Icelandic Chickens

[mlm Mike]

Thank you NotAFarm, your steady hand is the one I am looking for. We do so like RedIII, and our rooster came from the Sheriff to ColdUpNorth to Red, via lineage. So since I don't know all the persons here and such, I am sort of checking to see if my starting plans are sound. I hope to have up to fifty hens… if I can get there. Red told me David G's stock was good, and we did have to get on a list and wait. Our birds were set by David yesterday, I think.

I suppose that Special K (the DW) and I are 'smitten' with these Icelandic Chickens. I have started to read the thread here, might take a while to get through, but I will take a shot at it. A question, is The Sheriff still active? I am located in Utah, near Logan (USU) about two hours north of Red. We have snow the past two days, but will melt off soon, again. I love your NotAFarm sign, very clever. Also best to keep 'humans' on your side. I tend to 'yield' as well, people come before birds…

I am so very grateful that this thread exists and is here, so a big thank you to those whom have made it so. I have so many questions, but for now they can keep.

Thanks to those of you who keep these birds, and are able to support this thread.

RJ

You should be real please with what you get from David G.!

 

[mlm Mike]

It is somewhat slow, but well worth reading right from the beginning of this thread. Especially Sigrids article with the link early in the thread.

My personal preference for a flock is with two roosters, either free ranging or switching hens and roosters if penned in small groups. I try to keep a couple backup roosters.

But for now, restarting after a couple years away from the Icelandics.

I had a disaster, a 20hr power outage. I lost the whole hatch, 17 eggs. So looking for an auxillary heat supply, probably a propane heater.

I babied this clutch unreal. But they got too cold. I opened 2 eggs, last eve, developed chicks, dead. I didn't have the heart to check anymore. Today the incubator gets shut down, emptied, cleaned, and wait for another set of eggs.

Life goes on.

I'm so sorry Jake.

 

[RJSorensen]

Jake, hello and thank you. I live in a small farm town, but have been able to free range about four acres around my place. I would like to continue to do this. I have been shadow reading the thread here long enough, that I saw you 'pop' back into the thread, so sorry for your power loss… a lot of hope in those little packages. But from what I know of you, you will just put one foot in front of the other and continue on.

From what little I know of these birds, I was hoping to be able to run a few roosters and the hens in a free range situation. But wondered if 'pens' were required and if one needs to know the rooster from each hen mating. I would like to do as many things right, as I can, while I learn the in's and out's of these birds. Good intentions are fine, but I would like to leave the birds in as good a condition, or better… than I found them.

I look forward to learning from the kind folks here, and in contributing as best I can as well.

RJ

 

[arconfederate]

I too am trying to learn more about Icelandics. My eggs are due to arrive tomorrow and while not directly from David Grote, the seller says that they are from a flock that originated with him. I have 10 acres for free ranging but we have hawks, coyotes and so forth in abundance. I know that they will have to be secure at night but are they generally able to avoid becoming lunch during the day?

Also, do they have any special requirements in the incubator over and above the standard incubation protocol? Thanks.

 

[RJSorensen]

mlm Mike, I took Red's advice in looking to get this project up and off the ground, so went with David G. But I do not know him, nor of him. But I do know Red and trust her input, whereas she was such a committed fancier of these birds. So a good report on the choice of chicks is good news for us. We are well 'over the moon' with our decision to phase out our existing large fowl and just keep Icelandic's. We have no other LF rooster at present, a few Bantam birds with roosters.

Experience is such a valuable thing, and so often comes at a price, that I have gotten old enough to seek wisdom, where I can. So i am here, looking for the wisdom that comes from experience, in the hope that whatever the learning curve is, it need not be as steep as doing so alone. So my kind thanks to those whom post and share here. At some point I hope to do the same. Red said to come here and the thread members would 'keep an eye' on me. It seems to be so. The wife and I tend to be simple folks, and enjoy a rural open lifestyle. We don't live in the mid-west, but envision ourself to be more like the folks in Iowa and north. We homesteaded out here and I suppose share a way of life. We are not new to chickens, but are new to the BYC type of keeping them, I quite enjoy birds as pets and not so much as a component of keeping the farm running.

Thank you all for the birds and the thread.

