Reviews by tommysgirl

I got 4 Icelandic chicks last spring. Two were cockerels so I got rid of them and I kept the two pullets who I named Hatti, because of her crest the other Rue because it is an herb that grows wild in Iceland and because Rue in The Hunger Games survived as long as she did by "roosting" in trees and being predator savvy. Both of them took forever to regard me with anything but fear and distrust. Neither would eat from my hand despite daily interactions, they wouldn't walk by me to forage if I were standing to close to the doorway of the run and they would flip out every time I entered the run. That said they have mellowed considerably in the last few weeks. Rue began laying at around 22 weeks and I noticed that like a lot of pullets, once they start laying they are more tractable. She doesn't hop in my lap or anything but she will eat from my hand and doesn't get all wiggy when I go into the run. Hatti has not started yet...7+ mos but is showing signs including being a little less wary of me now.

She also was poking around in the nest boxes the other day so I snapped this pic. That she let me close enough is a big step but her expression tells you what she thinks of me spying on her.


Rue lays a larger egg than you would expect. She is on the small side and the egg is medium large. I don't have a scale so can't tell you the weight but it is a good sized egg and larger than one laid by my Dorking x Polish girl even though that pullet is much larger than Rue. She lays about 5-6 times a wek

We are not homesteaders but I think that as a landrace these are phenomenal for those that are in that they are such good foragers, able to escape predators by flying, are rumored to be broody, and lay a nice sized egg. For me they have grown on me. I like their quirky behaviors and think they are beautiful. Hattie and Rue look very much alike but Hatti has the crest and Rue has feathered legs. There are lots of different colors of Icelandic. One of the boys I got rid of was black with silver penciling and was gorgeous. They also have no standard for comb. Both my girls have rose combs but other Icelandics do not.

I think Hatti's lateness in coming to POL is unique to her as others I have spoken to say that most lay by around 20 weeks. I will update this if either of these girls goes broody.

I purchased a beautiful CP over CL cross from Deanne at Just Struttin farms. She is a superb forager and a sweet gentle natured bird when it comes to her getting along in the flock. I chose her because they are feather sexable at hatch and I wanted a pullet and because I wanted to add the olive egg color to my basket. I have lap chickens and she is NOT one of them. She has been terrified since day one and no amount of water melon, meal worms, canned corn or BOSS will help her to like me. It is a little disappointing but that is OK. She is not at POL yet but I am looking forward to finding that first green egg. I will update this when she is laying regularly.

ETA...Willa lays a large-ex large mottled Olive Green egg about 5 days a week. She has become much more at ease around me and will eat out of my hand but the Penedesenca in her keeps her from being a lap chicken. that's OK she is a relaible and beautiful girl and I am happy that she no longer acts like I will twist off her head when I enter the coop. Her comb is huge and flops over to the right which I think may mess with her vision a bit. But she is happy. Her whole coop is very genial and I would say that she is near the top of the pecking order. Just Struttin Farms has great birds. I recommend this hybrid and that breeder!

I had placed an order with another hatchery but then I learned that that hatchery shipped on Fridays and chicks sat in postal distributions all weekend and many here on BYC were experiencing high death rates amongst their chicks I cancelled it and looked elsewhere. I found that Privett had the breeds I wanted including a new desire, California Greys, which are only available in two hatcheries. I changed my order twice during the time between placing it and receiving it. The customer service people were polite and friendly and promptly took care of the changes I requested.

The chicks hatched on the 24th and arrived as scheduled on the 26th. I was thrilled with the size and apparent health of each one. They seemed twice the size of the chicks I had received from another more well known hatchery last year. I had my own hatch going and when my babies hatched they looked tiny by comparison too.

Privett is located in New Mexico so for those of us on the west coast it may make more sense to use them in terms of less potential stress on the chicks.

Because I have learned that sexing chicks is so hard on them I will not order sexed chicks again unless they are auto-sexing. But I am really pleased with the pullets I have received from Privett.

Purchase price for sexed pullets: 10 Easter Eggers, 5 Speckled Sussex, 5 California Grey, 5 Partridge Rocks. I don't remember what shipping was but it was reasonable...under 20.00

I chose California Greys because they lay a white egg and I wanted to add white eggs to my basket. They also have a reputation as a less flighty breed than most other white egg layers and it is somewhat important to me to have a friendly flock. Of my current brood of chicks the CA Greys have distinguished themselves as the most curious and friendly in my mixed flock of babies. When the other chicks are crowding to the back of the brooder the CA Greys are rushing up to see what I am up to or flying out to sit on my lap or shoulder. They were just hatched on 5/24/13 so are not yet three weeks old as I type this. I am only keeping 1 or 2 but I find myself wishing I could keep more of them. They are also lovely to look at. Here is one next to a mutt that I hatched who is just three days younger. She will be barred but right now is several shades of silver and grey. I will update when they get older but I am excited about my CA Grey chicks.

