The Swedish Flower Hen has an incredibly beautiful name. So, what is this Scandinavian bird all about? How many eggs can you expect from the Swedish Flower Hen chicken? Let’s take a little look at this fabulous dual-purpose chicken breed that can pretty much only be found in Sweden.
Swedish Flower Hen Facts at a Glance
| Eggs | 150 – 200 per year |
| Egg Color | Tinted |
| Use | Eggs + Meat (dual purpose) |
| Comb Type | Single |
| Weight | Male: 6 lb (3 kg) Female: 5 lb (2.5 kg) |
| Country of origin | Sweden |
The Origins of the Swedish Flower Hen
The Swedish Flower Hen chicken originates from Skåne, in Southern Sweden (just a short hop from Denmark). Honestly, this is pretty much all we know about the origins of this bird. Although, we also know that it isn’t really found outside of Sweden. It is a Swedish-only bird.
We also know that the bird was not actually developed by anybody. It slowly adapted to Sweden over time. So, even if we could trace the origins, we could never know if it was 100% accurate.
The bird really did just spring out of nowhere, and it was first noted sometime around the 1700s.
The problem with the Swedish Flower Hen is that it is likely to be extinct soon. It has come close over the past few decades, and now it is sitting on the cusp of extinction.
This is, of course, all down to the fact that the bird hasn’t really spread outside of Sweden, and thus there isn’t really that many people determined to stop it from becoming extinct. While total birds right now are into their thousands, this number could quickly dwindle at any moment.
Do You Want Big Beautiful Eggs?
Then you must check this ORGANIC & NON-GMO feed. Our hens lay jumbo eggs now and they love this feed! You can check it right here on Amazon.
What is the Look of the Chicken?
This is where things get interesting. There isn’t really a defined look for the Swedish Flower Hen, and there is unlikely to ever be one. It is not officially recognized as a chicken breed in the United States by APA.
The Swedish Flower Hen is a bird on the larger side of things. We can tell you that much. However, beyond that, pretty much anything is ‘fair game’. Some birds have crests, others do not. Some have tassels, others do not.
There is also a massive array of colors for the Swedish Flower Hen. Honestly, it is a truly stunning bird to look at, and we can imagine that a lot of people raise the Swedish Flower Hen simply because it is a beautiful bird to look at, but we will talk more about this in a short while.
Perhaps the only thing that really is in agreement is the color of the wattle, comb, and the ear lobes. They are all red in color. It is also only a single comb.
As a Show Bird
As we said previously; there is no breed standard for the Swedish Flower Hen. This, of course, means that there are going to be very few shows for the bird.
In fact, there aren’t any that we can think of. If you live outside of Sweden, you won’t be able to find one of them. It probably doesn’t help that the bird is incredibly rare too.
However, this should not get in your way of buying the bird. Sure, it is not an actual show chicken, and it is not recognized outside of Sweden as an official breed, but this is a beautiful bird to look at.
It is really going to be fantastic as an ornamental bird, especially if you have a flock in a vast array of different colors. Honestly, a lot of people do breed this bird for that purpose alone, even though there are tons and tons of benefits to owning a Swedish Flower Hen.
The Swedish Flower Hen Eggs and as an Egg-Laying Bird
With your Swedish Flower Hen, you should be getting somewhere between 150 and 200 eggs per year. This means up to 4-eggs per week from a hen. This isn’t too bad.
Yes. There are birds that lay eggs a lot more frequently than this, but none of them look as beautiful as the Swedish Flower Hen while doing so! You can check our other post about what are the best egg laying chicken breeds.
While the Swedish Flower Hen does originate from the hottest part of Sweden, this doesn’t stop it from being able to lay eggs throughout the winter months.
So, if you want a decent stable of eggs flowing in at all times of the year, then having some Swedish Flower Hens will work absolute wonders for you!
Of course, since they are laying eggs this frequently, you may also want to try to breed the bird. After all, if you do have a flock of these, then it would be great to do your part and try and bring the bird back from the brink of extinction!
The Swedish Flower as a Meat Chicken
The Swedish Flower Hen chicken has always been raised as a dual-purpose breed. This means that it should be able to be good as a meat bird too.
They grow nice and quickly (but not so fast that their life is in jeopardy if they reach adulthood), and their larger size means that they should be providing you with a nice amount of meat! They can grow up to 6-7 lb.
By all accounts, it is a bird that tastes delicious too, but since it has lasted over 300-years, we doubt that this part was really up for debate. You can also check our article about the best meat chicken breeds for your backyard.
Care Tips – Raising Swedish Flower Hen
The Swedish Flower chicken is exceedingly easy to care for. As we said, this is a breed that pretty much evolved on its own. There was no human interaction in the process.
This means that the breed pretty much exists simply because it was hardy enough to survive. As a result, this is a bird that you really do not need to do much to look after. All it needs is a decent diet and space to roam about in, and this bird is pretty much going to be ready to thrive for you.
It is also a great ‘starter chicken’ breed for families. This is one of the calmest birds there is and, honestly, we haven’t heard that much in the way of reports from people who say that this is an aggressive chicken breed.
This is a bird that actually loves a little bit of human interaction on occasion, and thus if you want a pet that the entire family can enjoy, then the Swedish Flower chicken may be the best option for you.
See also: Friendliest chicken breeds.
