Hedemora are possibly the most cold hardy chickens in the world. Their combs and wattles have evloved to a reduced size, minimizing the ravages of frostbite to their extremities, and the skin that is visible is often black to absorb the weak rays of the northern sun. But, their most striking adaptation is the layer of soft down that is extraordinarily effective as insulation.
Experts in Sweden have told us that if these chickens are well fed they can routinely free-range in the snow at temperatures of -5°F and the hens will continue laying eggs so long as temperatures exceed 5°F. Conversely, hedemora do not adapt well to hot climates, and they have been known to die of heat stroke during particularly hot days in southern Sweden. If you live in a hot climate be prepared to artificially cool the birds during the summer.
Hedemora exhibit feather colors that are so exotic and unique that they are hard to classify. Shades of champagne, salmon, violet, and yellow are often encountered, and the patterns of these colors can be solid, shaded, or laced. A flock of hedemora are stunning in their variety and beauty, and there is perhaps no more arresting image in the world of poultry than to see these colors splashed against the pure white backdrop of new snow.
Swedish hobbyists believe it is important to the genetic viability of the breed to keep all versions of the breed in a single flock, and so Greenfire Farms imported the three standard varieties and will randomly select from the varieties when we ship birds to customers. We will not intentionally select a single variety to sell to a customer.
Because of the extraordinary volume of their down, the birds appear larger than their weight would suggest. An average hen weighs about 4 lbs. and a rooster about 5 lbs. The hens are prolific layers and will lay all year round. Colors of the birds vary considerably and include grays, blacks, browns, and whites.
The most recent population estimates indicate about a thousand hedemora hens remain in the world and, until Greenfire Farms imported this breed into the United States, all members of the breed lived in Sweden. Greenfire Farms has twice imported hedemora from unrelated flocks in order to promote genetic diversity in our breeding program.
The birds pictured on this auction represent the quality of the stock we are raising. We will be shipping an unrelated pair about 6 weeks old. We plan to ship about 2 weeks after the close of this auction. They have been vaccinated for Marek's. Shipping is $60 for USPS overnight express to any of the contiguous United States.
Greenfire Farms raises some of the rarest poultry breeds in the world; for more information about our breeding program, please visit:
Thanks for bidding, and good luck!
Hatching Eggs (7)
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