Swedish Flower Hen Thread

[mississippifarmboy]

Beautiful, Can't wait until I can get some. And the Lemon Cuckoos are... WOW

 

[allieloveschickens]

beautiful birds!

 

[ZephyrWoodsFarm]

The crested ones are beautiful. How will you handle as the popularity grows getting outcrosses to maintain their standard?

 

[stoneunhenged]

Quote:
Great question. I've imported a total of 19 Swedish flower hens from three different bloodlines. That creates the potential for quite a bit of genetic diversity for many generations. We intentionally found and imported crested and crestless birds and have roosters representing every color variant within the breed. And, I could always import more birds if inbreeding depression were to become an issue.

 

[Carrie Lynn]

I am so impressed with these birds. Now, I have to read all the postings on them.
Will eggs or chicks be available? I love the fact that you are helping to preserve the breed.
Carrie Lynn

 

[BookWorm243]

These are beautiful birds, will you have any chicks in the spring? Would you ship?

Thanks

 

[Phage]

Hi Stoneunhenged, SO pleased you have imported these guys and hopefully this will help maintain the breed. THANK YOU!!!

Scary that there are only 1000 left in Sweden. Hopefully in the US people will see that this is a gem we need to protect.

$399 a pair is somewhat outside my price range, but like the previous 2 posters I was wondering if you would be selling chicks or eggs in the spring?

And just dreaming here... but when you sell pairs does the seller get choice in the colour or if they have a crest, as they are very varied in appearance?


And to all the other SFH fans... has anyone else purchased a pair and have eggs that they would be prepared to sell?

 

[salunra]

I LOVE these birds. A little outside of my price range, but I am desperate to see more pictures of them.

Also, curious about details. What standard are you planning on breeding to? Will that information be published on your site so that folks who buy your chicks can maintain the same goals?

 

[stoneunhenged]

Flower hens are a landrace native to Sweden and, to the best of my knowledge, have not been accepted as a breed by any kind of poultry sanctioning body. The best I could come up with were general descriptions of the breed, although if you talk to Swedish hobbyists, they seem comfortable with their ability to recognize purebred flower hens. I assume the best way to ensure you the breed is kept pure is to buy from a reputable breeder who assures that he or she acquired pure birds. There's enough uniformity in the breed where you should often be able to tell whether someone's been introducing foreign DNA. For example, if the eggs a hen produces aren't medium size and a light tan color, probably someone couldn't resist the tempation to add another breed like perhaps some araucana. If the birds have feathers on their legs, ditto.

Also, yesterday flower hen chicks were hatched for the first time in the US!

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Congats Paul! Way to go!