Good morning !!
Thanks Mary, I will pass on that little one, my flock needs a good winter coat!
The little bit of the donation for The Contessa, Blau, and Isi Isison is the best money I have spent in a long while !! Two flockmasters, and a beautiful hen with a color I didnt have who is laying almost daily, what a deal !!!!!
For good reasons they are the cornerstones of my little flock! Thank you Mary !!
Now, with the others I have a really beautiful flock, a couple more Icelandic genes I need/want but will grow these on out and enjoy their beauty and behaviors and hope to add the other traits next year, some leg feathering for sure. I am thinking a max flock size of 12 hens, 6 pullets, and probably 4 roos. This should give me good chances of diversity. And be able to get some others started with them.
I hope someone will come up with a working figure for donations for them in starter flocks, I am very serious about wanting to put them into the hands of serious fanciers, and support the fund in Iceland. Also, I think in many cases people will appreciate them a bit more if they pay for them .
They are diverse ! Including in behavior, this becomes more apparent every day, they are far more aware of their surroundings then any other breed of chicken that I have ever been around. There is more of a flock/herd instinct among them , let one voice an alarm and the entire flock will freeze while assessing the situation. The two flockmasters call the others when there is food to be found, whether its with treats or finding a trove of insects or seeds. And they come running. I have seen a bit of this in other breeds but not to this extent or intensity. They have a very strong flock and survival traits I have never seen this strong in others.
I can hardly wait to see the broodies with their chicks !!
Re the ranging and drop in feed intake, I have been keeping track of how much feed goes into the feeders and they have conservatively cut their grain ration by just over half in the five days that they have been free ranging. Some have said that they wouldnt keep them because they 'needed' to range, I cant agree with that, mine did just fine in the house and their run, but, they are noticeably doing better now that they are ranging, and still just as ranging, the 3 Chickateers come right up to me when I go outside and the last hatch comes arunning and soon all 18 are right there, I dont think that there is much danger of them going wild, at least as long as I am around. And, almost best thing, by 8pm each and everyone is roosting in the house !!!
Life is good, and better with Icelandic Chickens and Pack Goats
