Icelandic Chickens

[The Sheriff]

Well when I went out this morning Skye was frantically looking for her babies. They were no where in sight. I found them outside the fence in our yard. They had gotten through holes the big chickens can't fit through.

I reunited them with their mother and she showed them how yummy table scraps can be after a holiday.

Shortly after I snapped this picture, one of the chicks dashed under the fence through a tiny hole directly into the yard of my new neighbors. They moved in a couple of weeks ago with three pit bulls and a Mastiff! Luckily she came right back out the hole and I scooped them up and put all three of them back in the broody pen. They will have to stay there until they are too big to fit through the fencing! It was too scary for me.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
OMG, I can only imagine how that worried you! The small town I came from has a city ordinance making it illegal to own Pit Bulls. They scare me to death, I don't care what anyone says!

I am glad to see the babies and mama reunited!

 

[CoopCrazy]

OMGoodness.. The excitement is about to kill me.. I have their setup all ready to go .. they will be quarutined atleast the first two weeks.. They are gonna be inside my meatie tractor as I currently dont have any meaties in there... I really needed something to boost me up and this is sooo gonna do it.. Thurs. is gonna be a very sad day for me so I am hoping that these new birds will keep my mind off the sadness.. i cant say Thank you enough..

 

[kathyinmo]

Out and about today .....

 

[The Sheriff]

Quote:
Gorgeous!

 

[The Sheriff]

One of Lukka's babies hatched. It is a bright yellow one. The other was pipped too when I put them under her so it should be out soon. I'll post pics when she stops biting me!

 

[Camelot Farms]

I am amazed at how quickly the chicks are growing!
They are in the brooder with 5 Mille Fleur Cochin Bantams and they are towering over them already...lol.

 

[NotAFarm]

Congrats CoopCrazy on your upcoming arrivals. I was very stressed when Mary sent mine and very relieved when they arrived safely.

Beautiful roos Kathy!

Mary, Maybe it's not a good thing that Skye is teaching her babies to be so daring! Perhaps they thought if they could get on the big roost they didn't have anything to fear going through the fence!

Better get them in lock up quick!!

I just want to say how much I'm enjoying my Icelandics! The girls, especially Anna, will come right up and let me pick them up. The roos are very smart and alert. I still have them in separate pens and in the other end of the barn from my other birds. When it's time to free range them, I used to take their crates out to the area of the garden/yard where they would be turned loose. Now I just pick up the two girls and open the boys' crate, they follow me out to "their" garden. I put the girls down and go get their waterer and they stay out around where the hazelnut bushes are. It's their favorite place now that the Japanese beetles are out. I go around and shake the branches that have the beetles and some fall to the ground and they all rush around trying to get as many as they can. Sometimes I'll grab some and smoosh them a little and call them and they will eat them out of my hand (except for Ari, he wants me to drop his on the ground, he's such a shy boy). When they are ready to come in, I'll go get the girls and put them up and the boys will follow and jump up into their crate. They learn very quickly. I have a certain sound I make if they are going somewhere they shouldn't, like too close to the property line or back towards the barn, and they know it already and when they hear it, return to "their" garden. They have learned that if they don't I will "herd" them back and I think it demeans they to be "herded" so they listen. The girls are content to scratch around and dust bathe but the boys want to go exploring, which could mean trouble for them since we have Red Tail Hawks that would love a chicken dinner, not to mention 2 border collie neighbors who like to chase everything.
Just loving my Icelandics!!

Seinna, The Other Mary

 

[The Sheriff]

I am so glad you are enjoying them Mary. They certainly sound better behaved at your place than at mine! We had the funniest little roo fight today. My husband's daughter, her husband and baby were here at the time and it cracked us up. It was the boy going to Josh's tomorrow and the light mottled roo. Their hackles were out and they were up and down in each other's face. It seemed to last forever! Too funny. I have Josh's birds segregated so they will be easier to catch and put in the shipping box in the morning. The PO was closed today so I wasn't able to getting a shipping reservation but I left a message, so hopefully they will accommodate me in the morning. Because they use Fed-Ex planes the PO requires 24 hours notice and a reservation number. I think it will be fine. though. If not, I'll bring them home till the next day. I think all will go well though.

Mary

 

[The Sheriff]

New Babies! Lukka hatched out two Icelandics yesterday. They have been incubating since she was constantly moving from one nest box to another, sitting on wooden eggs. They were put under her yesterday after they pipped and she finished the job. Here is Lukka with her two babies:

Ok, this is probably silly but some of you may remember that the last time Lukka hatched out eggs she had two blondies and a chipmunk pattern. Most of the chicks from Lukka's eggs have been chipmunk pattern or dark, with very few blondies. Sadly, while we were away the two blondies just disappeared. My daughter and granddaughters tried frantically to find them but could not. We never knew what happened. Lukka raised her remaining baby for about three weeks then stopped mothering it. She laid a few eggs then immediately went broody again. After several crazy weeks, she finally hatches two blondies. Coincidence or divine intervention?

Here she is in April with her first chicks, including the blondies we lost. Hmmm?