Icelandic Chickens

[phasianidae]

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Sorry to be the bearer of bad news...

And, adding insult to injury, they list this thread as a link for information on the breed. It would be nice if ALL the people actually read the entire thread and got the message of the importance of keeping the breed pure, but we all know that's not going to happen.

Time for closed flocks...I wonder where they will get their start from?

 

[newgoosegirl]

Just wondering...isn't it good, in some ways at least, that a hatchery will be selling these chickens? I mean, they'll be bad quality, but more people will know about them and get them, and if they like their hatchery icelandics maybe they'll come for some good quality icelandics. I always see people saying to try so-so chickens in a breed to see if you like them before getting more expensive stock. Is there something I'm missing here from not knowing more about the breed?
FYI, I don't have Icelandic chickens or want them, I just sometimes look here because they're awesome looking chickens.

 

[PepsNick]

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Sorry to be hijacking this thread-

There are no good or bad quality Icelandics- They don't have an SOP and never will since they come in so many patterns and such. The point is that breeders are trying to keep these bred true and not cross with anything for preservation efforts.

Sorry, I'll go now. That's what I think.

Nick

 

[Barrdwing]

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Oh, definitely! The Grand Canyon is amazing!

I've never been down any of the trails, but even the view from the rim is just incredible.

 

[tazcat70]

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Oh, definitely! The Grand Canyon is amazing!

I've never been down any of the trails, but even the view from the rim is just incredible.

As long as I can see it away from the edge and my kids go nowhere near the edge, I would love to see it. I am afraid of heights.

When we went to San Juan, Puerto Rico we went to the old mission that has a moat. It is about 20 foot drop. My kids got within 3 feet of the edge, and I about lost my mind. People were staring.

*imagine a horribly panicked fish wife voice chanting over and over again.

 

[Barrdwing]

I can't find the article from McMurray, but I'm of two minds on the notion of their carrying Icelandics. While it would expose more people to the existence of the breed and potentially do a lot to increase public interest, I cringe at the thought of Icelandics potentially becoming a) hip and fashionable, b) slapped with a breed standard, and c) being produced on a hatchery scale from what would probably be a limited gene pool. While I know that most folks with backyard flocks of Icelandics are also working with a limited gene pool, at least people are really trying to maintain the genetic variety as much as possible, and it's not like any of us could possibly produce the masses of birds that a hatchery will. Having gotten my share of bizarre genetic oopsies in hatchery stock, it's not something I want for the Icelandic.

I think that a breed is much better off being maintained by small-scale fanciers who communicate with each other a lot, work to maintain genetic diversity, and keep these birds because they really like them. That's what the Icelandics have right now. And at least the presence of hatchery Icelandics <shudder> if it ever manifests, won't stop what we have right here.

 

[Barrdwing]

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You would have loved watching me come down from the firewatch tower on top of the mountain near my uncle's place. I went up it when I was in high school; no problem at all, no nervousness. I laughed at my aunt, who had a massive case of the collywobbles when she attempted the ladder. Then I went up it again ten years later. Holy smokes, what a change! Going up was OK, but coming down scared me to death. I went down those stairs backwards--like a ladder. My dad nearly choked laughing.

But oh, gee, the view from up there was amazing . . . .

 

[The Sheriff]

Update on Stella. We went down to the Icelandic coop and retrieved her again tonight. Michael clipped her wings, stating I didn't do a good enough job. We brought her back up to the layer coop with the covered run and put her there. If she gets out tomorrow then I'll have to enclose my deck railing. Yikes, I hate to do that but I want to keep her safe. I love that she's a gypsy and that is how I got her but now that I have her, I want to keep her safe. It's like not locking the pool fence because you know your toddler likes an occasional swim. Kelly told me about a Saint Bernard she saw being walked by my house with just a shock collar. I saw it for myself tonight. My next door neighbors enormous dog is a known poultry and waterfowl killer going back many, many years and he is never leased, always running loose in my yard and in the road. It is not a safe place for dear, sweet Stella. If I expect the neighbors to keep their animals on their own property I must do the same. So for now, Stella is a layer girl again and hopefully her days of cruising Auburn are over.

 

[kathyinmo]

Yes Mary, you must keep Stella the gypsy chicken safe. The silly girl! It would be awful without our mascot here! She is very special to all of us. She is the reason many of us have these lovely birds, after all. I am so glad she found you in the first place!

 

[Mahonri]

Well now I'm really having a hard time trying to decide what Icelandic roo to keep from the Easter Hatch.

I thought Goliath was a for sure, but while I was feeding them some bread treats tonight, I noticed one of the blues that I thought was going to be a pullet, is looking more like a gorgeous roo. I just love blues. SO...I'm going to pick the best looking 'chipmunk' roo, keep Goliath and Mr. Blue and then 6 months from now decide which of those three get to share the pullets with Vindur.

DW says the rest of the roos have got to go... but I do have to save the BR roo from Kathy's eggs... he is just going to be gorgeous, BUT if the other BR isn't a pullet then I'll probably sell them both. The SLW also looks like a roo. Good news is, the NH is a pullet for sure.

Today I sold another two Ameraucana pullets... so I've gone from about 50 from the Easter Hatch down to about 38 with at least 10 to 15 or more roos that will soon be gone.

I'm hoping I can start putting some of the Icelandic pullets in the pen as they are just ALL OVER THE BACK YARD and wow! can they fly!