Icelandic Chickens

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

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Wow, Michelle. I'm going to have to come visit you for an Icelandic fix! I am so eager to see some of these birds in person and find out how they do up here! It's encouraging to see you're having good luck with your hatches so far. Are you going to be at the Swap Meet this weekend at Animal Food Warehouse?

 

[Jake Levi]

Good question Camelot,

I am on the side of self reliant and hardy chickens, but understand the other side,

one of the really unique things about the Icelandic is that it survived and evolved to its present state in a very harsh unforgiving climate under stringent conditions.

Iceland for hundreds of years didnot raise enough grain so ruminants and horses developed that would live mostly on grass and hay, chickens could range in the warm season on pastures , but winters were kitchen scraps and the manure piles.

Thats why the smaller size, a survival trait, there was only feed for small chickens.

Many other things about them fascinate me, I have read about them and other Icelandic livestock since I started reading the Icelandic Sagas, incredibly interesting, sagas but also history, and the livestock of Iceland is living history.

So, I am most interested in naturally produced chicks, soon as I get some hens to be broody, I want to see how they will do free ranging here in MI , and how they will do in our winters, I am expecting that they will do great, but want to see it happen. I will have my incubators, for when there arnt enough hens being broody.

I am going to keep track of how many eggs they produce, when they slow down and when it picks up, I am curious if the longer days here will mean a lot as to beginning the breeding season, I want to see their growth rates under our conditions here, so much to learn about them, I know how many of OUR American Heritage breeds do, now I want to see how this one does, it is for sure a Heritage breed of the stictest interpretation of that.

And the genetics are a whole other topic, for pages and pages, so much about these little halo-raptors to learn about.

Did I say its going to be a fascinating year ??

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm so glad you decided to join us Jake!

 

[Jake Levi]

Good to be here Chooks, lots of like minded folks here, a lot of interesting perspectives.

and some beautiful birds.

 

[The Sheriff]

Fire up the incubator Jake. Dozen #1 gets mailed tomorrow! Locking the broodies up really helped. I got four eggs today! I tried to take pictures of my youngest ones today for Kelly but they all ran and hid. Here they are wedged between the coop on one side, the fence on the other and the tools in the back! Fast as lightning and sneaky!

 

[Jake Levi]

Hi Mary

Wonderful !

Its plugged in and the water topped off, got the weekend and a bit to come to temp, its in the 'fishroom' so temps and humidity are higher then most winter in home rooms !

They have great flock instincts ! Its going to be fascinating tracking and identifying their behaviors, and learning about them as they grow, the totes are ready right now for brooders, but can probably use a lower wattage bulb now,

it was 65 here today and supposed to reach 71 tomorrow, spring has sprung!

But that said, I have seen it snow here on June 10th.

Gotta be ready, parkas on tomato plants when they are set out, and special care for the corn, each with its own ear warmer ! It takes careful guidance to navigate the seasons here

Been to the mountaintops and communed with the elders and this IS a propitious time for everyone to be raising hardy,efficient, economical, free ranging chickens to survive with, got a year and a half to go til Nov 2012,

, the name of the game is survival and Icelandic Chickens are a strong rung up the ladder for that, they helped the Icelanders survive for a thousand years!!

Jake

btw,The youngest ones: cute little critters, want ALL of them ! That Blue Cockeral is saying ''Jake ! Come get me " !!!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Excuse my ignorance, I have lived in basically the same area of CA my whole life, but what the heck is a fishroom?

 

[Jake Levi]

um, a room where we keep fish ???

I am a retired fisheries biologist, I like to keep my thumbs wet, so I raise fishies,

have kept a number of outside stock tanks to rear Brook Trout, or game fish, or just some little guys for fun, but also keep some indoor tanks, I especially like reef fish and corals so have a small system with both. Stays a balmy 78, great place to keep an incubator,

and thats where the chooks will be until its time to move them outdoors.

so thats what a fishroom is about,

wanta ask about my rocket room ?????

 

[birds4me]

I have 3 super cute Icelandics that I hatched from Camelot (thank you for the sweet babies ~ I have 1 solid black, 1 pure white and 1 cream). Does anyone have any eggs that I could buy to make my small group of 3 turn into 3+more???? Please PM me with the info. FYI These will be penned seperate from other breeds to keep them pure.

 

[kathyinmo]

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I DO ! ! ! I wanna hear this one!