Icelandic Chickens

[NotAFarm]

Hi All

Another addition to Jake's Saga, not to be confused with Egil's or Nyal's Sagas !

Deep snow, some on the Alcan has prompted me to hold up on the Alaska move, and since the VA said I was good to go I am going to go back to MI to sit out til breakup time which will be late April.

As of right now I plan to leave here this Tues morning, and head back to moderate North Central MI to my son place. So, I will be taking all 3 of the Fab Featherd ones, and we shall see, there will be one beautiful large white feathered one available to a lucky Mi Icelandic breeder, unfortunately I can not in good heart take him with his SC. He IS a beauty, I wish he was RC.

Jake, You have been quite the nomad during the last year!! I hope your travels are safe.

 

[NotAFarm]

I'm sure you all get tired of seeing my flock all the time........but.....I have to show you a couple of pics of the guys doing their imitations while showing-off!

Boi doing his peacock imitation:


Dreki doing his airplane imitation:

 

[Mahonri]

I LOVE BOTH Dreki and Boi !!!

 

[NotAFarm]

I LOVE BOTH Dreki and Boi !!!

Then you'll be happy to know they will each have their own group of pullets come next weekend. You can get some from each if you'd like!!
I am collecting eggs for Joyous this week to get to her on Friday, so don't want to move anyone around lest they decide to protest by not laying. Next Saturday is moving day. Dreki (Audun/Anna) will be put in with the Ari daugthers, Boi (Ari/Anna or Asta) will be put in with some of Audun's daughters and Bjarthur (Ari/Asta) will be in the other Audun daughters. Audun will remain with Anna, Asta, the SLWs and Krystal the Java (on the nest currently) and I will be putting Elska with this group since Audun is the only one I trust to leave her alone until she is ready to start laying. I will leave them in these groups until April and then let them out together and let the chips (or chicks in this case

) fall where they may. I had two pullets at the start of spring last year, this year I have 2 hens and 16 pullets...........

there will not be any 10 or 11 chick broods this time....they will have to be happy with 3 or 4!!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Both those boys are gorgeous Mary! Love the action shots!

Jake - I wish you well with your trip back to Michigan. It must be nice going "home" where your family and friends are.

 

[Mahonri]

Here is a pic of my 'Kola' the only Icelandic hen I have at present along with some of the other girls...in the back of the run this afternoon. She's hiding behind the HUGE SLW I hatched from kathy's eggs. I WISH SHE'D START LAYING! (The SLW) She hatched at Easter last year! The white leghorn, hatched out of a Trader Joe's egg.



Notice "Kola's" little crest. She lays about 5 eggs a week now... and they are starting to get bigger.

"Aunt Bee" my buff brahma in the background is a slacker also. Hatched last July and hasn't laid an egg yet.. Both of her sisters that I sold were laying... wish I'd have known. The one on the bottom left is an FBCM X GCMarans. She used to lay about 3 a week and now she has quit! The BR is a hatchery bird from the feed store.. she lays about 3 a week. All of the BRs I hatched from Kathy last Easter were roos. Pretty, but I had to rehome. The TJ leghorn gives me about 4-5 eggs a week. And out of the 5 Ameraucanas pictured, I'm only getting about 10 eggs a week. LAZY hineys!1

 

[Mahonri]

Did I already post this pic of my son and the neighbor boy that I took with the next President of the United States?

Here it is. My son is the one with freckles and braces of course.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Very pretty flock Mahonri! And a handsome son as well!

I too have a slacker. A welsummer hatched 3/9 that has yet to lay an egg. One of my many pullets this year that decided to molt.

 

[NotAFarm]

Mahonri, My breeder SLW are BIG hens as well, they kind of dwarf the Icelandics. They were 10 months old before laid, but they are here for eye-candy not production...but I did get three SLW eggs today!! My hen that I have in with Elska and Brella in the Nursery/Hospital coop laid an egg so that means the molt is done just in time for the big move back into the flock next weekend. It's unusual for all three of them to lay in one day!!

and.......I got 14 Icelandic eggs!! That means that out of the 17 Icelandic hens and pullets old enough to be laying, 14 laid an egg today.......that's the most I've gotten in one day from them too!! The neighbors love my chickens and were happy to get a free dozen eggs today!

Here's a pic to show the size difference. Heidi, the SLW to Audun's right, is the largest of my SLW, notice how WIDE she is!
(l to r) Asta, Kleo Kella, Audun, her and Bjarthur (always hanging on the far edge of where ever Audun is cuz the other two cockerels will jump him when he gets too far away from the protection of Audun!) When they discovered the treats had all been eaten, they headed over to the Beauty Berry bushes to see if anything was under there. Love my Icelandics!!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm just so in love with my stolen babies. Not that I don't love the others, but these 2 are just so darn adorable. My son wants to name one Ice Cream but I told him they have to have Icelandic names.

I finally have the chance to be here at night, and you all aren't chatting? (DH is away for the night)