Icelandic Chickens

[cheqchicks]

I'm going to respond to both questions here.

My flock represents all four recognized imports including Behl stock. My first two Icelandic were/are Behl birds and I love them very much. However I also have a significant portion of Sigrid, Hlessy and Husatoffir lines as well. I'm hoping as time and budget permits to continue to add a few birds of each import as I can.

I would say that all can have tuffs/crests are they more prevalent in one over the other? I cannot say. Its not predictable in what comes out to really know. I believe its a recessive trait and I have had it pop up in many chicks whose parents did not have a crest at all. As for how prevalent in your flock? Depends, most folks have between 20-40% in the flock if folks like that sort of thing, you can choose birds who do not have crests for your flock and course they would be carriers of the gene but not display it themselves. My flock is about 30% crested.

As for line mixing. Sure! Go for it! You find the coolest colors and combinations when you expereiment by crossing the lines. As long as you are crossing true Icelandic to true Icelandic have fun and play!!! Although all my birds are from the different lines I do not segregate for breeding unless I want to work on a specific line which has not happened yet because I'm having so much fun with the mix of the lines. One of my friends just crossed the Behl line with the Hlessy line and oh my goodness did he get some beautiful gems!!!

If folks are interested we also have a very active Facebook Page on Icelandic Chickens and you are welcome to join the discussions over there as well.

 

[kathleens1979]

Ok- stressful, wonderful day. Hatch days always are for me (all mama hens, I suspect). I have a few baby pics to post. First, all the Behl babies were placed with my broody Harpa. She hatched 7 of them and I added three that hatched in the house. So far, they are doing great! The eggs that got cold in the incubator hatched a day later, except for the one early pip which I swear was a preemie. He is smaller than the other chicks and has legit WHITE down. It's really pretty, but kind of strange. He didn't want to open his eyes at first, and he didn't start peeping until this afternoon, even though he was out earlier this morning (although I helped a little). The Behl babies are an assortment of colors: blonde (finger crossed for a white hen), red, brown and white, and black and white. The Sigrid babies are all a range of blue, black, blonde, and that one really white and black one. Better pics later:
Behl with Broody:

Preemie Chick:

Some Sigrid babies:

 

[Turkeyrangler]

Ok- stressful, wonderful day. Hatch days always are for me (all mama hens, I suspect). I have a few baby pics to post. First, all the Behl babies were placed with my broody Harpa. She hatched 7 of them and I added three that hatched in the house. So far, they are doing great! The eggs that got cold in the incubator hatched a day later, except for the one early pip which I swear was a preemie. He is smaller than the other chicks and has legit WHITE down. It's really pretty, but kind of strange. He didn't want to open his eyes at first, and he didn't start peeping until this afternoon, even though he was out earlier this morning (although I helped a little). The Behl babies are an assortment of colors: blonde (finger crossed for a white hen), red, brown and white, and black and white. The Sigrid babies are all a range of blue, black, blonde, and that one really white and black one. Better pics later:
Behl with Broody:


Preemie Chick:

Some Sigrid babies:

Congratulations on a successful hatch. I was hoping that those eggs in the incubator would do well. That preemie looks so different from the ones I've hatched. Very cool.

 

[KaldakurFarm]

I'm going to respond to both questions here.

My flock represents all four recognized imports including Behl stock. My first two Icelandic were/are Behl birds and I love them very much. However I also have a significant portion of Sigrid, Hlessy and Husatoffir lines as well. I'm hoping as time and budget permits to continue to add a few birds of each import as I can.

I would say that all can have tuffs/crests are they more prevalent in one over the other? I cannot say. Its not predictable in what comes out to really know. I believe its a recessive trait and I have had it pop up in many chicks whose parents did not have a crest at all. As for how prevalent in your flock? Depends, most folks have between 20-40% in the flock if folks like that sort of thing, you can choose birds who do not have crests for your flock and course they would be carriers of the gene but not display it themselves. My flock is about 30% crested.

