Are you looking for a chicken with a plan to start up a backyard flock? Or, are you searching for a unique breed like Svart Hona chicken to add to your collection of chicken coops?
This bird-like creature seems to be straight out of a mythical book and is one of the most resplendent chicken breeds. It displays fibromelanosis, making it jet-black-colored from the inside out.
That’s why even its bones, beak, and feet are black. But there’s more to Svart Hona chicken than what meets the eye. If you want to know more about:
- Where Svart Hona came from and how its origin influenced its hardiness
- Svart Hona chicken breed’s temperament and how it interacts with other birds
- Its performance in the egg and meat production department
Check out this comprehensive guide to Svart Hona’s world.
Svart Hona Chicken’s Background and History
Svart Hona Chicken came to Sweden in the 1800s from its original home, Mozambique. After being officially identified in Sweden, it got its second name, Swedish Black Hen.
And in the year 2012, this chicken breed was also imported to the US from which it also remains to exist rarely.
Svart Hona Chicken can be mistaken for another chicken breed bearing identical resemblance. The Indonesian Ayam Cemani is similarly an all-jet black-colored chicken. It is considered the nearest genetic relative of Svart Hona.
If you compare Svart Hona vs Ayam Cemani, you can hardly see their difference unless you have the eye of an expert.
Aside from its beauty and color, Svart Hona Chicken is extremely rare due to its low population count. As per the national poultry census of Sweden, there are hardly 500 Svart Hona existing in the country. In the US, it often appears to be out of stock.
Svart Hona Chicken’s Breed Standard and Appearance
The best asset of the Svart Hona chicken breed is its outstanding full black color. Even their beaks, eyes, flesh, organs, and everything radiates black color. It is due to its unique ‘fibro’ genes that rapidly reproduce.
Moreover, Svart Honas are well-built. They are small-sized chickens that can withstand the cold weather of Sweden. Hens can have weights up to 5 pounds and are characterized by smaller wattles and single combs.
Cocks, on the other hand, can have a maximum weight of 7 pounds. It has a larger, single comb and bigger, oval-shaped wattles. Such characteristics make cocks exposed to frostbite.
Svart Hona Chicken’s Personality and Temperament
Since Svart Hona has a smaller size and could fly higher than other breeds, it is particularly great at free-running.
The Svart Hona roosters are known to be exceptionally cautious, and they will sound an alert if a falcon or other peril is seen. Since Svart Honas are so lightweight, they can frequently perch in trees until the peril passes.
Since the Svart Hona is a landrace chicken variety, contemporary Svart Hona chickens have plummeted from stock that went through their days scavenging for food. And since they are so dynamic, it’s ideal to ensure they can have a lot of chances to foodstuff.
What is more interesting is that despite the agility this chicken breed has, they are fond of their guardians who raise them. They tend to fly and rest on their guardian’s shoulder, tail them, or lay on their lap.
Moreover, Svart Honas are known for being friendly, trainable, and smart chicken breeds, especially if raised in a friendly environment. Few cocks are more defensive than others though.
The roosters truly do best if they care for more than 10 hens altogether. The hens hush up contrasted with a few different varieties. Each Svart Hona has its unique character, which can very be very amusing to observe.
Svart Hona Chicken’s Egg Laying Capabilities
Svat Hona chickens are great layers despite being an ornamental and landrace breed. They love to go broody and can annually produce up to 250 eggs with a hatching rate of approximately 98%.
Even during the winter season, Svart Hona hens remain unbothered in laying eggs albeit with a little amount of supplemental light.
Svart Hona hens are undeniably good and attentive mothers. Nonetheless, these chicken breeds mature slowly. This means that they most likely will not lay eggs until they reach 24 weeks old.
Getting this type of chicken breed can be challenging at first. However, if you have successfully developed a flock, raising them is easier.
Svart Hona Chicken Meat Production
Svart Hona chicken breed is not mainly for meat production as it is not a meaty type of chicken. Yet, they can be used for meat. And as expected, they have pure black-colored flesh.
Svart Hona Chicken’s Common Health Issues
Unlike any other chicken breed, Svart Hona Chicken breed is not that hard to raise. It does not have a lot of issues when it comes to health due to its sturdy body build.
However, before deciding to have one, you should have enough knowledge on how to take care of them.
Wintertime is not a problem for these types of chicken breeds since they have higher resistance to cold weather. That is why they are perfect for the coldish climate of Sweden. But that doesn’t mean that there is no need to be vigilant.
Still, owners should also make sure to give them warm space as protection. On the other hand, this chicken breed needs more shade during the summertime. They may have a higher tolerance for cold climates but they are prone to heat issues in hotter weather.
Why is that? Having an all-black color allows them to absorb all light wavelengths that will alter on becomes heat. As a result, the sun bleaches their jet-black feathers.
Another thing to note, since Svart Honas chickens are free-ranging flocks, they cannot bear being confined. But if they are necessarily being caged, they need some time to forage and roam around freely every day.
Where to Find Svart Hona Chicken for Sale
Due to the rareness of the Svart Honas chicken breed, it might be challenging to find them as they do not easily appear on hatchery catalogs. And if you do find one, the next part is more challenging—verifying its quality and legitimacy.
Thus, it will be best to locate farms that specialize in Svart Honas production. Then, strictly check their system of breeding to ensure they do not breed those with undesirable qualities.
