Have you ever heard about Swedish Flower Hen chickens? This chicken breed has an interesting name because it contains the word hen.
Usually, most of the breed names do not contain a hen or a rooster. So, chicken raisers are confused about this breed whether it’s only a hen or this breed has a rooster or not.
But don’t get confused because the Swedish Flower Hen chicken breed has both males and females. Here you will know the history, color varieties, lifespan, eggs production, temperament, appearance, size, and care guide of this chicken breed.
History and Origin of Swedish Flower Hen Chicken
Swedish Flower Hen chicken is considered among the traditional breeds of Sweden. This chicken is believed to have been brought to Sweden by seafarers and settlers.
They used the flower hen chicken in trading for other services and goods while others used this beautiful hen chicken as a food source. Apart from being used for meat and egg production in Sweden, this beautiful bird’s feathers were used for stuffing pillows and blankets.
This beautiful Swedish Flower Hen is considered a landrace chicken since it adapted naturally to its surroundings rather than being engineered by humankind.
Initially, this chicken hen was not being given much attention by settlers in Sweden and they always left to roam more or less wild. Additionally, they had to find roosting places, nests, and food by themselves.
In the 1970s, there was a sharp decline in population for these beautiful birds because of the bird’s popularity growing fast due to its being highly productive. There was a time that the total population of these beautiful birds was only about 500.
This came to the attention of chicken enthusiasts and conservationists in the early 1980s and they had to step in. There were three different colonies of the Swedish Flower Hens that were discovered by chicken enthusiasts and conservationists in different towns.
The three different colonies included: –
- The crested had a plume of feathers on their heads that was discovered in Bomb.
- The non-crested Swedish Flower Hens were found in Earp and Tofta.
A breeding plan was put in place to restore the Swedish Flower chicken breed by the Swedish Genetic Project. Further, in the year 2010 about 15 Swedish Flower Hens were sent to the United States.
After this, the American enthusiasts began to notice this breed, and its population has begun to increase. Despite Swedish Flower Hens are being unknown, you can purchase currently throughout North America and Europe.
Also read: Ayam Cemani Chicken Breed Guide
Swedish Flower Hen Chicken Color Varieties
The Swedish Flower Hen chicken is available in multiple color varieties. The beautiful bird features a mottled color across its feathers.
The mottled colors resemble the patterns and speckles of Swedish flowers. Additionally, the Swedish Flower Hen feather pattern is known as “Mille Fleur” meaning a thousand flowers and they have white tips.
The predominant color variety of the Swedish Flower Hen chicken is:
- Brown and white
- Black and white
- Three base colors of black, white, and pale brown.
Moreover, you may also find Swedish Flower Hen chick in blue, red, and orange color varieties. There are also Swedish Flower Hens with rare colors known as a snow leopard pattern that features black, white, and gold blend creating a mottled pattern that mimics the coat of the snow leopard.
Furthermore, the Swedish Flower chicken hen features a red comb, wattles, and ear lobes. You may find these amazing birds with orange or yellow eyes while the legs may be pink or grey.
Lifespan of Swedish Flower Hen Chicken
Health and care are among the things that determine the lifespan of most living creatures. The lifespan of this chicken breed is not different.
The average lifespan of Swedish Flower Hens ranges between 5 to 10 years. However, with proper care and health, they may live for more than ten years.
Also read: Type of Chickens That Lay Colored Eggs
Swedish Flower Hen Chicken Egg Size, Count, and Egg Color
When you take good care of the Swedish Flower Hen chicken and feed them an appropriate diet, they may start laying eggs as early as seventeen weeks.
Additionally, these unique birds can lay between 150 to 200 eggs every year when you give them proper care and feed them the appropriate diet. Besides, with an appropriate diet, Swedish Flower Hens will produce hard-shelled eggs.
Swedish Flower Hen eggs are always light beige to brown in color. When Swedish Flower Hen starts laying eggs, they will be small to medium in size and they will increase in size as time goes.
When you want your Swedish Flower Hen chicken eggs to increase to an extra-large size, you need to feed them properly and provide them with a safe area for nesting (chicken nesting boxes).
Proper feeding of Swedish Flower Hen chicken involves feeding them a diet that is rich in protein and calcium. In addition to this, you may add oyster shell and grit in your Swedish Flower Hen diet to help with digestion of feed and to ensure they receive their nutrients.
However, Swedish Flower Hen is not an excellent broody of chickens but they tend to be great and caring mothers to their chicks once the eggs have hatched. Therefore, if you are hopping for chicks you will need to place the eggs in an incubator.
You may also place the eggs under any hen that is inclined to brood even if it is not a Swedish flower breed to get chicks. If you allow your Swedish Flower Hen to brood, only one-third of the hens will brood.
Also read: Top 7 Best Chicken Breeds That Lay White Eggs (with Images)
Temperament
Keepers of Swedish Flower Hens frequently consider them to be among the smartest and most interesting birds in the flock. They may learn to respond to commands and to follow their caretaker around.
This chicken is also said to be rather non-aggressive. Swedish Flower Hen chicken will rarely get into confrontations with other birds, and it rarely pecks at humans.
They also like attention and they can tolerate being around children therefore you do not have to worry about keeping them with kids around since they will get along well.
These Swedish Flower Hens are friendly, but they also have a strong sense of independence. They appreciate human company but do not require it, maybe because of the way the breed was established. These birds are great foragers and are very easy to care for.
They can be left to fend for themselves to a significant extent. Swedish Flower Hens have a tranquil demeanor in addition to their welcoming demeanor.
