Dense, downy coats
Deep underfeathering gives Hedemoras their well-padded appearance. Some birds also express a striking woolly feather texture alongside the more familiar smooth type.
Heritage poultry · Manitoba, Canada
Breezy Bird Farms
Raised with care. Rooted in heritage.
Breezy Bird Farms · Swedish heritage poultry
Swedish Hedemora
A northern landrace with extraordinary feathering.
Hedemora chickens carry centuries of Swedish farm history in a remarkably hardy, diverse little bird. Their dense, down-rich coats, lovely variety of feather textures and calm dispositions make them a memorable addition to a heritage flock.
Original Breezy Bird Farms photograph
OriginsDalarna, Sweden
Traditional roleEggs · family farmstead
Typical egg shellCream to lightly tinted
Farm egg codeH
A story from northern Europe
A living piece of Swedish rural heritage.
The Hedemora, or Hedemorahöna, comes from the Hedemora district of Dalarna in Sweden. Rather than being shaped into a uniform show breed, these birds developed as a local landrace: farm poultry kept for usefulness, adaptability and the traits that allowed them to prosper from one generation to the next.
Swedish preservation efforts helped protect the landrace after traditional farm flocks became increasingly uncommon. Its distinctive variations remain part of the breed's appeal, connecting modern keepers with the diversity of old country poultry.
The breed's remarkable qualities
Much more than one colour or one feather type.
Hedemora chickens are prized for the natural variety preserved within this Swedish landrace. Three traits in particular set them apart.
Beautiful diversity
Black, blue-grey, white, warm and mixed tones can all be found in the landrace. Leg feathering, skin pigmentation and individual markings may also differ.
Practical farm birds
Hedemoras are valued for foraging ability, useful egg laying and often attentive mothering instincts, alongside their generally settled, approachable character.
From the Breezy Bird Farms flock
The remarkable texture of a Hedemora.
Look closely at the softer body feathering and contrasting hackles on this farm-raised bird. This is part of the charm of Hedemora: a landrace whose beauty is found in natural variation rather than identical plumage from bird to bird.
Original farm photograph · Breezy Bird Farms, Manitoba
A bird made for northern seasons
Swedish resilience, proven in Manitoba.
The Hedemora's dense plumage is a hallmark of its long adaptation to Scandinavian weather. At Breezy Bird Farms, this northern heritage has particular meaning: the farm raises birds through Manitoba's demanding seasons, where cold-climate suitability is an essential part of keeping poultry successfully.
Well suited to a northern farm.
Hedemoras have a strong reputation for winter hardiness and are a natural fit for keepers who value traditional poultry adapted to cold conditions. As with every outdoor flock, dry shelter, suitable feed and dependable water are part of good year-round husbandry.
Eggs and breeding heritage
A useful laying hen with character.
Hedemora hens are recognized as practical layers of small-to-medium or medium eggs, typically in cream, off-white or lightly tinted shades. Heritage descriptions commonly put laying at roughly 150 eggs per year for a hen not occupied with brooding, but actual numbers shift with the individual, season, age and management.
The landrace is also valued for maternal instincts, and some hens willingly brood and raise their young. Those traits are part of what makes Hedemora such an interesting, traditional farm chicken.
A note about hatchlings: Different colours, feather textures and minor physical characteristics are normal within this landrace. Photographs illustrate birds represented on the farm; they do not mean every chick from an individual hatch will be an exact match.
Featured in Backyard Poultry
The Swedish Hedemora is more than a breed described in books: journalist Doug Ottinger visited Breezy Bird Farms to learn directly about raising these chickens in southern Manitoba. Read the feature article on Swedish Hedemora chickens for a closer look at this northern landrace and the experience behind the flock.
Good to know
Your Hedemora questions, answered.
Are Hedemora chickens suitable for Canadian winters?
Yes. Cold-weather adaptability is one of this Swedish landrace's most recognized strengths. The breed's dense feathering and northern heritage are well matched to Canadian farm life, including the Manitoba seasons experienced at Breezy Bird Farms.
Why don't all Hedemoras look alike?
Hedemora is a historic landrace, not a single fixed colour variety. Natural differences in feather colour, texture, leg feathering and pigmentation are part of the diversity traditionally associated with these birds.
What is a woolly Hedemora?
Some Hedemoras express an unusually soft, woolly style of feathering. Others have more conventional smooth feathers with the dense down that is characteristic of the landrace. Both forms are part of its heritage.
What eggs do Hedemora hens lay?
Hedemora eggs are commonly cream to lightly tinted, with individual variation in size and shade. Egg colour and laying frequency can change over time with the hen and the season.
Can I choose the feather colour of chicks that hatch?
The breed includes natural variation. Unless a specific product listing expressly offers a defined breeding selection, a particular chick colour or feather type should not be assumed or guaranteed from a hatching egg.
Interested in Swedish Hedemora hatching eggs?
Explore current availability in the Egg Emporium, browse the full breed library, or find practical incubation guidance in the Resource Centre.
Breed references: Skansen · Svenska Lanthönsklubben · Vallby Open-Air Museum. All photographs: Breezy Bird Farms.