Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[SunnySkies]

What I have been told is when they are breeding, they put a group in a breeding pen and when they aren't, the birds free range as a breed group.

I'm surprised they allow visits. Biosecurity. I worked for Veterinary Services with USDA as a field veterinarian, and biosecurity freaks me out after that experience...I don't allow farm visits and I won't go to other farms.

 

[DCchicken]

Are you bringing chicks back with you?

I am actually going to a workshop, but knowing me I will see whatever new breed they have and fall in love with it. So yes chicks will be coming back with me.

 

[madamwlf]

I am actually going to a workshop, but knowing me I will see whatever new breed they have and fall in love with it. So yes chicks will be coming back with me.

Lucky you! I need to find out when they plan to release the new line of Legbars!

 

[SunnySkies]

I am actually going to a workshop, but knowing me I will see whatever new breed they have and fall in love with it.  So yes chicks will be coming back with me.

LOL, I haven't had to go to a workshop for that to happen. It's been a while...a long while... since I looked at their website, but I love the Marsh Daisy. But hubby would flip his lid if I dropped that much cash on some young birds!

 

[DCchicken]

What I have been told is when they are breeding, they put a group in a breeding pen and when they aren't, the birds free range as a breed group.

I'm surprised they allow visits. Biosecurity. I worked for Veterinary Services with USDA as a field veterinarian, and biosecurity freaks me out after that experience...I don't allow farm visits and I won't go to other farms.

From what I understand they do practice Biosecurity. With the exception of my Cemani, all of my chickens were direct from GFF. The Cemani are kept apart from the other chickens. So it is unlikely any new bugs would make it back.

I do know what you mean about visitors. It drives me nuts when I see the mailman walking around the property looking at the chickens. I have no idea how many other farms or estates he goes wandering around. Does Premier sell fencing that works on mailmen?

 

[ridinshotgun]

I am not sure that everyone understands exactly what a landrace breed is. They are not a wild unkempt breed. They are domesticated livestock and as such their selection IS influenced by humans. This is the definition given to landrace breeds by the ALBC:

Quote:
Breeding and selection are two separate things. Sure SFH can be free breeding but they are and have been through history selected by man, other wise they would not be a breed at all.

 

[SunnySkies]

Something else to note is that there have been several severe "bottlenecks" in the genetic history of the breed. Bottleneck refers to times when the population drops to a low level.

In the 1980's, there were less than 500 birds worldwide, all of them concentrated in 3 rural areas in Sweden. Now, there are about 50 flocks in Sweden with about a thousand birds, perhaps more at this point, plus whatever is here in the US.

The US population started with FIFTEEN birds. That is a huge bottleneck. And that original import did NOT include any crested birds. The original flock's breeder had eliminated cresting from her birds, with no apparent detriment to her birds. These 15 birds actually only represented 3 bloodlines.

Some months later, 19 more joined the original 15, and this group included 4 crested birds. The crested birds originated from the Vomb region of Sweden.

IIRC, there was a third import, this one selected to lay larger eggs than the original imports.

We can want to breed for genetic diversity and in a landrace fashion all we want, but there is a limit to the genes, unless more birds are brought over from other farms, which would be limited by the original bottleneck. Who knows what characteristics did not come over from the mother land.

Landrace also indicates its evolution, but does not refer to how it was maintained. Apparently some Swedish breeders DID select for some characteristics.

 

[DCchicken]

If anyone has any questions about my experience raising and breeding Swedish Flower Hens (or Hedemora) as a landrace instead of breeding and raising them towards a standardized breed, feel free to PM me.

 

[SunnySkies]

I really wanted to just let them do their thing and not worry about it. I did let them. I kept whatever chicks survived and let them breed as they chose. Well, now I have chicks with vaulted skulls and 1/4 of the hatch died in the incubator. So, now, I'll have to sort them out differently. Live and learn.

ETA: I DO NOT think breeding with an eye on controlling a potential lethal issue as breeding to a standard. For me, it's using my resources in a way to maximize my return without producing animals that may need to be culled.

 

[DCchicken]

I really wanted to just let them do their thing and not worry about it. I did let them. I kept whatever chicks survived and let them breed as they chose. Well, now I have chicks with vaulted skulls and 1/4 of the hatch died in the incubator. So, now, I'll have to sort them out differently. Live and learn.

Sorry to hear about your chicks and hatches dying. It is always sad when a life is lost.