Chicken
Living in a group
Like their wild relatives, domestic chickens thrive in groups where the hens outnumber the roosters. The hens incubate the eggs and do much of the care for the chicks. An important task for the roosters is to protect the group, and they sometimes engage in close combat with the approaching threats.
Loves to talk
Chickens make many different sounds. The hens usually announce loudly that they have laid eggs and the rooster's crowing is a sound that most people recognize. Hens can also use their calls to tell each other when a threat is approaching, where there's food available, when they want to be left alone, or when they are happy.
The old Swedish chicken breeds are only found in Sweden
Chickens are domesticated in almost all parts of the world. Geographical differences and environmental variations have led to the development of many different breeds with different appearances and traits. Many different breeds have been developed, even just in Sweden.
Quick facts
- Food: Grass, herbs, insects, chicken feed
- Weight: 1–2 kg (the breeds in the park)
- Height: Approximately 30 cm
- Incubation period: 3 weeks
- Young: Usually 1–10 chicks
- Lifespan: Up to 15 years, rarely over 10 years
Orust chicken - Black and white and hot-tempered
The Orust breed is characterized by its black and white mottled plumage. They are quite small and hot-tempered.
One of the most endangered chicken breeds
The Orust chicken used to be common on the island of Orust, where it adapted to the barren and windswept environment. Today there are only a few hundred left, and the breed is one of the most endangered old Swedish chicken breeds.
The old Swedish chicken breeds are under threat
In the past, there were many different breeds of chicken in Sweden, but they have been replaced by new, more productive breeds. Although the older breeds produce less eggs and meat, they also required less protein-rich and expensive feed. They were are also more hardy and resistant to disease.
Why is it important to preserve different breeds?
The more breeds with different traits, the better equipped we will be to meet the challenges of the future. Having more diverse breeds reduces the risk of serious diseases spreading or breeds going extinct if the environment changes. The survival of the old Swedish breeds today is largely due to active conservation efforts. Slottsskogen is taking part of this effort by keeping the Swedish Black Rooster and Orust chicken breeds.
Our animals are part of gene banks
To help preserve rare breeds, there are projects designed to preserve these types of breeds called gene banks. Our Orust chickens are part of such a gene bank.