The Svart Hona (Swedish Black Hen) Thread!

[campingshaws]

Oh, I'm sorry you are getting out of them, @campingshaws. I think your rooster looks really nice! Mine is younger than yours and still not in his full glory.

I wish you lived closer, I'd love to pick up a couple of birds... ah well...

Well, it didn’t work out. I still have them! The more I looked at them the more I wanted to keep them, so here we are.

 

[Zoomie]

Well, it didn’t work out. I still have them! The more I looked at them the more I wanted to keep them, so here we are.

LOL!!

Well these are very handsome birds, not to mention they lay very well. That is SO COOL you've decided to keep them!!! I think that is wonderful. I can attest that you are an asset to breeders everywhere.

WOW. Now I can think about ordering eggs from you in the spring!!

 

[howesmr]

Merry Christmas all!!

We finally have a nice stable group of Svart Hona, 7 layers and gorgeous Roo. whole flock through Ewe Crazy. Our first group was decimated by disease from wild birds over the summer. Large Bird proof pen essential in Arizona. Getting about 4 eggs/day in December. If you are in Arizona and interested in hatching eggs or chicks please send me a message. We don't ship.

We have a small batch in the incubator now with some French Breese eggs. It will be a fun group of little B&W chicks to watch. Should be Jan 1st or 2nd hatching.

 

[Zoomie]

Congratulations @howesmr! That is awesome.

Yes, I've found this breed to be actually pretty good layers. I, too, built the Chicken Pen of Indestructibleness and that has paid off really well. Not even sparrows can get in there. In the long run, even though it cost a lot to build, I'm saving money in not feeding wild birds (like my neighbor is, not sure his cost per month but it's getting pretty high as more and more find him) and plus like you say, better to try and keep them away due to disease concerns.

My chicks have all been REALLY cute. Here is hoping for a very successful hatch and very cute chicks!

 

[Chicken Boy 101]

I actually just got a svart hona rooster yesterday.

 

[goedric]

Question on Svart Hona ear lobes... I have 7 from Greenfire... 4 boys and 3 girls... a couple of the boys are now developing bright blue ear flaps... beautiful really but seems like this might be a fault? They are about 4 months old...

 

[howesmr]

Question on Svart Hona ear lobes... I have 7 from Greenfire... 4 boys and 3 girls... a couple of the boys are now developing bright blue ear flaps... beautiful really but seems like this might be a fault? They are about 4 months old...

I have had a group through a local breeder that hers came from GFF. I haven't seen that but a couple her chicks devolved into Roosters that had Mulberry wattles. Not all. The Rooster i use for breeding doesn't have that and came through Ewe Crazy.

 

[howesmr]

Congratulations @howesmr! That is awesome.

Yes, I've found this breed to be actually pretty good layers.
My chicks have all been REALLY cute. Here is hoping for a very successful hatch and very cute chicks!

I am so happy with this new group of Svarts Hona. 7 hens and 1 gorgeous Rosters. All black Wattle unlike a couple of the Roosters from another breeder. I just hathced 7 along with some Breese. I have 28 eggs in the incubator now and candled at Day 8 with 100% Fertility and only 1 seems to have quit.

They seem to be much better layers than I had read. I am averaging 3 eggs/week per hen. And good sized (50-57g) compared some earlier hatches from other breeders (37-49g) None of my current hens have come from them. Most of them were lost to the disease from wild birds i mentioned earlier.

 

[Zoomie]

Question on Svart Hona ear lobes... I have 7 from Greenfire... 4 boys and 3 girls... a couple of the boys are now developing bright blue ear flaps... beautiful really but seems like this might be a fault? They are about 4 months old...

On the standard I have from Sweden (it's in this thread, back a ways) it says that ears are to be blue/grey, or mulberry, but that blue/grey is preferred. My rooster has blue/grey ears. I think that white might be a problem? But I think the blue is OK. On that same standard it calls for dark grey/mulberry wattles. Again, my rooster has mulberry wattles. I could wish for dark grey. Maybe I can breed one like that.

Nice looking boys you have there!

I am so happy with this new group of Svarts Hona. 7 hens and 1 gorgeous Rosters. All black Wattle unlike a couple of the Roosters from another breeder. I just hathced 7 along with some Breese. I have 28 eggs in the incubator now and candled at Day 8 with 100% Fertility and only 1 seems to have quit.

They seem to be much better layers than I had read. I am averaging 3 eggs/week per hen. And good sized (50-57g) compared some earlier hatches from other breeders (37-49g) None of my current hens have come from them. Most of them were lost to the disease from wild birds i mentioned earlier.

OH, I have to agree with you on the laying. I have a hen that lays very nearly every single day. She did not stop or even slow down for winter. I have three of her pullets I raised, and I hope they will be the same. Her production is terrific. Gosh, I hear Ayams lay about 60 eggs per year. She hit 60 eggs before her first two months of laying. And she's still going!

 

[bekkanblue]

A quick hi. I just set 14 SH eggs in my bator and have fingers crossed. Have wanted some for a while so trying not to be too excited. I'm going to read this thread for at least the third time this weekend! Lol!