Ölandsk Dwarfs are tiny, rare, and not here to win ribbons.
They're landrace chickens from the wild, rocky island of Öland, Sweden.
They’re independent, cold-hardy, and look like someone shrunk a full-sized chicken in the wash.
And if you’ve never heard of them? That’s a problem we’re here to fix.
Because Ölandsk Dwarfs aren’t just cute.
They’re living genetic treasure chests—and we’re all in on making sure they don’t disappear.
A Tiny Chicken with a Big History
These chickens have been strutting around the Swedish island of Öland since at least the 1600s. They probably came from English garden hens with roots tracing all the way back to Java—so yeah, they’re basically world travelers.
For generations, Öland farmers kept them because they were tough, scrappy, and great egg layers. But as modern breeds took over, these little chickens nearly disappeared. Luckily, a few dedicated breeders stepped in just in time.
Now, they’re part of Sweden’s Gene Bank Program, which helps protect rare chicken breeds like them from disappearing.
🧬 What Is a Landrace Chicken?
Let’s get this part straight:
A landrace is not a show breed. It’s a population of animals shaped by natural and cultural selection—meaning they weren’t created for looks. They were created by survival.
Landraces like the Ölandsk Dwarf evolved with minimal human interference.
They’re adaptable. Hardy. Funky. Smart.
They’ll survive where purebred fluff birds would lose their minds.
The Ölandsk Dwarf’s Origin Story
Öland is a windswept island off the coast of Sweden—think: cold, rocky, limited feed, lots of predators.
The chickens that made it there had to be tough, smart, and able to survive on scraps and grit.
The Ölandsk Dwarf, or Ölandsdvärg, evolved in those conditions for centuries. They were mostly kept by rural families as small-space foragers and egg-layers. Over time, their numbers dropped drastically—mostly due to industrial poultry systems and standardized breed fads.
Sweden stepped in with a conservation program, and now this breed survives thanks to tiny breeders and passionate preservationists like you (and us).
🧬 Meet the Two Ölandsk Strains
There are two types of Ölandsk Dwarf Chickens—and both are absolutely adorable, tiny chaos goblins with history.
🐓 The Petgärde Strain
This line was rediscovered by Johnny Andersson in the 1980s after he remembered his grandfather’s tiny “spitehens” (yes, really). These are the OG wildlings—small, scrappy, and full of ancestral spite. Just the way we like ‘em.
🐓 The Asklunda Strain
Found by Göte Franzén, these birds match the ones he grew up with. They tend to be a little bigger and fluffier than the Petgärde strain, but still landrace to the bone—functional, hardy, and full of personality.
🐓 So What Do They Look Like?
Ölandsk Dwarfs may be small, but don’t call them bantams.
They’re true dwarfs—not a miniature version of a larger breed, but their own historically small landrace population. No full-sized cousins. No show-ring makeover. Just tiny, tough originals.
🧬 Size & Build:
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Roosters: 0.6 to 1.0 kg (1.3–2.2 lbs)
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Hens: 0.5 to 0.8 kg (1.1–1.75 lbs)
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Body type: Short, compact, and upright—think “powerlifter energy in a teacup frame”
🦴 Legs & Feet:
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Clean legs are most common, but slight feathering on the legs and even the toes can occur (because landraces don’t care about show rules).
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Legs are normal length, with 4 toes per foot.
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Leg color can vary: pale whitish, bluish, or mixed.
🧠 Head Details:
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Comb: Usually a medium-sized single comb, though rose combs occasionally pop up.
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Earlobes: Typically red, often with white or blue mixed in—sometimes all three colors at once, just to keep you guessing.
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Beak: Pale, ivory, or bluish tones—again, variety is expected.
🎨 Feather & Color Patterns:
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Base plumage is wild-type, usually brown, black, and white in a tri-color pattern.
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Feathers often have white tips, which show more prominently in some birds.
They’re not cookie-cutter birds, but they’re not chaos chickens either.
Think: “structured variety,” not “genetic roulette.”
Enough diversity to keep them healthy—without making your flock look like a barnyard costume party.
🧠 Personality + Behavior
Ölandsk Dwarfs have main character energy in a bantam body. They're:
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Bold: Not afraid of larger breeds
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Flighty: Can and will fly up to roost in places they shouldn’t
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Independent: Excellent foragers, not clingy
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Sassy: Especially the hens. You’ve been warned.
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Curious: Always investigating. Always judging.
They're great free-rangers and thrive when they can do their own thing. Confine them too tightly and you’ll see tantrums (or escape artistry).
❄️ Hardy or Helpless? (Spoiler: Hardy)
These birds evolved in Scandinavian winters. That means:
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Cold-hardy: Yes
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Heat-hardy: Surprisingly yes, as long as they can seek shade
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Coop divas: Not really—they prefer simplicity, dry bedding, and airflow
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Good in mixed flocks? Yes, as long as they’re not getting bullied by heavy breeds
🥚 Egg Production: Tiny but Mighty
Don’t expect jumbo cartons.
Expect small, white to cream-colored eggs—laid reliably in season. Like many landraces, they aren’t production machines, but they’re consistent and long-lived layers.
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Average per week: 3–5
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Broody tendencies: Moderate. Some will go broody; others couldn’t care less
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Good mothers? Surprisingly yes when they do go broody
🥚 Hatching Them Is Not for the Faint of Heart
Let’s be real.
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Fertility? Excellent.
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Development? Gorgeous.
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Lockdown results? …Inconsistent. Sometimes tragic.
We’ve had 90% development and zero hatches.
We’ve had 30% hatch and feel like champions.
We’ve tried dry hatching, wet hatching, witchcraft—you name it.
Still no silver bullet.
But every chick that does make it? It matters.
Every new Ölandsk chick adds to a fragile global gene pool.
Every one is hope for better hatch outcomes, stronger lines, and a longer future for the breed.
🌱 Why Bother?
Because biodiversity matters.
Because backyard chickens shouldn’t all come from the same three hatcheries.
Because breeds like the Ölandsk Dwarf have something to offer: resilience, intelligence, and just the right amount of chaos.
And because preservation isn’t just about keeping chickens—it’s about keeping choices.
🛒 Want to Raise Some Grit?
If you’re ready to join the preservation mission and add a little Viking energy to your flock, check out our Ölandsk Dwarf hatching eggs.
👉 Shop Ölandsk Dwarf Hatching Eggs
Just don’t expect them to do anything the easy way.
🧠 Clancy Crowed It:
“If you want obedient birds, get a spreadsheet. If you want survivors, get an Ölandsk Dwarf.”