It is highly advised to ask for the latest pictures of their breeding flocks when inquiring. Then, do some interviews regarding the flock’s background, and history that including how they got their chicken breed and its personalities.
If you are looking for quality Svart Honas chicken breed, you can check on the following farms:
You can also search on maps about Swedish black hens for sale near me to see if there are quality farms near your location.
Reminders Before Purchasing Svart Hona Chicken
Check out a few questions and pointers you need to consider before purchasing this rare chicken breed:
What to Avoid in a Svart Hona Chicken
As for the chicken’s standard, there is no specific breed standard. But according to chicken keepers expert Svart Honas breed, you can identify low-quality stock with the following traits:
- Grey-colored feet and skin
- Silver or white feathers
- White colors on the wattles, toenails, beak, or earlobes
- Mulberry-colored (not jet black) comb and wattles
- Brown eyes
- Pinkish or whitish mouth
- Grey or green-colored foot bottom
- More than five spikes and flopped comb
- Leggy body structure
Quality Factors in a Svart Hona Chicken
Those traits are not disqualification or reference that the chicken breed is fake. Those are only indications of undesirable traits for Svart Honas. Hence, a quality Svart Honas are characterized by:
- Full black color
- Single, five-pointed comb
- Featherless legs and toes
- Having 5 toes
- Compact body build
- Medium-length legs
- Prominent eyes
- Perfectly angled tail
- Caring Tips for Svart Hona Chicken
Every keeper for Svart Honas must have enough knowledge on how to properly take care of them. This chicken breed is not likely accessible in any hatcheries which makes it very rare and difficult to find.
Therefore, before taking in a Svart Hona, it is wise to take your time, perform some prior research, and ensure you are ready and capable of raising them properly. And to help you with those tasks, here are some tips we can give you on how to raise a Svart Hona.
How to Choose the Best Source
To make sure you purchase a quality Svart Hona, you should take your time and find the best source. You have to make sure you purchased from a farm that produces a hundred percent quality stock.
To do that, you should abstain from buying from any seller you find on the internet. Take your time and do some thorough research until you can find a trustworthy source.
You can also ask around since there are many people out there who can point towards genuine farms producing the best quality Svart Hona.
Provide a Spacious Home
Before you purchase a Svart Hona chicken breed, make sure that you have plenty of space to give them. This type of chicken is known to love roaming around and free-ranging instead of being confined in their chicken coop.
And there will be fewer problems on this part since Svart Hona are vigilant enough to safeguard themselves from risks.
In any case that you prefer keeping them inside their chicken coop, you can do so as long as they are provided with an attached run.
Svart Hona requires enough space to forage and you ought to grant them such room. It will be best if you can allow them to forage freely while keeping a close eye on them. In that way, they can live happily.
Patience & Endurance
When raising a Svart Hona, long patience is required. You must be aware and able to understand that this type of breed is different from other chicken breeds.
Svart Hona takes a longer time to mature, lay eggs, hatch, and grow up. Pullets typically wait 24 weeks of age before they start laying.
Not only that, chicken keepers have discovered that the Swedish black hen chicks take a longer time to emerge from their eggs after cracking its eggshell.
Time Investment
Svart Hona is the type of bird that is fond of people. Spending enough time socializing with them and holding them makes them especially friendly and docile.
You must make them acknowledge that you are not a danger to them. In that case, they are more likely to come to you, tail you, and be more dependent upon you.
Is Svart Hona Chicken the Right Breed For You?
Svart Hona is a lovable and friendly chicken breed. That is why they can get along with their owners, as well as other chicken breeds they get to socialize with.
Moreover, what makes Svart Hona a great choice is its unique features. That is if you have made sure you purchase from a quality source. They are also vigilant birds but not aggressive.
Thus, if you are looking for a flock of beautiful, uniquely amusing chickens, Svart Hona is the right breed for you.
Alternative if You Can’t Find A Svart Hona Chicken
If you are hoping to find Svart Hona Chicken but are unable to find one, you can go for its close alternative which is the Ayam Cemani. Just like Svarthona, they are a rare all-black bird from Indonesia.
Frequently Asked Questions About Svart Hona Chicken
What color eggs do Svart Hona chickens lay?
Just like some other breeds, Swedish black hen eggs look like common eggs. They are a great layer and mother that produces eggs ranging from small to medium sizes with off-white colors.
Can you eat Svart Hona?
Generally, yes. Even though Svart Hona are not meaty and not mainly raised for meat production, they can be used as meat. They have black-colored flesh.
How much is a Swedish black chicken?
Swedish Black Chicken differs in price. Hatching eggs can be purchased for around $120 per dozen.
Unsexed chicks are sold for $30, pullets are priced at $50, and cockerels are around $40. A Svart Hona hen is sold for $80, cocks at $70, breeding trio for $175, and breeding pair for $100.
Svart Hona Chicken: Final Thoughts
Svart Honas makes a great chicken breed desirable for any home flock additions. They have admirable features that make them perfect for any keeper and worthy of their Svart Hona price.
They are not very difficult to raise which is why they are best suited for any passionate flock keeper as long as they have enough diligence to properly take care of them.
Aside from their unique colors and appearance, this type of chicken breed can lay eggs throughout the winter season without any problem.
Thus, Svart Hona chicken egg production is unstoppable. Furthermore, they don’t require much effort as long as they are given what they need such as tender love and care, enough space for forage, and attention. Svart Hona Chicken is both intriguing and sweet.