Icelandic Chickens

[The Sheriff]

Uh, where's the picture?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Uh, where's the picture?

I'll give it to you when they hatch.

They look amazingly similar to this one, minus the white eggs.

 

[The Sheriff]

Smarty pants!

Why hatch Icelandics when you can just steal them?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Who me?

 

[Farmerboy16]

 

[NotAFarm]

Some reminders that Spring is only three weeks away................

 

[AK Michelle]

I got away for awhile yesterday. That is, no one was home so I slipped out to the barn and got to just hang-out with the chickens for awhile.

The layers only gave me 4 eggs but lots of attention. My old roo was right at the pen door to great me and even slipped out of the pen to "help" me with some of my chores. He's such a sweet pet. Just wants to be where I am "supervising".

After returning him to his room I spent time with the Icelandics. They are such a funny lot. Broody-momma stands at my feet jumping for my zipper pull. I don't know why it interests her so, but she seems fascinated by it. Kelinn always puts on a good show, making sure I know he's the prettiest roo around but the second his girls cluck he runs off to see if they need anything

The only roo from "the crash test dummies" is low man on the totem pole. I was calling him the serial rapist but after spending 2 weeks in the bachelor pad with the other non-breeder quality boys, he's much, ah, different. Let's just say he's letting the girls grow some feathers back

The girls move in and out of the nest boxes, the didn't lay a thing on Wednesday but started again yesterday. They all seem to like the new space except the roosts. They haven't used them. I'm planning to be out there early in the morning to see where they are sleeping. I may need to re-engineer what. We built for them.

Have a great Friday

 

[NotAFarm]

Michelle, It's good to hear they're settling in and liking the new nests! Are the roosts that much different than where they were before?

Here is where mine sleep....
Main coop in rafters 10+ feet up

Smaller side coops on 4 x 4s - 4 1/2 feet off the ground


Broody coop on the side of the feed dish

that's not where they sleep but where they "hang"
See how fast their feathers are coming in?!

 

[AK Michelle]

Michelle, It's good to hear they're settling in and liking the new nests! Are the roosts that much different than where they were before?

Yes, the old roost was a pallet frame leaned against the wall. The old coop had rafters that they perched on. And lets not forget all the times i had to forcibly evict them from the trees to put them to bed last summer. In this space I made them swings. Each is a 2x4 hung from the ceiling by rope. I think they may be too wobbly. So I traded out one for a 2x2 which swings but doesn't tip. They still aren't wild about it. Tomorrow I'm going to put the 2x4 back and use the 2x2 to tie the 2 swings together like a big "I" It will be more stable and I bet they'll be more likely to give it a try. Otherwise I'll go find a rafter that I can hang from the ceiling

 

[mlm Mike]

NotAFarm, nice pictures, someday I hope to be able to take as nice of pictures as you.

AKMichelle,isn't there some race starting up there tomorrow you should be watching?