The only reason I am not giving all 5 stars is that I have no idea how they will lay though they are supposed to be great layers. Also wanted to add that I got mine from Privett and for hatchery birds they were big healthy and robust.

ETA got my first egg this past weekend. Huge for a pullet egg. I don't have a scale but by the looks of it it would be large. Pullet who laid it was 20 weeks 4 days. These girls are smaller then BRs, less flighty then leghorns and if this egg is an indication we will get great production. I will update after she gets into a regular lay cycle.

ETA That first egg turned out to be a double yolker. She has not missed a day since. Every morning she has produced a lovely med/large white egg. She is still sweet still curious and hopefully by this time three days from now I will have a chick from her. A coop mate is sitting on eggs due to hatch in the next two days.

Since we received our first order of chicks last spring, the Delawares have distinguished themselves as adventurers. The first to figure out the eating and drinking thing, the first to roost on the waterer, the roost, the brooder lamp and edge of the brooder, and the first to escape the brooder, these girls just want to explore.

We have three and one, Shirley, is the funniest. She comes in the house when the door is open and if she sees you in the yard or on the front porch she is right there talking to you. Our Delawares are very vocal which I don't mind one bit. Last weekend Shirley hopped on a table we have on our front porch and laid her first egg while we all watched through the window.

Several weeks back I was out for the evening and it was getting dark. The door to the coop is normally left open when the hens are free ranging so they can go in there if they need/want but this time it had closed before they had a chance to get to bed. One of the Delaware girls came up to the french door at the back of the house and made a fuss. My husband remembered the girls and went out into the dusk to find the rest of them waiting patiently outside the pen. He is sure that she knew to come to the house to let the people know they were ready for bed and couldn't get there.

Ours just began laying so I don't know what to tell you about that yet but as far as personality goes they are tops!

ETA that I am averaging 9 eggs a week this winter from two Delaware hens. They lay a lovely pink tinted beige egg. I have ordered more for this spring. They continue to be my favorite breed!

In my little flock I have two and they are welll...not the brightest bulbs in the the chandelier. But what they lack in brains they make up in beauty and ease. They are easy keepers. They are placid and don't mind being held. We picked this breed because we wanted eggs and because it has a reputation for sweetness. Mine just started laying at 29 weeks, in early December and so it is too soon to tell if these specific hens will hold true to the laying standard of others but they certainly live up to the reputation of being easy to handle and docile

In addition, they are so pretty...They look gorgeous against the green grass with their black feathers and their red combs and wattles .That plus, the iridescent green sheen of their feathers in the sunlight makes these girls the beauties of my flock.

Unlike the Delawares and Red Stars we have, these do not seek out our company. They are hesitant to come in the house and rather than take treats from my hand...unless it's meal worms...they would rather wait and get whatever falls.

They were the slowest to mature in my flock. They began laying just yesterday at almost 30 weeks. I heard that this is due to their size and the fact that they are a dual purpose breed. If you want eggs from these girls and you live in a Northern Climate you may want to get your chicks early in the spring to help insure that they start laying before winter sets in. That is not really a con. It's just something to think about and maybe plan for. Don't expect them to lay like a smaller, more production oriented breed.

ETA My Australorps consistently through the winter have given give me about 11 eggs a week between the two of them. Mine are from BYC and the egg size is smaller than I was led to believe it would be but these beautiful fluffy black girls could lay hummingbird sized eggs and I would still be a fan. Most australorps lay much bigger eggs so this is just my experience.

We have a barnyard mix roo who seems to prefer the Australorp ladies to the others in our flock as 9 times out of ten their eggs are fertile. I am going to hatch a few this spring and hope to have some great egg producing/meaty offspring.


ETA I was only able to get one AL mix baby in my hatch. Don't know how she will turn out as a layer but her mom just hatched 4 EE eggs last week. Here they are on their first day out of the coop. She has been an excellent setter and a protective and attentive mother.


ETA great setter and brooder. Kept the chicks with her for over 5 weeks. She returned to laying within days of weaning them. Free ranged with the littles from like day 4 and kept them safe, took on a pea hen who got too close.

What I said about not seeking us out has changed as well. One of my AL girls is always first to greet me when I step out the back door. Both let me handle them no problem. Not as friendly as the Dels and the Red Stars but still very easily handled.

These are great birds! I am new to this and ordered a couple with my first day old chick order in spring 2012. From the beginning the red girls were the friendliest. They are easily handled and if we leave the door open they and our Delawares come in the house and are likely to hop up on the coffee table and ask for a snack.

They are inquisitive and fun to watch. My two started laying at 19 and 20 weeks and now in early Dec. I can count on an egg a day from each of them. I have only been disappointed twice. But they are still young, My Delawares and Autralorps didn't start laying until week 29 so if the Red Star girls want a day off from time to time I have no problem.

The eggs are a beautiful red brown and they have given me couple of double yolkers. The white tipped red feathers make these very pretty birds as well.

As long as I have a flock of chickens, I plan to have Red Stars in it

ETA..They have now been laying for 6 mos and I have had an egg a day from each with only three exceptions.