Icelandic Chickens

[drumstick diva]

Turkey Wrangler the little Cockerel is cute as the Dickens.

In re: vaulted skull, when silkies have a high crest it's usually because their skull in not completely closed - just skin stretched over the opening. This is why they are particularly vulnerable to brain damage from a bump /peck to the head. I would assume it is the same with any breed that has a "vaulted skull," It is a weakness not a benefit.

 

[NotAFarm]

Time for a little update on my 3-4 week old staggered hatch. Here are the kids.

Reminds me of a punk rock bar circa 1980. God I'm old...lol

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger

Great picture showing all the different feather colors on one chick. I see this in mine but your picture is great!

Turkey Wrangler the little Cockerel is cute as the Dickens.

In re: vaulted skull, when silkies have a high crest it's usually because their skull in not completely closed - just skin stretched over the opening. This is why they are particularly vulnerable to brain damage from a bump /peck to the head. I would assume it is the same with any breed that has a "vaulted skull," It is a weakness not a benefit.

@kathleens1979 I was under the impression that Icelandics did not have vaulted skulls for the reason Diva mentioned above. My understanding was crested but no vaulted skulls. Hmmmm....

Here is a link to a post with an image showing the difference between a regular skull and a vaulted skull. Post #6
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/435248/vaulted-skulls

 

[kathleens1979]

Turkey- love that blue!!! Also, your comment I. How your babies look like an 80s band made me LOL!! Yes, vaulted skulls are common in Polish and Silkies because they have been selectively bred to have large crests, which vaulted skulls emphasize. The silkies with the REALLY poofy heads probably all have vaults. I've seen Icelanducs with vaults on eBay and assumed they were some kind of Polish-Icelandic cross, but I guess I need to stop being so judgy-judgerson because eggs straight from Behl are pretty pure I would think, and his crosses produced at least one chick with a vault, although not as big of one as in my Silkies. I will have to try to get a pic later of my vaulted baby; he is with the broody outside in the coop. Vaulted skulls can close up in a month or so, so it hopefully won't be a problem for the little guy/gal. Below is a pic of two silkie chicks so you can see what we are talking about. One in front has a regular skull. One in back has a vault. It's desirable if you are breeding for poofy crests, but in Icees, it's just a random oddity since they don't have really large crests.

 

[kathleens1979]

Don't feel like the Lone Ranger  

Great picture showing all the different feather colors on one chick.  I see this in mine but your picture is great!



@kathleens1979
 I was under the impression that Icelandics did not have vaulted skulls for the reason Diva mentioned above. My understanding was crested but no vaulted skulls. Hmmmm....

Here is a link to a post with an image showing the difference between a regular skull and a vaulted skull.  Post #6
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/435248/vaulted-skulls

We must have posting at the same time, Mary! Lol! That's what I thought about vaulted skulls too... Strange, right? I have to fix up more protection in my coop for broody mama, so I'll see if I can get a pic.

 

[KaldakurFarm]

Has anyone had any particularly loud chicks? I have one in this batch that is so constantly loud. He almost sounds like a male guinea. They have plenty of food and water, and they aren't cold or hot... I think it's just a rooster being happy but he is driving me nuts! They are very close to being moved out to the heated tack room. He is that bad! He has been mischief from day one. He tried to fly out his first day, he was constantly going full tilt around the brooder knocking everyone else over. He was the second egg to hatch and is a particularly large chick compared to the rest. We have several yellow chicks and my 6yr old daughter can pick him out of the bunch because he acts so oddly. Just wondering if anyone else ever had a psycho chick.

On another note, has anyone ever had a yellow chick turn mottled or laced blue? I have one yellow chick that had dark feathers on his wing tips and the feathers seem to be coming in sort of partridge white/blue/grey/black (not sure). It's pretty whatever it is, I just never expected a white chick to turn that color. I know, I know, take a picture!!

These chicks are so much fun, they keep changing colors on me the more they grow and surprising me. I'm the master of ruining surprises (usually by mistake) but these chicks are a whole pool of surprise!

White Bresse chicks showed up today, 18 out of 20 were in good shape - WAY better than Wednesday's ordeal! Woohoo!

 

[Turkeyrangler]

Thanks for the info on the vaulted skulls I had no clue. Just thought it was the way the feathers grew.

 

[cheqchicks]

Vaulted skulls are not a weakness or a fault in Icelandic's. They are very common and the bigger the crest the larger the vaulted skull. I have many of them and they are not prone to injuries or anything like that. Just have big poofs.


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[NotAFarm]

Vaulted skulls are not a weakness or a fault in Icelandic's. They are very common and the bigger the crest the larger the vaulted skull. I have many of them and they are not prone to injuries or anything like that. Just have big poofs.


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Did your chicks or flock also come from Behl stock?

 

[KaldakurFarm]

Vaulted skulls are not a weakness or a fault in Icelandic's. They are very common and the bigger the crest the larger the vaulted skull. I have many of them and they are not prone to injuries or anything like that. Just have big poofs.


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How common are they in Icelandics? Is there any particular line they show up more prevalent in?

 

[Turkeyrangler]

How common are they in Icelandics? Is there any particular line they show up more prevalent in?

I really have no idea but 65-70% of my birds are showing the crest so far. Like I said before, not sure if these are from one of the four lines or a mix of all four lines. Hoping for a mix since that is better for genetic diversity.