Disturbances, such as loud noises, do not easily agitate them. Besides, the Swedish Flower Hen chicken breed is hardy and tolerant to a wide range of temperatures.
If you are keeping other birds in your home, then the chickens will be a great addition to your existing flock.
Moreover, Swedish Flower Hen may be an excellent choice if you are a chicken enthusiast without much experience and you want to start to keep birds because of their calm, gentle and easy care.
Further, despite Swedish Flower Hen chickens having a strong sense of dependence and fetching for themselves, they can also tolerate confinement.
Also read: Plymouth Rock chicken
Color, Size, Appearance, Characteristics of Swedish Flower Hen
Color
Swedish Flower Hen chicken breed base colors are black, blue, yellow, and red. They have yellow to black mottled skin.
Additionally, their legs are usually bright yellow while chicks feature light pink legs and feet. The color of the Swedish Flower Hens varies from yellow to orange. The feathers of this beautiful bird are tipped in white.
Further, this chicken breed features a red comb and wattles. When they reach maturity, the ear lobes, comb, and wattles of this beautiful bird become bright red.
Size
Swedish Flower Hen is average sized meaning they stand about 27.6 inches tall. The hens of this breed weigh up to 5 pounds and the roosters up to 8 pounds.
Appearance
The beautiful bird features a mottled color across its feathers. The mottled colors resemble the patterns and speckles of Swedish flowers. Additionally, the Swedish Flower Hen feather pattern is known as “Mille Fleur” meaning a thousand flowers and they have white tips.
The predominant color variety of this chicken breed is brown and white, black and white, and three base colors of black, white, and pale brown. Moreover, you may also find Swedish Flower Hen chick in blue, red, and orange color varieties.
There are rare colors known as a snow leopard pattern that features black, white, and gold blend creating a mottled pattern that mimics the coat of the snow leopard.
Furthermore, the Swedish Flower chicken hen features a red comb, wattles, and ear lobes. You may find these amazing birds with orange or yellow eyes while the legs may be pink or grey.
Characteristics
The feather design of this breed is one-of-a-kind. Even within the breed, there is a lot of variation, and no two chickens are alike.
The calm and non-aggressive demeanor of Swedish Flower Hens makes them ideal for families with children and other household pets.
These chickens are great for a variety of tasks. They lay a lot of eggs and will grow to be quite large.
The hens and roosters both enjoy foraging and free-ranging but they can tolerate confinement.
Benefits of Raising Swedish Flower Hen Chickens
Here are some amazing benefits which you may get by raising this breed in your backyard coop:
- Swedish Flower Hen chicken are docile birds and despite the fact that they enjoy roaming and foraging for food, they can tolerate confinement.
- You can keep the Swedish Flower Hen breed as pets since they are friendly and non-aggressive.
- These chickens has a dual purpose quality so you can keep them for both meat and eggs.
- They are hardy and therefore suitable for a variety of climates
- They make caring and excellent mothers.
Problems in Raising Swedish Flower Hens
Swedish Flower Hen chicken go for brooding very less but if they sit they make great mothers. So, there is a 30 percent chance of broodiness in females of this chicken breed.
They are average layers so if you want to buy a breed only for egg purposes this is not a good option for you. You can check out our list of the best egg-laying chicken breeds.
This chicken breed is still not accepted as a recognized breed by the American Poultry Association.
Swedish Flower Hens Care Guide
Diet
Swedish Flower Hens requires a high-quality, nutrient-dense feed. When they are chicks, you should provide them with meals that are richer in protein. Additionally, Adults who begin laying eggs can benefit from an increase in calcium in their diet.
Hens lacking in calcium and protein may lay eggs with thin shells, resulting in less nutritious eggs. Allowing your chickens to range will help them acquire all of the nutrition they require.
Chickens that are allowed to roam freely can forage for nutrients and help to control pests. As a result, it’s a win-win situation for both you and your birds.
Also read: Best chicken dewormer for your flocks
Habitat Setup
Each Swedish Flower Hen should have at least four square feet in its coop. Because kids can be curious and adventurous, you should always give them more if possible.
Free-ranging is the most convenient option for most keepers because these hens enjoy having plenty of space to roam during the day. If you can’t let them go around freely, make sure their enclosure has plenty of room for them.
You’ll need to give them each at least eight square feet of the run room because they don’t take confinement well. Making their enclosure safe from predators is a smart idea. The markings on their feathers, on the other hand, help them hide from predators.
Temperature
The optimal temperature for this breed is between 32- and 70-degrees Fahrenheit. They can tolerate all types of weather if necessary, however, they prefer cold to hot temperatures.
You may need to install a coop heater depending on how cold it gets in the winter. You will need to take extra steps to keep your chickens safe if you live somewhere where it’s always warm.
Make sure the coop is well-ventilated and has enough shady spots on the exterior. Also, make sure the chickens have access to clean, cool water at all times.
Health Concerns
These Swedish Flower Hens are like other landrace chickens and quite healthy. They don’t have any major health issues.
However, as with other hens, keep a lookout for pests such as lice and parasites. To avoid infection, keep their coop clean and refresh their food and water on a regular basis.
Final Words
In today’s era, lots of different types of recognized chicken breeds are available. If you want to raise a non-recognized chicken breed with lovely nature you can add a few Swedish Flower Hens to your flocks.
However, they have a few amazing qualities like foraging, friendliness, environment adaptive nature, eggs production, and meat ability. I hope this 101 guide on Swedish Flower Hen helped you to know all about this breed.
