Icelandic Chickens

[Jake Levi]

Hi Kim

I guess my several year old foam box should do it, I saw a really small 'Brower' in our feed store that looks like it would be full with just a dozen eggs, has a plastic body, and sells for $149.99 ,

I can hatch 40 some chicks in this one, have put as few as 8 eggs in but the fan helps a lot on these small broods. I think that the turner is a real plus.

I am just curious what other folks here are using, as small hatches seem to be the rule.

 

[AK Michelle]

Hi Jake,

I use a Hova-bator with an automatic turner as well, I have had great success with it. I have also used it without the turner and that worked out well too.

I just set 2 dozen icelandic eggs yesterday morning, now to hurry up and wait

 

[Jake Levi]

Hi Michelle

Thats hard when setting new eggs and waiting, counting off the days then the hours.

Are these from your hens?

I have now read through the thread the third time and pick up on more each time, the articles here are excellent as well as the input from those getting started with Icelandics which is about everyone.

They are an incredibly unique breed.

 

[The Sheriff]

We are preparing for a supposedly huge storm to hit today through Sunday. I am not sure if it will actually happen. Our local stations are nutty about weather with constant warnings, alerts, and freak outs that never materialize. They post reporters in the silliest of places to report the silliest of things. Last week they had a guy reporting from a parking lot where the wind had torn one of the grommets loose from a vinyl sign. The bottom left corner of the sign was flapping in the wind. This was not a huge sign over a freeway or anything, just a small sign announcing the grand opening of a car dealership. It was ridiculous and they kept cutting back to the guy for updates. So I am less than certain they have it right this time. It did give me good fodder for my blog though!

Chicken update:

I found a deceased baby in the big brooder this morning. It was one of the pasty butts that I moved back down last week. I suspect the two little ones I had been keeping in my office will suffer the same fate. I think they just got too chilled when the power went out and the strong will survive and the weak will fail to thrive. I have stopped at nothing to save them but I am out of options. I'll just have to wait and see.

The seven hatchlings from the power outage eggs are a bit perkier this morning but nothing like my normal day olds and 2 day olds. They cheep a little, eat and drink a little and sleep a lot. I pulled them out of the brooder to check for pasty butt or leg issues and took a couple of pictures. They couldn't stay awake very long as you can see.

They seem to like the taste of the water with the chick saver in it. They are pecking a bit at the crumbles too. They seem comfortable temperature wise so that is about all I can do. I brought the incubators up to the house to clean and calibrate them for Kelly. I am so glad I do not have eggs incubating except under sweet Lukka! All I have to do if the power goes off is keep the brooder babies warm.

I talked to Kelly this morning and the earliest she can expect internet is Sunday! The climbers only work the weekends and they have to replace the receiver in the tree and the lines to the house. The good news is three of the four blue eggs I gave her to hatch for me are developing. Two blue ones from the refrigerator were duds and the two from my Wellsumer are not developing. I hope the ones I auctioned are fertile. I have certainly seen Thurston giving it his best shot.

Gotta go pick up some things from the store I forgot yesterday and batten down the hatches. We might be getting some "real" weather here in sunny CA!

 

[AK Michelle]

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I was lucky enough to receive some eggs from Mary and these will be my first Icelandics. I hope

to get some more eggs from Kathy for the Easter hatch-a-long, and that will give me a nice base for my flock.


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Oh good, something to read later...

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I'm sorry to hear that. It's sad when they fail to thrive but it soulnds like you did all you could.
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Good luck with the storm, here's hoping the power stays on.

 

[Greybear23]

I got eggs today from KathinMo!!!!

All safe and sound, there was one(a long skinny one) that was hair line cracked, I taped it and will set them this weekend, have some Barnvelder eggs coming from a friend I want to set them with and some coming from Mary(Notafarm) !!!

Lynn

Sorry !!! I got Kathy and Mary mixed up!!!! I just edited it and fixed it!!!

 

[kathyinmo]

The mamas of my all my chicks ...... and I have alot of them!

One of the inside brooders......

Now, tell me, why won't they pose for pictures like guys these do? (These are my very friendly project birds)

More pictures to come ......

 

[kathyinmo]

This group was moved to the (used to be) Layers Coop, the big coop....

Arguing with the neighbors .....

These are the neighbors.....

 

[cherylcohen]

will mine look like your mamas??? they are GORGEOUS!!!!

 

[kathyinmo]

A few more random pictures of the larger group .....