Icelandic Chickens

[greatergraceoffbg]

Good morning to all on this Good Friday! Happy Easter to you too Jake! Daria, my beard lost and now is gone! I will do my best to get a pic and have it on before the day.... any advice on how to get it on here after I take it? Ryan hows the new chicks, buddy?

Andy in Fredericksburg

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote:
I'm in North Central Illinois. South of I-88, North of I-80, West of I-39, rural Lee County.
I got an incubator this Spring, mostly to participate in Mahonri's Easter Hatch, after watching the New Year's Day Hatch on the sidelines. I will do one more hatch in the incubator starting the third week of May (special eggs coming and can't count on broodies timeliness for them), but then that will be it unless I need it in an emergency for a failed broody. I like for the chicks to be raised by hens......and this is "Not A Farm" (according to my husband) so broodies also help keep the numbers in check.

We had an extra cold winter here and they all did fine with it. I do not heat the coops. I do have heated dog dishes for water. I do not use artificial light in the winter either. I could never raise show stock this way because they wouldn't "be ready for the show season" in time if I waited for the nicer weather and broodies, so a preservation breed was a perfect choice for me. Icelandics have so much to offer: hardiness, broodiness, variety and they are so interesting in the way they go about their lives...the sounds the roosters make to each other and the difference of how they talk to the hens, how much more curious they are......okay....I'm getting that glazed eye look and rambling aren't I? Anyway, you get the idea.........Icelandics are the greatest!!

 

[AK Michelle]

Jake, I thought I read on here somewhere that you hatch in egg cartons.

How? Why?

I'm guessing you take them out of the turner at lock down and stand them in carton bottoms, and I have seem pictures of people doing this, but I don't know what the point is.

Educate me please

 

[Jake Levi]

I have to agree with you, and I have still to see my first one, in the flesh !

I have been reading everything on here, been through the whole thread a couple of times.

They have a very unique genetic history being isolated so long from other chickens. Yet still show so much diversity in appearance, some of that could be from recessive and masking genes, it all remains to be sorted out. But I am very interested in the cold hardiness and their acclimation to a northern harsh clime. Even if they wernt beautiful these other things would be a fascination for me.

I amnot interested at all in breeding show stock, but I am not against showing some of my stock, for educational purposes. I think next year, if not this year some 4H ers will be showing some in the open class.

A week from today the first 16 in the incubator go into lockdown, a week later the next and a week later another, then the real fascination begins ! Its going to be a great spring !!

 

[centrarchid]

Jake,
In respect to climate Icelandics are from, I do not think it is any harsher than I have in mid-Missouri excepting it does not get as hot, certainly not as harsh as what you have. There foraging abilities though are still likely to be important.

 

[Asgard Farms]

don't forget the saying, "Iceland is very Greem & Greenland is very Icy"

 

[Asgard Farms]

Quote:
That whole thing works better if I can spell Green correctly

 

[Jake Levi]

Do a google search on Icelands climate, winter is COLD. With snow although I have read parts are dryer then others. I would say it is comparable to at least much of Ontario or Newfundland.

Iceland was green til the 1600s-1700s when the mini ice age settled in on all the north hemisphere and they cut all of what was left of their hardwood forests for firewood. There have been years when the Arctic Ice Pak extended all the way to Iceland and Polar Bears came across from Greenland.

I have a beautiful book on the Icelandic horse with many excellent winter pics. Frost vapor is much to be seen on peoples breaths.

Michelle I havent heard of hatching in cartons, my eggs right now are in egg turner trays with 3 piggie backed on the rest,

 

[NotAFarm]

Here is my post from the Easter Hatch thread for those of you not over there:

I've been trying not to look because I set my eggs at 10:00 p.m. on the 2nd and knew mine would be later than everyone elses but everyone keeps posting of pips and peeps so I just went out to the garage to check....just in case....I HAVE AN ICELANDIC CHICK IN THE BATOR!!!!! Completely out.....I couldn't see well enough into the cabinet without opening to check for pips so it just showed up without warning!! It's a day and a half early but then that's normal for them!! 23 more to go!! My first time incubating and my first chick is an Icelandic!!

 

[The Sheriff]

Quote:
Of course it is, don't be ridiculous!