Icelandic Chickens

[wyan_zen]

Thank you ladies...getting back to where I left off from catching up with the thread. I'm interested in finding out all about proper care for the Icelandics, hopefully one day I would be ready to help with the preservation effort. At this time, wife and I are 6 month novice into BYC raising. We are planning a family X'mas gift of a Hova-bator. No roos or breeding for us at the moment, until we get our own unrestricted homestead. In the meantime, egg hatching is our next step!

 

[NotAFarm]

Kella pic(s) of the week........hanging with the Big Guy!!!

 

[NotAFarm]

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Welcome wyan_zen!!

Waiting for an unrestricted place is a good idea with Icelandics......they love their freedom and it's really hard to keep the numbers down!!

 

[kathyinmo]

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Hello! Welcome to the Icelandics thread! Hope you enjoy your stay and look forward to seeing you around!

Chicken humor ..... yeah, we have a bunch of wanna-be comedians here.

Yeah, Kathy ESPECIALLY.

 

[wyan_zen]

Quote:
Welcome wyan_zen!!

Waiting for an unrestricted place is a good idea with Icelandics......they love their freedom and it's really hard to keep the numbers down!!

Can't just get a "few" Icelandic, especially the "box of chocolate, never know what you're going to get" trait of this beautiful bird! Folks here are similar to this site (http://animalsinthecity2.webs.com/) created by Tommy. Going against the grain to keep rare birds in the interest of preservation. The main thing that got me interested in Icelandic is the unique color scheme and the 22(?) pair genetic structure. If there is a standard, it should be a blood test instead of the appearance-based standards of perfection. A main question is if there is a diversity of bloodlines State side and if there is any trace record being maintained. In earlier post, there is no immediate concerns of in-breeding , but I still have 800+ pages to catch up so bear with me.

A little about our BY flock...when we started we planned on just having 10-15 chicks but wife came back with 20 from our hatchery friend. We went back for more a few months later when we realize the first 20 we brought home had more roos than pullets. Came back with 2 more groups of older chicks of mostly freebie roos as our friend needed space and had to get rid of his boys. We stopped counting after that of what we had after a combination of accidentally culling a youngling which had a crop twice the size of her head, losing a few to raccoon(s) and possible human theft. We though our privacy fence is sufficient protection. We now have Jersey Giants, Black Copper Marans, Olive Eggers, Ameraucanas/EE, RIR, and Silkie/Cochin bantams to keep us busy. We also got ourselves on Wynette's list for her eggs next spring to diversify the coloring of our flock.

 

[Jake Levi]

Welcome to the thread Wyan_zen, it sounds like you are just who we need.!

I totally agree on the DNA instead of a SOP !! The only other selection pressure is just normal husbandry i.e. for eggs, size, maternal ability, hardiness, temperament and ranging ability, things of that nature. I have a nice diverse flock now, with a couple other traits they have that I want to add, but I am keeping way more roos then I really need just to keep as much diversity as I can. Next year I hope to add several pullets with leg feathering etc. I will increase the hens to about 20, that should give me a very good representative flock. And I will most likely have about 4 roos.

Where are you located?

We are scattered all over the country, I am leaving northern MI friday morn and will be going to NW Wa. State, I am hoping to see many more enthusists with this breed, looking for diversity and preservation. Happy thread searching, lot of good material in there interspersed with the chicken commedians, of which Mary, Kathy and Laree are chief with Kelly agitating them.

I quake to think of them without my adult supervision over the next ten days

Life is good, and better with Icelandic Chickens and Pack Goats !

 

[Happy Chooks]

Me agitating?

Mary and Kathy are the ones that got the I am the expert chicken sexer rumor spread around. I never claimed to be an expert at sexing chicks.

They are the instigators, not me. I'm innocent, see?

 

[LarryPQ]

I think it is easier to sex a chicken that is not yours.

 

[Happy Chooks]

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Very true. Cuz you keep looking at them and obsessing over it.

 

[LarryPQ]

Exactly. Whereas if I just look at your bird and declare it a roo, I am ok with the 50% success rate, since I have no investment either way.