Icelandic Chickens

[The Sheriff]

He/she is a cutie Daria. Maybe Kelly can help you out when she gets home.

 

[The Sheriff]

News from the ranch:

1.) We have a pip! I can only see one but the chick is peeping it's little head off. The humidity pump went out last night because the tubing stuck together. I fixed it this morning so hopefully we are ok. I will go down to the barn before bedtime and check again. I am going to move the chicks to Kelly's incubator as they hatch. They are crammed in the Brinsea like sardines in a can!

2.) I have a broody! My Ameraucana, Skye, is sitting today. I took away the three infertile eggs she was sitting on and gave her five Icelandic eggs. She was growling and pecking at me as I took the eggs away, in fact she broke one with her beak trying to get it away from me. This will be her second time and she has been a good sitter and Mom before. Like I needed more Icelandics! Even with stealing 5 eggs from those I was collecting for Bob I should still have plenty to send him on Tuesday.

3.) Kathy, I tracked your eggs and it shows that they left Sacramento two days ago. I usually don't see anything else until they are delivered with Priority Mail. They better be there bright and early Tuesday morning. Hopefully the won't be too old and you'll get a good hatch.

4.) We erected a 10x10 kennel for the goats today to replace the little 4x4 they had been sleeping in. We put it next to the 6x10 emu enclosure with just a chain link panel between them. I think they will enjoy the companionship and the emus can watch over them at night too. Both the emu and goat kennel are butted up to the end of the barn. We will enclose the sides with T1-11 siding to match the barn and put on a tin roof to match too. The fronts will be the chain link panels with the gates. That should allow them plenty of ventilation and keep them cooler during our hot summers. We have always fed them at night so they readily go into their enclosures and we can lock them up for the night. The new enclosures are large enough that we could put in a little extra food and go away for a night and they would have plenty of space. They wouldn't be happy, but they would be safe. I made some elevated sleeping platforms out of cement blocks and plywood for the goats who hate sleeping on the ground.

Hopefully I have some chick pictures tomorrow! Jake, you might want to call dibs on Lukka's baby right now. If my hunch is right, he is going to be the spitting image of his papa Isi! I'll get a picture tomorrow.

 

[kathyinmo]

WOOOHOOO on the pip! I have a few due on Tuesday...... just in time to set your batch, Mary!

Don't worry if you don't hear from me. My internet server is out of line, and the repair man can not get here until next Friday. I get service for a few minutes a couple times a day if I am lucky.

Broodies Mary .............. Honestly I am SICK of these dang broodies. I have run out of room to put any more. Get this........ I have 14 broodies. FOURTEEN ! ! ! This includes 3 Barred Rocks and 2 New Hampshires. Those are the 2 pens I like to get eggs from.

 

[The Sheriff]

To quote my grandson, who said this to me when he was about seven, "Holy crap, all I can say is holy crap." Fourteen?

 

[Mahonri]

GOT MY FIRST ICELANDIC EGG TODAY!!! I believe it was laid by Snjór.

In the morning, I'm looking for a bullseye when I make breakfast... I've got to see if Vindur is doing his job.

I do have one GIANT Icelandic from the Easter Hatch. He is enormous. We named him Goliath. His comb looks pullet like, but his legs give him away as a roo. He will be Vindur's competition with the girls when they grow up.

Pics as soon as I can get enough energy to get up and put the flash drive into the front of the laptop. It's been a long Sunday... so happy tomorrow is a holiday.

I will be rehoming a goodly number of roos tomorrow.... some of them, little Icelandics.

I'm saving my three fav. roos from the Easter Hatch... We'll see if the other two can replace Goliath as I'm only going to keep two Icelandic roos.... One will be Vindur and one will be.....?

Some of the little pullets are so amazing I have blues, blacks, browns, whites, white with buff, white with black.

I'm actually thinking about reducing my Ameraucanas to the point that they'll have to go to the pen and I'll put the Icelandics in the coop.
I would really have to reinforce the run though because those Icelandics are not only smart they're sneaky!

 

[The Sheriff]

Awesome Mahonri!

 

[kathyinmo]

I think I am gonna sell ALL my Silkies. Those silly girls lay like crazy for a few weeks and then they all go broody. FIVE broody Silkies out of seven. Ooopps, I have only 13 setting now.
5 Silkies
3 Barred Rocks
2 New Hampshires
2 BCMarans
1 Orp
I just tossed the Jersey Giant hen back into the pen, as she killed 2 chicks as they hatched. 2 Wyandottes are finished raising their chicks after less than a month. These new mamas just don't know what they want to do.

 

[kathyinmo]

Mahonri, I wanna see pictures of your Icelandics! Congrats on the egg!

 

[hcppam]

How cool are they!

 

[cpartist]

Quote:
I hear ya! I have had 18 so far this year and I only have 35 hens and 16 pullets. I broke the first 7, let the 8th hatch and now she is occupying my broody buster. So now I have 10 sitting and growling
ladies...My Orps and Ameraucanas are the worst and are repeat and multiple offenders.

Now you are telling me my NH's and BR's will be broody inclined as well?