Icelandic Chickens

[drumstick diva]

 

[NotAFarm]

I put Heppni and her chicks out in the chicken tractor for the first time today. They seemed to enjoy scratching around and soaking up some sun. I didn't get any pictures but will try to tomorrow.
Hvit and her chick were allowed to free range but spent time inside the main coop. I noticed one of the hens trying to corner the chick but Hvit was keeping it under her. What a good momma! I put them back in their coop so they wouldn't have to "be on guard" the whole time. I'll put them outside in a different area tomorrow and see how they do.

 

[RedIII]

Mary, very glad you are okay! I saw some of that on the news.

Has anyone else experienced an explosion of demand for Icelandics this year? I have seen a lot more interest here for them of late. A friend that got her birds from me a couple of years ago is sold out, and I've had a few people contact me looking for eggs or chicks. Wow.

 

[kathleens1979]

Mary, so glad to hear you and all of yours are okay!!! Your hens and chicks sound like they are doing well too. Still no broodies here, but we are working on it!

 

[drumstick diva]

I hope the increased interest in Icelandics isn't from people who won't keep them pure. When ever there is a demand, they are the greedy sorts who get into business to profit.

 

[kathleens1979]

Mary, very glad you are okay! I saw some of that on the news.

Has anyone else experienced an explosion of demand for Icelandics this year? I have seen a lot more interest here for them of late. A friend that got her birds from me a couple of years ago is sold out, and I've had a few people contact me looking for eggs or chicks. Wow.

Red- I'm afraid the Mother Earth News article last year has created a big spike in interest. That's how I learned about them. Chickens are just so popular right now with a lot of people, and Icees are supposed to be extra hardy (which they are, seems to me). Sandhill Preservation is sold out of them for the season and have been since February, even though the season only started in December, I think. The Icelandic FB page is also insane with people wanting birds and eggs. Hopefully all this popularity doesn't spoil the breed. I'm afraid people will want to crossbreed them or something... That would REALLY be a shame!!!

 

[RedIII]

I hope the increased interest in Icelandics isn't from people who won't keep them pure. When ever there is a demand, they are the greedy sorts who  get into business to profit.

That's my concern, too.

Red- I'm afraid the Mother Earth News article last year has created a big spike in interest. That's how I learned about them. Chickens are just so popular right now with a lot of people, and Icees are supposed to be extra hardy (which they are, seems to me). Sandhill Preservation is sold out of them for the season and have been since February, even though the season only started in December, I think. The Icelandic FB page is also insane with people wanting birds and eggs. Hopefully all this popularity doesn't spoil the breed. I'm afraid people will want to crossbreed them or something... That would REALLY be a shame!!!

Ahh, that explains it. I had forgotten about that article. I'm all for enlarging the population of Icelandics and securing the breed, but I don't want to sell birds to anyone who I know will be cross breeding them or who would sell out crossed chicks as "pure Icelandics". It kind of makes me glad that I haven't put my name out there much as a breeder. If people sincerely want them for the right reasons and come find me, then I guess we'll talk.

 

[mlm Mike]

I'm glad you are ok, Mary.

 

[NotAFarm]

Thank you all for the concern!

I have the same fears as the rest of you on Icelandics being "popular". An Icelandic is only an Icelandic when we keep the gene pool pure. It is too easy for unscrupulous people to crossbreed and sell chicks to unknowing people. I cringed when I heard Harvy Ussery got them and wrote an article about them. The recognition of them as a great homestead flock is nice but people who already have laying flocks or mixed flocks may just "add them to the mix". Then they think they have Icelandic chickens when they don't.....and worse, pass them on as Icelandics to others.

It is a beautiful morning out there so I am going to go enjoy it. I'll see if the chickens will cooperate with a photo shoot. Have a great weekend all!

 

[kathleens1979]

On the new popularity of Icelandics, this is the description from the Sandhill poultry catalog:

Icelandic (MISC): An unbelievably hardy land race. A land race means that they are not all uniform in color or body type. You will see a diversity in comb type as well. They all do seem to have a tuft of feathers on the top of the head. They are superb layers of small to medium sized off-white eggs. Knowing Iceland's moderate maritime climate and that this breed had developed there for over a thousand years, I was fearful they would not handle the extremes of Iowa weather very well. I was first pleasantly surprised in the Winter when they handled -25 deg. F with ease. Then on that horrible July day with a heat index of 133 deg. F, I was afraid that when I reached their pen I would find them all dead. I was pleasantly surprised to see none dead eventhough there were massive losses in adjoining pens. They are superb foragers with a most pleasant temperament. This is perhaps the ideal breed for someone who wants a diversity of color, but only wants one breed. They are not a terribly large chicken but are extremely feed efficient. Chicks $5.00 each (15) (SOLD OUT THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF 2015)