Icelandic Chickens

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YAY!!! That's what we like to hear! The more the merrier, I would say. Mine are not yet laying. As soon as they do, I will be sending out eggs, too.

p.s. Your girls are beautiful little scoflaws! Don't plan on sending them back. We don't tolerste excapes and evading officers here at the prison!

Oh, they don't escape. They just like coming and going as they please!
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Yesterday it was hilarious when DH threw out some scratch in the Layers Coop (next to these). Kola immediately flew over the 6 ft fence (arriving before the scratch all hit the ground) and got her fill. Then she went back! These birds are so smart, and such a joy to have!​
 
I am looking over my stock, deciding who to let go, so I can downsize for winter. Funny thing, as I was looking around and DH was walking and talking with me..... he said, "Do not even consider cutting out the Icelandics!" Well, no, I had no intention of it, but I thought it was funny.

We are really enjoying the Icelandics. They are personable and smart. I mean really, they are smart. I can not corner any of them. They will not back into a corner if they can help it. AND, if they know an area they can be caught in (the hallway of the breeder barn, for example), they will not return again. Caught there once, but not again. These birds are made for free ranging, really. They love it, and they really need it. They need to be able to run around if at all possible. You can just tell it is in their nature to be free. I hate to confine them as much as they hate it. A couple of our pens have covered tops, and if I really want them confined I have to use one of those (or cut wings, which I do not want to do). Some chickens really don't care one way or another, but these birds do. Oh, they tolerate confinement ok, but you can just tell .... ya know what I mean? (ie they will pace and pace and pace the fence lines, looking up and around for any escape route!)

We have 3 boys and 3 girls. I told DH we don't really need 3 roosters, and he immediately pointed out that we do need them, as each one is unique (such as 3 different combs). I was wondering about how to best handle this for breeding. Maybe have 3 pens, each with a pair in it, and then switch them around occassionally?
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I am so looking forward to the girls laying, so we can proceed with our venture! When can I expect these girls to begin, Mary? Can you believe it, my hatch (and start in this venture) was 4 1/2 months ago. I can't imagine not having them.
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Ok, I have read, and read this thread many times over. lol There is so much to learn. But, I can't for the life of me find a size comparison picture of a roo. Just how big do they get? My husband informed me last night that he wants a "real" rooster!
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He says my Bantam Polish Roo isn't real because he's so little, and has the funky top hat, and has more of a sqwuak than a crow. lol

Also, when the time comes that I am able to bring some of these birds home, how big of a coop / run would work for night time penning? I love to free range, but we have SO many coyottes here, that I will only range them during the day. My plan for the Icelandics is to build them at least an 8x12 fully enclosed run, with a coop large enough to house 6 chickens. The coop and run would be out in my horse pasture. I plan to wrap the bottom 3 feet of pasture fence in 2x4" field fencing, that way I can let the icelandics out to roam in the 2 acres of pasture, and still keep them seperated from my existing mixed flock of 5.

I know and understand that this breed does not prefer to be locked up. But how much trouble will they give me when it comes time for lock up? And "if" they refuse to go into the pen, how are they at finding safe places to roost at night? I have a sneaking suspission that I will have stuborn chickens roosting on my porch again.

So can anyone sugest any changes to my above plans that would fit these birds better? Do you all think a 2 acre field for them to range in will keep them content, or will they be flying over the fence and mixing with my other flock?

Thanks everyone! I can't wait to bring some home!
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All the new babies are ok for now. I am so worried about them in this heat. We are working feverishly on the new coop so that we can get them out of the tiny mess they are crammed into right now. Our excavator has huge trenches running through the new chicken yard. They will be covered Monday and then the fence crew can start putting up a good fence for me. I am using lodge poles in cement with 3 feet of hardware cloth at the bottom with one foot folded out as an apron. On top of that I will have four feet of non-climb wire fencing. Eventually we will hot wire the bottom and top of the fence. I am having the lodge poles left 6 and a half feet tall so that I can run wire from one to the other and diagonally to discourage hawks. I also nixed the idea of using the barn for a coop and bought a display shed at Lowes. I am busy turning it into a proper coop. DH is wiring the pop door and indoor lights for me tonight. I insulated the walls with fiberglass insulation and covered it with OSB which I am also painting. The coop is right up close to the house where I can keep and eye on my flock. My next door neighbor has lost 3 full sized sheep to coyotes this week! This city girl is a bit worried about all the predators around here. My geese have finally started alerting to the hawks overhead but I still worry constantly. The heat is my biggest enemy right now and it will probably be mid week before we get them moved into the new digs.

I had to settle for HughesNet so my internet is slow. I'll try to upload some pictures at night when it is faster.

Love to all. I am still reading and enjoying the pictures everyday.

Mary

p.s. Kathy, get them girls off the roof! Sheesh.
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OMG, the latest on these girls ..... they are hilllllllllarious! We moved them into a pen with a covered run, just the 3 girls. In the pen beside them are the 3 boys. We went inside last night, and I panicked .... where are they? Yelled for DH, "Well, were could they have gone?"

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They were nearly 8 feet up, roosting on the side of their pen, as high as they could possibly get!
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