Icelandic Chickens

[Jake Levi]

There are as many 'right' way to breed chickens as there are people doing it. A lot of folks have flocks of a trio, it only means adding another rooster in a couple of years. As a Landrace the Icelandic long ago bred out the effects of inbreeding. Most of those homestead flocks were pretty isolated.

Most Icelandic roosters I have seen will tolerate one other rooster added young. Thats about the easiest way to add more genes to a small flock.

I love the HRIRs. My grandmothers chickens. She had a beautiful RC flock, would always sternly admonish me that a RIR without a RC wasnt a RIR ! She was Irish and pretty strong in her likes. I would love to have a flock of HRIRs, but really cant do justice to another breed.

 

[RedIII]

My plan with the Icelandics is to have enough birds to establish two small flocks - ie, one rooster to two hens in each. Since I have both Lyle Behl's line and Sigrid's line, the rooster from each will be put with the hens of the other line for the first little while to expand the gene pool. After that, I don't know. I'll mix and match the roo's with the hens at whim. I don't have any particular traits I'm after with breeding. I just want to encourage a healthy diversity in the group in order to avoid inbreeding problems. I'm paranoid.

If it helps, though, I know that Mary O (the Sheriff) has a single breeding pair for Icelandics, and her birds have done fine. She has helped to spread the breed to many new owners with offspring from her one pair. At least, that was what I've understood.

Edit: Ha, never mind that plan. I just found my only pullet dead. That leaves me with three hens and a bunch of boys to choose from.

 

[AletaG]

Thanks Jake and Red. Makes me feel a little more comfortable sticking with a trio for now. I'm sorry to hear about your pullet, though Red.

 

[coldupnorth]

Red - so sorry about your pullet

Hope one or two of the "cockerals" are actually girls.

 

[Jake Levi]

Long ago a wise friend told me 'if you have livestock you will lose some'.

Thats why I try to have backups for all, a trio is very nice, but, subject to disasters if you lose any, especially the rooster.

I have my backups spread through the flock, so if the Isi trio loses one there is a replacement available. This is a major reason for scaling down to just one breed and trying to do a good job with them.

I seriously wouldnot be over concerned about inbreeding depression in Icelandics, a thousand year breed isolation and the isolation of their homestead flocks has pretty well covered lethal recessions dangers. They can happen, but I have still to hear of the first one occuring in American flocks.

 

[Myrth]

Wise words, Jake. I don't have a huge spread. Our homestead is just a few acres, and we have more going on here, and planned for here, than chickens. I have wanted to get into breed preservation for a number of years, but I don't believe I could do a good job with more than one breed.

 

[AletaG]

Thankfully, I am near enough to a lady who has several small flocks of Icees, if I lose one, I can get one from her. It'd cost me, but that's ok. My focus will be HRIR, but my husband really loves the Icees.

 

[RedIII]

AletaG, I have been tempted by the HRIR's before, too. I love their color and the personalities RIR's have! If I were living in my dream world and I could take care of all the projects I want to do, I'd probably be keeping flocks for RIR, Icelandics, Houdans, Ameraucanas, OEGB, Leghorns, Sumatras, or some others that I've eyeballed before. I'm most interested in the pleasure of having my birds around and taking care of them, but helping to preserve a rare breed like the Icelandics is an excellent reason for me to have them, as well. I have a soft spot for breeds that are in serious need of help, especially if they need some help strengthening the genes and traits present. One example is the Houdans - All I've ever seen in the US is hatchery stock, and that is poor, at best. I was this close to getting some this year to try and improve the breed. But, reality is a nag, and for now I'm to settle for raising only one breed.

Wow, sorry, I kind of went off on a tangent there. So to make this more about Icelandics - one of my chicks is so funny. He thinks that wherever I am standing, there must be something good under my foot, so he keeps scratching the ground where I stand and trying to see what's there............no matter where I'm standing. I don't mean to be vain, but is this kind of like having someone worship the ground I walk on?

 

[AletaG]

AletaG, I have been tempted by the HRIR's before, too. I love their color and the personalities RIR's have! If I were living in my dream world and I could take care of all the projects I want to do, I'd probably be keeping flocks for RIR, Icelandics, Houdans, Ameraucanas, OEGB, Leghorns, Sumatras, or some others that I've eyeballed before. I'm most interested in the pleasure of having my birds around and taking care of them, but helping to preserve a rare breed like the Icelandics

OMG, I totally understand. Other than the HRIR, I've been tugged all over the place. I just want to get an idea of how to properly maintain a breed before jumping into a real project (see Delawares, Rhodebars) that requires super knowledge of a breed, ruthless hatching and culling, etc. The HRIR come from well established lines, and the Icees are fabulously low maintenance in comparison to most rare breeds. Which is the ONLY reason I've let my DH talk me around. That, and the hero worship of the cockerels. So funny. 'course, he's been slightly more wary since the flock overbalanced me just enough for me to squash the poor boy flat. Months ago, and he's fine. Another reason to go Icee, seem pretty bomb proof.

 

[NotAFarm]

Well, we made it home from our trip to meet Jake, see the Hockey Hall of Fame and the city of Toronto and the beautiful Niagra Falls. It was a whirlwind trip and I'm exhausted, but wanted to get on to say how nice it was to meet Jake. My DH, Mike, was very impressed with how calm and well-behaved Buddy was and that speaks to how great Jake is with animals. We had a brief visit over our lunch and then had to keep driving to get to Toronto by evening. I was very happy to meet Jake and always look forward to meeting other BYCers........especially Icelandic enthusiasts!!
Two eggs in the box means both Grima and Gjoska are laying!

.....but I'm thinking neither of those will hatch.......they were in the pullet grow-out pen without any rooster access for more than a month before leaving. Stick those pullets in with one of your guys and collect those eggs for hatching!!

On the topic of how many is too few to start, I agree with Jake. Icelandics are not your usual breed. Unlike a "set line or strain" of a SOP breed, bringing in new blood will not cause you to have to cull heavily to "get back" the traits that were "set" by the original breeder....and you will not "mess-up" what that original breeder had worked years to "improve" by getting a new rooster for your flock. The main purpose of keeping Icelandics should be to keep the PURE gene pool as diverse as possible while keeping them PURE. With three different lines/importations available, there should not be any problem with doing that.


Bad news.......good news on my return.........The little Falki x Fjola "pullet" disappeared while I was gone, hawk, fox, feral cat? just gone..............Elska is broody again so I will candle the 10 Icelandic eggs under Heidi, the SLW, and split whatever is developing between the two of them.

I have unpacking to finish.......good evening all!