The search for a speckled hen! Swedish flowerhen or speckled sussex or...?

[CurvyCoop]

My run will be finished in june so I'm looking around and ordering/placing reservations on chickens right now. I'm still looking for a speckled hen, one who lays white or cream eggs. I love the look of both swedish flowerhens and speckled sussexes. Which breed would you prefer?

They will be living with 2 araucanas, 1 BCM, 1 buff orpington and 1 silverudds blue this year. Next year they will be joined by some croad langshans.

 

[SilverBirds]

I have four speckled sussexs. They are very productive layers of light brown eggs and are sweet as can be. I don't know much about the swedish but I believe they are harder to come by vs the sussex.

 

[CurvyCoop]

I have four speckled sussexs. They are very productive layers of light brown eggs and are sweet as can be. I don't know much about the swedish but I believe they are harder to come by vs the sussex.

I happen to be lucky enough to have TWO sellers of flowerhens really close by, and at least 5 of speckled sussex.

 

[SilverBirds]

Then I'd say get whichever one you like better... or get both!

 

[CurvyCoop]

Then I'd say get whichever one you like better... or get both!

Help no! I'm already planning for 10 chickens! I started out planning for 4!

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have had both. The speckled sussex has been the sweetest of chickens. The color of the mahogany feathers are so pretty, and you know what you are getting with a SS. SFH some times you get soft looking "flowers" and you get different colors. You end up "hoping" for your favorite looks.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

You could also go a whole third direction and get a 55 Flowery Hen. These are one of the many Swedish breeds developed by Martin Silverudd. Very productive layers of large white eggs.
May be a little harder to come by though. Greenfire has them I believe. Photo from the internet.

 

[CurvyCoop]

I have had both. The speckled sussex has been the sweetest of chickens. The color of the mahogany feathers are so pretty, and you know what you are getting with a SS. SFH some times you get soft looking "flowers" and you get different colors. You end up "hoping" for your favorite looks.

The birds I can get will be between 17 and 22 weeks when I get them in june so they will be mostly feathered. Or do you mean their "flowers" soften over time? Like the older a hen gets, the more vague their flowers get?

 

[CurvyCoop]

You could also go a whole third direction and get a 55 Flowery Hen. These are one of the many Swedish breeds developed by Martin Silverudd. Very productive layers of large white eggs.
May be a little harder to come by though. Greenfire has them I believe. Photo from the internet.

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Is that a different breed than the swedish flower hen? I thought those were the same breeds.
But I love speckled birds and I definitely want at least one speckly bird in my flock!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Is that a different breed than the swedish flower hen? I thought those were the same breeds.
But I love speckled birds and I definitely want at least one speckly bird in my flock!

It is a completely different breed.
Martin Silverudd developed several breeds during his lifetime. The Silverudds Blue was the breed he was working on at the time of his death and was not complete.
The 55 Flowery Hen is an auto sexing breed, you can tell the gender of the chicks at hatch.
They are known to be excellent layers on par with Leghorns.