Icelandic Chickens

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
About 8 weeks or so

Roo... no doubt about it.

Yup.

 

[The Sheriff]

Roo, sorry!

 

[Jake Levi]

I thought that I was pretty good at picking roos when young, but........

always a but !!!

2 that I picked early as roos, and even began to crow with the others in the brooder now act very UNroo, carry their tails different, hang out with the pullets, very undominate, no "roo stance", combs havent grown as much as the dominant roos, the whole stance is different.

Are they just being submissive or are they changing to pullets??? I have heard of sex changes before, so I am wondering. Time will tell for sure.

Right now I am just watching them daily and wondering.

The others are coming along great. One of the tamest will fly up to my lap if I am sitting on my bucket with them, several times when I was filling their outdoor water pans she flew up onto my back, and then slowly came up to my shoulder as I straightened. She really is a tame pet. Beautiful too, she was a gold chick, then a white one, then a cream started coming over her head and cape and now it is over two thirds of her body with a soft beige outlining of the feathers.

Two others are almost as tame , the 'silver' , who now has a beautiful crest with soft gold featherlining on her cape on the silver/blue body, and the blue wheaten or wheaten blue, whichever, both will sit between my feet when I am sitting with them, and Phylis Diller is starting to tame down too, so far only one roo seems to enjoy a pet, the other two, Blau and Isison are more standoffish, will get close but 'no touching thank you'.

Every gold, then white chick has either gained a few colored feathers spotted around, or splashed, or developed a cream to wheaten blush over them, beautiful both ways but I sure do like the blush ones.

The 3 definite keeper roos are each different; one SC, splash, Isison, one painted one ,Blau, and one chipmunk with beautiful dark shadings , he is also from the shipment and the youngest, 2 of the 3 are crested, and close to half the pullets are crested.

Best show in town !!! Watching them grow and develop

Life is good and better with Icelandics !

 

[Asgard Farms]

So how do I integrate him with my adult roo?
I have a separate coop & run inside his run. I use it for broody hens.
Should I put him in there to finish growing?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Are there hens in that coop? I would put him in that broody area - so they can get used to each other.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Jake, I assure you they didn't change sex.

Their color patterns make it tricky to sex them - harder to spot rooster markings.

 

[Asgard Farms]

Quote:
he has 2 hens in with him right now - I think 4 more going in there soon.
I can't free range - the eagles will get them. but it has a 10x20 run and I am adding another 10x10 run on the other side of the coop

thanks for the help.
Will he be ok in there alone? (the little guy) or should i give him some company?

 

[AK Michelle]

Jake, I think we need pictures.

I need to get new pics of the one that Kelly wasn't sure of, I know think she's a hen as she has not started crowing like the others and some of the boys chase her just a bit.

I have two from the 2nd batch that are hard to sex as well. With some of the girls having bigger combs than some of the boys, it's so hard to tell till they crow or lay an egg.

We have a few that are friendly like Jake described. I was telling Tom last night, He's just too popular with the ladies

Our cats and dogs are all females and they not only follow him through the house but if he sits, they are on him like white on rice. And if he goes out in the coop we have a couple Icelandics and a couple in the layer flock that will jump on his back or into his arms and he has to actually take them off, they won't just shake off, it's pretty funny to see. I think I need to start taking my video camera when he's doing chicken chores

 

[Happy Chooks]

He'll be fine as long as he can see/interact with the others. Good luck.

 

[Jake Levi]

I gotta get some pics

I hope I dont have a couple of girly boys

They give way to all, only the combs let me think they could be roos, although one comb is about half the size of the others.
But both were crowing with the real roo in the brooder, the biggest one of the brood, he is the one I am keeping. The other one that is a roo for sure is a white with black splashes here and there, very sharp looking, he is going to Boise in Sept.



Good news is: Tadah !!!!!

We have eggs !!!!

I didnt see any in the coop when I took the water in yesterday , but this morning there are 2 beautiful perfect pullet eggs !

Gotta be the Contessa, she is at least 2-3 mos older then all others.

Mary do you recall when she was hatched??

I will be putting some grit/oyster shell out, I wasnt expecting any eggs before next month anyhow. The color is a perfect almost off white is best I can call it, definitely white though. Shape perfect.

They are still getting the higher protein Turkey Starter, next bag, or before will be layer developer.

Life is good, better with Icelandics that are laying !