As for line mixing. Sure! Go for it! You find the coolest colors and combinations when you expereiment by crossing the lines. As long as you are crossing true Icelandic to true Icelandic have fun and play!!! Although all my birds are from the different lines I do not segregate for breeding unless I want to work on a specific line which has not happened yet because I'm having so much fun with the mix of the lines. One of my friends just crossed the Behl line with the Hlessy line and oh my goodness did he get some beautiful gems!!!

If folks are interested we also have a very active Facebook Page on Icelandic Chickens and you are welcome to join the discussions over there as well.

Thanks for the response . I should have been more clear about what I was asking. I was curious about the vaulted skulls and the prevalence. I do have several crested and tufted birds also, and my flock is a mix of the lines. I do not see any vaulted skulls on my crested birds (I *think* I know what I'm looking for), so I'm assuming it must not be too common. I was wondering if the vaulted skulls happened more in one line or the others, or if it was just a random thing that happens.

I am also part of the Facebook group, and yes it is a wealth of information (especially in the last week or so!). Great group over there too .

Thanks again for the response!!!

 

[KaldakurFarm]

Ok- stressful, wonderful day. Hatch days always are for me (all mama hens, I suspect). I have a few baby pics to post. First, all the Behl babies were placed with my broody Harpa. She hatched 7 of them and I added three that hatched in the house. So far, they are doing great! The eggs that got cold in the incubator hatched a day later, except for the one early pip which I swear was a preemie. He is smaller than the other chicks and has legit WHITE down. It's really pretty, but kind of strange. He didn't want to open his eyes at first, and he didn't start peeping until this afternoon, even though he was out earlier this morning (although I helped a little). The Behl babies are an assortment of colors: blonde (finger crossed for a white hen), red, brown and white, and black and white. The Sigrid babies are all a range of blue, black, blonde, and that one really white and black one. Better pics later:
Behl with Broody:


Preemie Chick:

Some Sigrid babies:

Congrats on the success, glad you were able to save your hatch!!! That guy is tiny. He looks like one from my last hatch that ended up black and white like a penguin. Very cute!!!

 

[RedIII]

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! e

Hahaha, I have had a few loudmouth chicks, as well And to date, I have had two blonde chicks turn mottled as they've feathered out. I never got to see the first one as an adult because it disappeared while I was out of town Hoping to see the other make it, though!

Also, my Flekka was mottled. She started as a blonde chick.

 

[kathleens1979]

Hey, Kaldakur! Glad your Bresse showed up alive and well! It is really stressful to get birds through the mail, right? We ordered Cayuga ducklings, and it was an ordeal for them and us. Keep us posted how things go with them (and how they taste!),

 

[Diannastarr]

that is the catch - they would most certainly finish off the chickens first. Maybe you could pen the chickens up or temporarily move them to barn or house, and let the Jack Russells go at them. I've seen videos of them - lightning fast and furious and tossing rats every which way. Maybe one night is enough carnage for them.

i use the wild cats & put some food out on my porch and always water, they come around at night & hunt mice all night long its their nature, they love to chase mice, but the funny part is they are afraid of chickens.....lol..

we also put up bat houses & want bats to come here they eat millions of Mosquitos, then next to entice crows to come & stay around having crows around is like a free giant alarm system that sees all & knows all danger they will always alert the chickens to any birds of pray near by, gotta love nature , when we let nature help us its the best.

 

[drumstick diva]

I believe the OP I was replying to had a RAT problem. I'm all for cats doing what comes natural IF it includes RATS. Mice are icky and scary (to some) and can carry disease as well but, RATS are more likely to bite humans, etc. as well as eating your chickens.

 

[Diannastarr]

I believe the OP I was replying to had a RAT problem. I'm all for cats doing what comes natural IF it includes RATS. Mice are icky and scary (to some) and can carry disease as well but, RATS are more likely to bite humans, etc. as well as eating your chickens.

i know that one only to well, since i was bit by a rat in NYC as a child , and boy i gotta tell you NYC has some really giant rats, the size of dogs....lol.