Icelandic Chickens

[TessK]

How are you telling the cockerels from the pullets? Would I be able to tell at 3 weeks old or is that too early?

 

[NotAFarm]

......and one to show how well the "corn training" is going.....yeah, they love their training session....

 

[mlm Mike]

How are you telling the cockerels from the pullets? Would I be able to tell at 3 weeks old or is that too early?

In the last photo about sexing its the big red combs and wattles that give them away.

 

[Twister-n-Dos]

regarding the willow legs......

Eyja's legs as a chick....

That looks very similar to what I am seeing on this bird here. Thanks for posting the pics.

 

[Jake Levi]

Just kind of a foot note, I had a power outage, and the incubator and hatcher were off for 3.5 hours, and the house temps dropped right down, and I was away, so, both were way down in temp, I was tempted to chuck them all but decided not to and kept them a week later then the hatch date, I did get some of each of the 3 breeds, the last one is drying in the hatcher now. Out of 41 eggs, got nine chicks, and the breed with the most, and first to hatch were the Icelandics, and they are the most active right now.

Not a scientific anything, just an anecdote,but to me its just something additional to point to the Icelandics toughness.

Bjorn, my dark Isi son is being replaced by Magnus, my splash/pyle son of Isi next week, and I will be incubating them in about 4 weeks. Bjorns chicks are all chipmunks, natch! Gotta love them !

 

[Desert Springs]

Just kind of a foot note, I had a power outage, and the incubator and hatcher were off for 3.5 hours, and the house temps dropped right down, and I was away, so, both were way down in temp, I was tempted to chuck them all but decided not to and kept them a week later then the hatch date, I did get some of each of the 3 breeds, the last one is drying in the hatcher now. Out of 41 eggs, got nine chicks, and the breed with the most, and first to hatch were the Icelandics, and they are the most active right now.

Not a scientific anything, just an anecdote,but to me its just something additional to point to the Icelandics toughness.

Bjorn, my dark Isi son is being replaced by Magnus, my splash/pyle son of Isi next week, and I will be incubating them in about 4 weeks. Bjorns chicks are all chipmunks, natch! Gotta love them !

I too had problems with power outages, up to 4 hours at a time, for several days due to high winds here. I had Icelandics and Cream Legbars set to hatch at the same time during those outages. Three of five Icelandics hatched out, however not a single Legbar even pipped.

I agree, not scientific, however, the facts speak for themselves.

 

[Jake Levi]

Thats why resources like BYC are so valuable, to trade info like this.

Anecdotes all add up. I will never give up on a hatch after this. I am really happy I kept them.

Today time to clean the hatcher, got more to go into it in two weeks. I set another mixed batch yesterday, Icelandics and Delawares, and I am receiving another dozen of Iowa Blues this week. With some luck these hatches will get me to my fall goal of 10-12 hens/pullets of each breed. And I'll be growing out roosters to compare and get to the two keepers of each. As it is I have four Icelandic roosters right now, Isi of Mary O'Brians stock from Sigrid, and three of his sons, I am taking one of the Black Breasted Gold Duckwings to Chickenstock this coming Sat to pass on to another Icelandic breeder, and I am keeping Isi, along his dark BB Duckwing son and his big Pyle/Splash son Magnus.

The Magnus chicks will be my last ones hatched this year, late July. I am keeping all three of these roosters, Isi has a life home here. I might rehome Bjorn and Magnus next year, we'll see. They are keepers just on temperament alone, eat from the hand each one, without eating the hand.

Life is good, and better with Icelandic Chickens !

 

[RedIII]

Choosing which boys to keep is definitely hard with this breed! Rairai, I wish I could take one of those mottled little stud muffins for you, arg! Only one of my roos has mottling, and it's faint. I'm dying to add more genetics into my flock.

Desert, I'm still so tickled that those Icee's hatched out early for you. You're going to love their personalities

My Icelandic girls are torturing me. Not only are they laying in abundance, now that they're out of confinement, but they are laying in the garage where I wanted (needed) them to lay before! It's a slap in the face, I tell you.

 

[debs_flock]

Here are a couple of quick pictures of the cockerel I'm raising to take over as my flock rooster. I just LOVE him!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Nice looking boy deb!