Icelandic Chickens

[Rafter H Farms]

Maybe I should have started a new thread but I thought it wouldn't hurt to chuck this into the mix here. Maybe some of you will have an idea for a better location. I would like to warn all those who do not know about the skull deformities caused by breeding crested to crested Icelandics. We have found this to be true of the Swedish Flower hen as well unfortunately and it is simply awful to have to dispatch deformed babies after getting through all the riggers of having the eggs shipped halfway across the nation and then set for 3 weeks to have this happen. I do not know what causes the deformation in these two breeds , perhaps too much in-breeding , but I simply want to warn anyone and everyone who will listen , DO NOT MATE CRESTED TO CRESTED ! We have so much hope for these two breeds and we will continue , for now , to try to develope a flock of each but we will never again make the crested mistake. If that doesn't solve the problem I'm afraid it would break my wife's heart to continue to promote them. Best of luck to all.

 

[drumstick diva]

I don't know about chickens but, I have heard the same of Crested ducks.

 

[Jryan18]

Maybe I should have started a new thread but I thought it wouldn't hurt to chuck this into the mix here. Maybe some of you will have an idea for a better location. I would like to warn all those who do not know about the skull deformities caused by breeding crested to crested Icelandics. We have found this to be true of the Swedish Flower hen as well unfortunately and it is simply awful to have to dispatch deformed babies after getting through all the riggers of having the eggs shipped halfway across the nation and then set for 3 weeks to have this happen. I do not know what causes the deformation in these two breeds , perhaps too much in-breeding , but I simply want to warn anyone and everyone who will listen , DO NOT MATE CRESTED TO CRESTED ! We have so much hope for these two breeds and we will continue , for now , to try to develope a flock of each but we will never again make the crested mistake. If that doesn't solve the problem I'm afraid it would break my wife's heart to continue to promote them. Best of luck to all.

Any fowl with the crested gene should not be mated to another crested it causes almost 100% mortality, the ones that survive generally have neurological problems. To get crested you should breed a crested to a non crested and would get approx 50/50 crested to non.
While I am at it, I purchased some Icelandic eggs to hatch and didn't have much success, was wondering if any one close to Pennsylvania had some fertile eggs. I hate getting shipped eggs but hope if it was a shorter distance maybe I will get better results.

 

[TytoAlba]

I can't imagine why anyone would want crested if the gene is so lethal, but that's just me.

 

[ChickenLady2014]

Maybe I should have started a new thread but I thought it wouldn't hurt to chuck this into the mix here. Maybe some of you will have an idea for a better location. I would like to warn all those who do not know about the skull deformities caused by breeding crested to crested Icelandics. We have found this to be true of the Swedish Flower hen as well unfortunately and it is simply awful to have to dispatch deformed babies after getting through all the riggers of having the eggs shipped halfway across the nation and then set for 3 weeks to have this happen. I do not know what causes the deformation in these two breeds , perhaps too much in-breeding , but I simply want to warn anyone and everyone who will listen , DO NOT MATE CRESTED TO CRESTED ! We have so much hope for these two breeds and we will continue , for now , to try to develope a flock of each but we will never again make the crested mistake. If that doesn't solve the problem I'm afraid it would break my wife's heart to continue to promote them. Best of luck to all.

Wow I did not know this. Just hatched Icelandics & SFH this Spring. So glad I came across this post before they are old enough to mate.

 

[mlm Mike]

Quote: Do you have any actual links to studies showing this? Silkies/Show Girls happen all the time. Polish certainly exist. The vaulted skull is much rarer in Icelandic and Swedish Flower Hens. Just wandering where your (mis)information comes from.

 

[mlm Mike]

Everyone that puts a rooster with some hens, a dog with a b*tch, a buck with a doe, or a ram with a ewe is not a breeder. Breeders are people that understand the genetics behind the breedings. They know why they are putting a particular male with a female to produce offspring.

 

[drumstick diva]

X 2 agreed

 

[Jryan18]

Do you have any actual links to studies showing this? Silkies/Show Girls happen all the time. Polish certainly exist. The vaulted skull is much rarer in Icelandic and Swedish Flower Hens. Just wandering where your (mis)information comes from.

I don't have any links for it and it very well could be misinformation, most the information I get or read is from this website. There could be(are) a few breeds that it might be a desired trait but I from my understanding as a rule that is hor it works.

 

[mlm Mike]

Quote: Not all crested to crested breedings result in vaulted skulls. My understanding is it happens more frequently in birds with the larger crests. I have heard of very few Icelandic cases of vaulted skulls. If I were to find I started producing vaulted skulls, I would stop doing that pairing, and possibly retire the rooster.