Chicken Breed Focus - Icelandic

[mlm Mike]

Quote: She is a troublesome hen. The varying colors are amazing.

 

[mlm Mike]

Quote:

Do you own Icelandics? Are you an Icelandic breeder? If so, please reply to this thread with the your thoughts and experiences, including:

· What made you decide to get this breed?
· Do you own them for fun? Breeding? Some other purpose?
· What are your favorite characteristics about this breed?
· Post some pics of your birds; male/female, chicks, eggs, etc!

Posted some pics...now the answers to the questions:

I've had Icelandics since June, 2010.
I have bred them since the following spring, March 2011.

1. I loved the variety they offered, and that I would be helping to preserve a genetic treasure.
2. Owning them is a ton of fun....but the reason I own them is that I believe they need to be preserved. They are a unique and special landrace. Protected and preserved by a small group of people in Iceland that didn't want to lose what had been developed for hundreds of years. The foresight of some of them, to send/bring eggs here, to develop a community of like-minded people with preservation of the race in mind, is something to be admired. Their trust in us, to take such a treasure and keep it pure, is a sign of their devotion to their Viking heritage. An Icelandic is only an Icelandic if they are kept pure. No amount of "breeding back" can remove genes that were not present in them when they arrived here. The purity of the flock must be the purpose and utmost priority when keeping an Icelandic flock.
3. They are great foragers and very self-sufficient. They love their freedom and I love sitting and watching their antics. The cocks with their hens, the way the flock interacts with one-another, the broody with her chicks, the alerts for danger, the reaction of the flock to the alerts, there is so much to love about them.
4. I've already overloaded this thread with my pictures but a broody hen with chicks needs to be posted:

Love these photos!
And your suggested changes for Sumi.

 

[drumstick diva]

Mike , 'shades of Stella,' who is the bird on your roof?

 

[mlm Mike]

Mike , 'shades of Stella,' who is the bird on your roof?

Diva, I don't really name my chickens. I do refer to that one as trouble though.

 

[NotAFarm]

It looks like our week of fame is about to end!

 

[OldHen1974]

I'm not new to chickens by any means, but looking forward to raising what is a new breed for me! Being of Icelandic descent myself, and living in northern Ontario, makes Icelandics a perfect fit, I think so anyway. I'm very excited and waiting on a shipment of eggs which should be arriving in late May/early June from Alberta. Since I've recently moved, and a friend took over my old flock (he fell in love with how friendly they all were and wouldn't give them back lol), I decided this would be a wonderful opportunity to help preserve this wonderful breed.

I'm sooooo excited!

I'm reading up as much as I can about keeping genetic diversity and proper breeding practices to help these wonderful birds out.

Did I mention I'm excited? ;-)

And it seems my Icelandic clan of humans are getting excited too.

 

[N F C]

@oldhen1974 welcome to BYC!


Darned Windows 10, didn't do the member link correctly!

 

[NotAFarm]

I'm not new to chickens by any means, but looking forward to raising what is a new breed for me! Being of Icelandic descent myself, and living in northern Ontario, makes Icelandics a perfect fit, I think so anyway. I'm very excited and waiting on a shipment of eggs which should be arriving in late May/early June from Alberta. Since I've recently moved, and a friend took over my old flock (he fell in love with how friendly they all were and wouldn't give them back lol), I decided this would be a wonderful opportunity to help preserve this wonderful breed.

I'm sooooo excited!

I'm reading up as much as I can about keeping genetic diversity and proper breeding practices to help these wonderful birds out.

Did I mention I'm excited? ;-)

And it seems my Icelandic clan of humans are getting excited too.

You will never regret choosing Icelandics!

Be sure to join the BYC Icelandic Thread, https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/299038/icelandic-chickens

 

[yochickiemomma]

Good morning all! I purchased 3 Icelandic and 1 Icelandic/EE from a lady in Northern MI about two weeks ago. I'll post pics when my phone is acting right. I bought them as a straight run. I think i have at least one roo he/she Is definitely bigger than the other two. How old do they have to be before its obvious what sex they are? Ive only been keeping chickens for about a year.

 

[NotAFarm]

Good morning all! I purchased 3 Icelandic and 1 Icelandic/EE from a lady in Northern MI about two weeks ago. I'll post pics when my phone is acting right. I bought them as a straight run. I think i have at least one roo he/she Is definitely bigger than the other two. How old do they have to be before its obvious what sex they are? Ive only been keeping chickens for about a year.

Do you know which one is a cross?