Icelandic Chickens

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Quote:
These are good points and something I am starting to consider heavily as well. I am less in love with the idea of a heavy dual-purpose bird everyday, and more leaning towards a hardy landrace or active layer breed. We grow few grains in Alaska (mostly barley, some oats and a very small amount of wheat,) and it is getting outrageous to have it shipped up. A bird capable of withstanding a harsh climate and making the most of what's available is exactly my cup of tea.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Hi everybody!

Happy Easter!

 

[Jake Levi]

Hi Rachel

I think this kind of bird will appeal to a great many people, to have survived this long in Iceland, a grain scarce country, and where chickens were at the bottom of the totem pole for feed and housing and had to make do there has to be a great amount of hardiness.

The beauty is a big fat strawberry on top of the whole .

I need to go reread the sagas as to what grains they grew in Iceland the past 1,000 years.

To me they are just what is needed here for northern homesteads.

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:
These are good points and something I am starting to consider heavily as well. I am less in love with the idea of a heavy dual-purpose bird everyday, and more leaning towards a hardy landrace or active layer breed. We grow few grains in Alaska (mostly barley, some oats and a very small amount of wheat,) and it is getting outrageous to have it shipped up. A bird capable of withstanding a harsh climate and making the most of what's available is exactly my cup of tea.

The heavy dual perpose breeds do not seem as practical as I once thought, I live in an area where tons of grain is grown and every window I look out of in my house I see crop fields. So currently getting grain is no problem, I have been getting free corn screenings for feed for over a year know. But if our economy crashes lighter breeds will sure be more practical. And I highly prefer chickens who are capable of foraging for most if not all of their feed in the summer.

 

[The Sheriff]

I have had 40+ Icelandics free ranging on about 3 acres since December. I put two 50 lb bags of feed in the feeder when I finished it and I just had to add two more 50 lb bags of feed last week. So, that's 100 pounds in four months. I have noticed it is mostly eaten by the juveniles who stand at the feeder for hours. The adults rush out the door in the morning and find their own food. I do give scratch for treats and very, very rarely, kitchen scraps. For the most part they find their own food. I go through that amount in waste alone in the layer coop! I am happy!

 

[centrarchid]

What I am seeing with my best free rangers (I do not have Icelandics) is that during much of year birds seem only want certain types of food which varies with season. Now through fall sunflower seeds seem to meet their needs. If insects grazed down, they they start wanting a high protein feed set aside for chicks. During fall and winter they consume sound flower seeds and scratch grains until snow gets deep, then they go after the high protein as well.

 

[NotAFarm]

I now have three new Icelandics in the bator!! There are 5 more Icelandic eggs to go.........

On the broody front, Anna remains a loyal fixture on the 10 eggs that she and Asta layed the week she went broody. My year old SLW, Heidi, has been on a nest of test eggs for two days. I will try moving her tomorrow evening if she remains there throughout the day. I will thenl put Asta's eggs under her Sat or Sun night if she sticks after the move. I thought for a bit that Asta might be going broody, but no such luck....guess Heidi will have to do for now....maybe Asta is waiting for some warmer weather!!!

 

[greatergraceoffbg]

 

[greatergraceoffbg]

Me after loosing the Beard Poll, thanks for all the good sportsmanship among those who participated, I said I would do it and I did, no more beard!

Andy in Fredericksburg

 

[NotAFarm]

Andy, Now we can tell what you really look like!! Did you take that pic of yourself? You must have gotten a camera....let's see some pics of the Icelandics!!