The Svart Höna, or Swedish Black Hen, is a rare fibromelanistic breed — a gene turns everything black, from feathers and skin to bones, comb and organs. Brought to Sweden from Mozambique in the 1800s but ultimately of Indonesian origin, a small landrace adapted to the cold Scandinavian border country over generations. Friendly and attention-seeking, these small birds will fly to your shoulder or settle in your lap for treats, and hens lay surprisingly well — light eggs right through winter. Strikingly beautiful, hardy and personable, but genuinely scarce — only a few hundred are thought to remain in Sweden.
Beginner friendly
Quiet breed
Good with kids
Cold hardy
Heat tolerant
Broody
Egg colorCream
Egg production200–250 / year
TemperamentDocile
BroodinessFrequent
ClimateCold hardy, Heat tolerant
PurposeEggs, Show
Weight
Hen4–5.5 lb
Rooster5–7.5 lb
How to spot it
CombSingle
Single comb — black, like everything else
Earlobes
Black
Legs & feet
Black legs and toes, black skin
Plumage
Black with a strong green-purple iridescence
Look for
Uniform black right through comb, wattles, skin and bone, on a small light frame — a Swedish landrace, smaller than an Ayam Cemani
Single