RJ

 

[NotAFarm]

Thank you NotAFarm, your steady hand is the one I am looking for. We do so like RedIII, and our rooster came from the Sheriff to ColdUpNorth to Red, via lineage. So since I don't know all the persons here and such, I am sort of checking to see if my starting plans are sound. I hope to have up to fifty hens… if I can get there. Red told me David G's stock was good, and we did have to get on a list and wait. Our birds were set by David yesterday, I think.

I suppose that Special K (the DW) and I are 'smitten' with these Icelandic Chickens. I have started to read the thread here, might take a while to get through, but I will take a shot at it. A question, is The Sheriff still active? I am located in Utah, near Logan (USU) about two hours north of Red. We have snow the past two days, but will melt off soon, again. I love your NotAFarm sign, very clever. Also best to keep 'humans' on your side. I tend to 'yield' as well, people come before birds…

I am so very grateful that this thread exists and is here, so a big thank you to those whom have made it so. I have so many questions, but for now they can keep.

Thanks to those of you who keep these birds, and are able to support this thread.

RJ

The Sheriff is alive and well, but no longer has an Icelandic flock. She moved and now has a mixed laying flock. Her current thread is here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/690271/stellas-social-club

My sign was a gift from my oldest son. I love it. The name is a response my DH (dear hubby) is fond of saying when I ask about getting some other animal, "This is not a farm".

 

[RJSorensen]

Well… I am on page 81 of this Icelandic Saga only a few thousand to go. It has been great reading, interesting to see the found and formation of those whom keep these birds and post to this thread. I am enjoying it and look at the videos and check out the links, as best I can, so that I don't miss something of note. All I can say is thanks to those started this up and to those of you who got birds from Mary (The Sheriff) and then went and shared the love again. I like and do support the line I read about 'don't mess it up.' I am for that and the natural genetic diversity of the birds. Big plus for me and a strong attraction as well. I am in the 'just want to raise them' club, I do not like to buy nor sell very much, I like to raise my own and do not give a 'hang' if it is trending now or not. NOT is good in my book. I love birds, and really love my birds, I spend a fair amount of time in observing them and watching, thus learning their needs. My chickens will always tell me what they need, all one needs to do is to sit and watch them, they will show you what needs be done,

From a all season covered dust bath to an extra roosting pole, I have learned directly from my birds. I know which grains they do not favor, by the ones left on the ground. I too see the tube feeders becoming redundant as the wide open spaces open up for grazing. I always back off on feed this time of year and will not need much until fall now. But it is there should they wish. Magical and with a grace and beauty, free ranging chickens are a wonderful way to spend any part of the day, you can spare.

Thanks for welcoming me, you have all been most kind and insightful. When I get through the whole thread, do I become a full member?

RJ

 

[NotAFarm]

Thanks for welcoming me, you have all been most kind and insightful. When I get through the whole thread, do I become a full member?

RJ

No.....you have to hatch some of your own and post pictures here....then you become a full member

 

[RJSorensen]

That might be much easier than reading the whole thread… I will try to do both, to sort of raise the bar.

Got to keep the riff raft under control you know. It is snowing again this evening, I feel that I have selected the perfect breed for my conditions. The photo is of my winter coop, were I keep my Banty birds, I have a second coop, which we have recently renamed the Longhouse, where my larger birds sleep. Both flocks mix in free ranging during the daytime. And of course when it is not covered with snow.



RJ

 

[NotAFarm]

That might be much easier than reading the whole thread… I will try to do both, to sort of raise the bar.

Got to keep the riff raft under control you know. It is snowing again this evening, I feel that I have selected the perfect breed for my conditions. The photo is of my winter coop, were I keep my Banty birds, I have a second coop, which we have recently renamed the Longhouse, where my larger birds sleep. Both flocks mix in free ranging during the daytime. And of course when it is not covered with snow.



RJ

What a lovely setting...and beautiful coop! However, you can keep your snow....I'm ready for Spring!

My two broody Icelandics now have chicks; one with 5 chicks and the other with 6. We have rain in the forecast for the next three days but the weekend looks nice. I hope I can get them outside and get some decent pictures. Today I have a third broody hen. A friend wants to put some Buff Orp eggs under her, so she will be bringing them over tomorrow evening.

Well, it is past my bedtime. Sweet dreams everyone!