Icelandic Chickens

[NotAFarm]

I have to keep my eyes on you guys,

you seem to be enjoying yourself more than I am.

Why not join the fun!! Spring dance, c'mon, you know you want to!!

 

[drumstick diva]

okay my spring dance dedicated to new ice cream flavor - Haagen Das Tres Leches con Brigideiro. Ta dah

BTW had no idea what brigideiro was - took a risk and it was delicious !!

But ice cream is gone and now I need a nap....

 

[kathleens1979]

I dunno Mary... Tomorrow is marked with a snowflake on my phone.

Oh well- spring is definitely on its way, sooner or later. Thought I would share a pic of my tiny LGD.

Mostly all of those are my EE hens, but you can also see Happ in the corner, so I think it counts for this thread!

Zippy our pug loves the chickens and would stay outside with them all the time if I would let her. Not sure she wouldn't get eaten along with the chickens if there was a serious threat though! She needs to be a 200lb mastiff instead of a 16lb pug.

 

[kathleens1979]

Okay- a couple of questions for all you experienced Icelandic keepers out there- 1. How do you manage free range time for your flock? I can tell the Icelandics LOVE to free range, but I'm afraid they will get eaten. How do you deal with their desire to be free and foraging? We have a 6 ft. high run and they flew over it with no problem at ALL. Containment would have to be in a covered run, but I don't really want to do that since they love to be out so much. Thoughts? Methods for keeping your birds safe and happy at the same time? Opinions on what is best for Icelandics? 2. Anyone have experience keeping two breeds separated successfully? I had six other roosters when Mary gave me my new babies. Hann became the big man on campus when I gave my other roos away. I don't have any plans to breed my two Ameraucana hens with an Ameraucana roo in the future, but if I were going to, they would have to be sequestered away from the Icelandics. This sounds like too much work, but I am still curious if anyone has done this with breeding pens successfully. I am paranoid about the genes in the Icelandics, so I don't want to mess that up. Has anyone done this successfully? Unsuccessfully? Stories or advice to pass along would be great.

 

[drumstick diva]

Kathleens wow, you gotta Pug. I love 'em.

 

[RedIII]

Kathleen, I give my girls "field trips" in the yard over the weekend or every few days when I am out there to watch them. I have tried clipping wings to keep them in their run, but unfortunately mine just learned to climb the fence. We are working on getting netting across our run to keep them in, as we have no shortage of predators here. I don't want them getting picked off if they get out and I'm not here.

So far as the breeding pens go, I took the lazy approach to it. I only have Icelandic roosters, and my only white egg layers are the Icees. That way, it's very easy for me to tell which eggs are purebred. If I did get another breed of rooster, though, I'm afraid he'd be locked up with his girls in a heavy duty pen to make sure the Icee hens stay away from him. Sorry, I know that's not much help :/

 

[mlm Mike]

All my chickens free range all the time.I haven't had a predator problem, so it is working for me. Icelandics are my only white egg layers, so I only hatch white eggs when I only have Icelandic roosters.

 

[kathleens1979]

No- that's what I wanted to know. I am amazed by how clever they are!! I tell my husband they have little snake bodies because they are so sinuous compared to my EEs, ameraucanas and australorps. I love them! I have not had many predator issues either- we lost one hen to unknown reasons. She just disappeared one day, but she was out friendliest hen (

) so we think she may have just walked right up to whatever got her. Besides that, we haven't had any other losses, but our chickens spent most of the winter inside their coop (their choice). Now that it's spring, I'm getting a little more concerned, especially since the Icelandics can and do hop the fence to free range every day.

 

[NotAFarm]

I am thinking that I need to change my avatar from the snow covered one......but am afraid I may jinx this nice weather we've been having......

Change the avatar the first day of spring. I hope you get a few broodies in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks, Mike, I'll do that....then if the weather turns yucky again I can blame you!

Okay, we have about 4 inches of snow on the ground.........Thanks, Mike!!

 

[Cknldy]

I don't have Icelandics yet but I have experience with keeping breeds separated. There are currently 4 coops with runs on my 'chicken acres'. One coop I decided to try adding a roo separation side for when the ladies need a break- it works great because the roo for that breed can still be next to his gals. I now wish I had done the same thing for all of the coops. There is also a 3 apartment building, each with plenty of space for 1 roo or a broody. I like pure breed chickens myself so although it is a lot of work a new coop with covered run gets built each time I get another breed. I like at LEAST 6'x10' runs with house attached so there is usually additional space underneath that gets fenced in as well. I hope you figure out something that suits all the points ETA- Currently in the process of building a chick house for raising chicks and needing to build at least 2 more coops right now! After all, dh will be crying for A/C soon enough and I don't wish to debate the lives of chicks versus dh sweating and complaining ;-)