HEDEMORA

Product Description

An ancient landrace breed originating in the northern part of Sweden and named for the town of Hedemora. It is distinguished by its abundance of down, which keeps this smallish chicken warm in cold weather and makes it look much bigger than it is. Some individuals are entirely silkie feathered (called wool feathered in Sweden).
Hedemoras have short legs, a small single comb, and small wattles. As a landrace they come in a variety of colors, may or may not have slight leg feathering, and may have four toes or five. No breed standard has been established, since the Swedish gene bank (livestock registry) discourages breeding for appearance at the cost of utilitarian value. Hedemoras are active, self-sufficient, and extremely cold hardy but cannot tolerate warm climates. The hens lay eggs with light brown shells and are not prolific layers, but they continue laying in the coldest weather. They may brood, and when they do they make excellent mothers.