and is slightly behind in development, though not much.

I will update soon with photos!

 

[N F C]

Looking forward to some photos!