CHICKENS IN SWEDEN Text: Maureen Hoyle Photos: Lotta Nilsson In September 2008 I visited Sweden. My intention was to find me a fine Belgian Hare (rabbit) but on request of the Aviculture Europe magazine I also did a chicken tour around the region. Above: Clara, Maureen and Bror. We visited the home of Clara & Bror Carlsson in Skollersta, Sweden. They have a beautiful old house where they have lived for 20 years and Clara's father lived there before that. Right: The barns of Clara and Bror. The white building is the stable where the birds will be housed during winter. The Carlsson didn't speak English although they understood a little, so it was difficult to translate because they
spoke Swedish to my Swedish friend, who knows all about rabbits but nothing about chickens. Still I think we were able to put the right words with the right photo. Right: Chicken houses in the beautiful garden. Left: A view at the outside runs. Clara plays the radio in the stable to keep the chickens calm. They have recently refurbished the building ready for taking the chickens in there for the winter. Below you will see a photo of Bror with a construction he has made in each pen. It is a tray with roosting stands where the birds sit to poop. The poop lands in the tray and the floor is kept clean and the tray is easy to clean out. Left: The chicken food; mixed grains, oats, pellets and apples.
The first photos are of the Hamburg, blacks and silver spangleds. Left: Hamburg pullets in the stable, together with pullets of the Old English game. Below: Some fine cocks; a black one and two silver spangleds. Above: an OEG cock. Left: more Old English Game. More chickens to come in the next pages..
At the top of the page you see the run with the beautiful Cochin bantams. Also the frizzled ones are in very good condition. Next the White and Black Leghorns. Very fine birds, which are going to be entered at the next show. The old black Leghorn cock in the right photo is out in a pen with more old cocks. Clara and Bror do not kill old birds and some of them are 14 years old.
These are Araucanas, they lay blue or green eggs. Below another example of one of the spacious chicken runs.
Chickens everywhere These are - left to right Sabelpoot, Antwerp Bearded and Polish. Below a real Swedish breed: Svensk Dvärg - the Swedish Dwarf. Clara and Bror have bred them for 20 years. Their head and earlobes should be red and the chest of the male black and the weight should not be over 600gms. Clara is President for the Bergslagens club and they have 2 or 3 shows a year. Together with Vastamland club they print a magazine. They have about 70 members. In 1999 Andrew Kerr from Scotland and Andrew Wetters from England went there to judge.
Left: These are some trophies that Clara and Bror have won with their birds. Right: These are Swedish prize cards. Sweden has two National Associations: 1. The Svenska Landshöjhn klubben (2400 members) Their website is in Swedish only, but there are photos of all the national Poultry and Waterfowl Breeds at http://www.kackel.se/old/fotoalbum.htm 2. Svenska Rasfjäderfäförbundet (SRF) http://rasfjaderfaforbundet.se/cms/index.php?page=home&f=1&i=home The Swedish Poultry Association, is a club mainly for owners of pure breeds of poultry. Their most important mission is to pass on knowledge of our wonderfull poultry hobbies. The SRF is a member of the European Poultry Union. (Entente Europeenne) This Association has some 1800 members, many of them experienced breeders and exhibitors. There are 26 Local Clubs and 5 Breed Clubs. About 60 different breeds of Poultry and Waterfowl in 30 colour varieties are kept by the Swedish breeders. Maybe you are looking for a pen friend in Sweden, who has the same breed as you? Please write to the webmaster of the club: Frank Juppe, email frankjuppe@hotmail.com Copyright 2009 Aviculture-Europe. All rights reserved by VBC