Icelandic Chickens

[RJSorensen]

Good morning fellow Viking Hen keepers. MIKE, lol a freshly cleaned brooder helps a bunch with chick pictures, and the DW's addition of the driftwood is a nice touch. I am learning to like them, I guess. It is fun that she shares in loving of these chicks. I used Icelandic White for the paint… my new favorite color. Been out to check on them and todays 'thing is' the fluttering of little wings and bumping into each other. Very cute, and I am enjoying these birds.

RJ

 

[montims]

Hi! We have 4 Icelandic chicks, hatched 3/30, so they are 4 weeks old now, and very large - they have lovely colours already. But when do they stop peeping (or rather, whistling and chirping) and start to sound like adult birds? And how old do they have to be to be ale to tell the hens from the roosters?

Thanks!

(I have read a lot of posts in this thread, but couldn't get through all of them, so if these questions have already been answered, I apologise for the redundancy...)

 

[NotAFarm]

Hi! We have 4 Icelandic chicks, hatched 3/30, so they are 4 weeks old now, and very large - they have lovely colours already. But when do they stop peeping (or rather, whistling and chirping) and start to sound like adult birds? And how old do they have to be to be ale to tell the hens from the roosters?

Thanks!

(I have read a lot of posts in this thread, but couldn't get through all of them, so if these questions have already been answered, I apologise for the redundancy...)

and to the Icelandic thread, montims!

The peeping will stop when they are no longer babies, perhaps 3 -4 months. At that point, they are juveniles. Your cockerels will be crowing by then.
On the previous page, I posted some pictures of my four week old Icelandic chicks. In my flock, males at 4 - 6 weeks will have larger, more colored wattles and their combs will also be brighter. If you see them "sparring", it does not necessarily mean they are both males. The pullets will spar with the males that are trying to show dominance.

 

[mlm Mike]

Good morning fellow Viking Hen keepers. MIKE, lol a freshly cleaned brooder helps a bunch with chick pictures, and the DW's addition of the driftwood is a nice touch. I am learning to like them, I guess. It is fun that she shares in loving of these chicks. I used Icelandic White for the paint… my new favorite color. Been out to check on them and todays 'thing is' the fluttering of little wings and bumping into each other. Very cute, and I am enjoying these birds.

RJ

Freshly clean doesn't seem to stay that way too long. Yes, the driftwood is a nice touch!

Hi! We have 4 Icelandic chicks, hatched 3/30, so they are 4 weeks old now, and very large - they have lovely colours already. But when do they stop peeping (or rather, whistling and chirping) and start to sound like adult birds? And how old do they have to be to be ale to tell the hens from the roosters?

Thanks!

(I have read a lot of posts in this thread, but couldn't get through all of them, so if these questions have already been answered, I apologise for the redundancy...)

Congratulations and welcome to the thread!

 

[BYchickadoo]

Hi! I have 15 shipped eggs in the incubator that are due next week. ALL 15 took. Incredible. I've read they are a hardy breed haha! Excited to add them. I've read the roosters can be aggressive? That's true of any breed, I understand that. Would love to hear more.

 

[NotAFarm]

Hi! I have 15 shipped eggs in the incubator that are due next week. ALL 15 took. Incredible. I've read they are a hardy breed haha! Excited to add them. I've read the roosters can be aggressive? That's true of any breed, I understand that. Would love to hear more.

and to the Icelandic thread. Congrats...15 shipped eggs all developing...that is amazing!! Will you be raising Icelandics?

Aggressive roosters? I had to separate my two original cockerels because they couldn't seem to settle on who was top. They were raised together and got along until the hormones increased. They were constantly at each other and I was tired of coming home from work to find one or the other bleeding. I moved one in with laying hens and the other with the two Icelandic pullets. It worked out well because I wanted to know which chicks were from which rooster and I would have had to separate them at some point anyway. I haven't had any problems with aggression since then because my main flock rooster is one of those originals, now 6 years old. All others have been raised in the flock under him and accept their lower position. I wouldn't want to try and bring a mature rooster in because I am sure it would be a problem. If you separate roosters and then bring them back together, there will be squabbling to establish order. You may have a couple, like my originals, who won't accept a submissive position within the flock. You then will have to decide which you remove to let the other remain.

What breed is your avatar?

 

[BYchickadoo]

Hi and thanks for the welcome!

Oh yeah, I get roosters fighting for the top position. Are they aggressive with you though? That's what I read, that it can be a problem.

I'm not sure yet what my plans are. I have SO many different breeds here. Initially I started out as just a chicken lover... but have had fun selling a few so I am trying to narrow down a few breeds.

My avatar is a Gold Breakel that I have the pleasure of owning. I bought her and most of my hens from a now friend and fellow Backyarder! I plan to breed them for sure.

Thanks! I can't wait to meet the little icelandics!!

 

[mlm Mike]

Hi! I have 15 shipped eggs in the incubator that are due next week. ALL 15 took. Incredible. I've read they are a hardy breed haha! Excited to add them. I've read the roosters can be aggressive? That's true of any breed, I understand that. Would love to hear more.

Wonderful! I've never had an Icelandic Rooster be aggressive to a human.

 

[NotAFarm]

My only issue ever with an Icelandic rooster was trying to get between my two original cockerels. The one that backed down from me stayed, the other was used for breeding purposes but was then gone.
.....now my broody hens....

....I have bruises from trying to candle eggs or look at their chicks. They are fierce!

Hi, Laurie!!

 

[mlm Mike]

My only issue ever with an Icelandic rooster was trying to get between my two original cockerels. The one that backed down from me stayed, the other was used for breeding purposes but was then gone.
.....now my broody hens....

....I have bruises from trying to candle eggs or look at their chicks. They are fierce!

Hi, Laurie!!

Yes, it's the broody hens that will get you.