Hedemorahöna, or Hedemora Hen or Chicken in the US, is a unique landrace breed of chicken from Sweden.  They have a long tradition as bridal gifts and have been on farms in Hedemora for a very long time.  They are currently part of Sweden's gene bank so that they are not lost.  

The hens are medium sized at about 3.5 to 4.5 lbs and cocks are 4.5 to 5.5 lbs but a half a lb heavier is acceptable. Body shape is wide and muscular but their feathers give the impression of a larger body.  Their legs can be smooth or feathered, 4 or sometimes 5 toes.  Bone and beak colors vary.  Ear lobes are usually red but can have some white or blue.  Combs are single and serrated.  They are small on the hen and only slightly larger on the cocks.  Combs colors can vary from red to mulberry to black.  Feather color can be blue, black, white, or wheat colored.  Feathers can be smooth or wooly.  Plumage is very dense and downy which makes them great for northern weather, but like most landraces, they adapt to their environment. They lay about 150 off white/beige eggs per year and can range in size.  Their broodiness is about the same as other landraces.  According the the gene bank, it is very important to have a diverse flock to keep the different characteristics alive.

This breed is such a treasure.  The hens are friendly and, in our flock at least, the wooly hens are quite talkative.  The cocks can go either way but breeding aggressive cocks is not recommended.  Our breed pen started out with a cock who we thought was a great fit but ended up turning aggressive.  He was then replaced with the cock in the photos below.  He is has a much better personality and is gentle with the hens.  We do offer hatching eggs should you want to start a flock of your own.  You can find them here.