Icelandic Chickens

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
I thought he was in Idaho?
Maybe get some eggs from him..but are they from Mary's stock all?
Pre-pretty boy?
Dang I love these birds....

He just moved to WA. Mary could confirm, but I think his flock came before Pretty Boy.

 

[Chickielady]

Good Morning all.
I was hoping that I could go open coops and no Icelandics would be wry tailed..it seems like a bad dream.
And I had to do some serious looking at the pullets..so I took the camera.
You recall my favorite boo-fant girl?

OK, so, I have come to assume, all that have wry tail carry 100% of the gene.
The rest must have at least half.
Any pullets with wry tail will be gifted as pets for eggs...to friends.
Any cockerals with or without signs of wry tail should be culled, agree?
(need input here)
I have friends that would love to have a pullet, and would keep them in mixed flock, for pets/eggs and these friends are not breeders.
So at least the pullets (like Boofant shown above) would have a good home.
Then any pullets not showing signs of wry tail can be kept here, and I will add a cockeral from someone else.
And look for more hatching eggs...
Sound like a plan?
So far, 4 of my 8 have wry tail for sure.
I have to go sit out there & watch them more later today after errands.
Thanks everyone.

 

[Chickielady]

P.S. Where is Jake?

 

[Jake Levi]

Good morning all,

I am between Ione and Cusick Wa, mail is Cusick but closer to Ione. About 90 miles north of Spokane on 20, but almost off the grid. Going to Ione this am to get plastic for broken cabin windows, and massive cleaning for the next several days, its primitive for the next couple weeks, 'camping in' as it were.

Ref to breeding strategies, I am with Mary and Kathyinmo. PICK ROOS CAREFULLY !! I have a small flock now, with 3 roos, no genetic defects that I can see and will be watching next years birds very closely. My roos are quite diverse, on purpose. One SC Spash Dominant White, 2 RC Blackbreasted Duckwings, one with black expressed as blue. Pullets range from black with gold threaded cape to wheaten, several with blue and one all blue with the gold threaded cape. I am hoping for some of each next year, I willnot be keeping breeding pairs, I want as much diversity as can be.

So far, I believe the wry feather to be a recessive that takes both genes to be expressed, so I would cull all roos with it and try not to use pullets with it if possible, but knowing they can pass it on and if using a non wry roo just know that all their chicks can carry it, so use only if they are exceptional in other traits.

One trait mine dont have is the feathered legs so will be looking for 2-3 of them next year. And looking for any other 'survival value' traits I dont have. All my hens are RC, which I think has more cold resistance. But Ici's comb is very thick so I will be watching him very closely this winter. I am going to be watching closely to note if the crests appear to give more cold resistance.

Right now we have a genetic treasure house, which we are just starting to learn about, so I am in the camp of shooting all who advocate 'outcrossing'.

Pet mixed flocks will happen, but they arenot flocks that anyone should look to for Icelandics. To me genetic preservation is what its all about as we learn more about this beautiful and fascinating breed. So while there are a couple other breeds I would like to explore, and that merit preserving its not going to happen until I know for sure that each breed is securre from others. To me it would be as much a tragedy to get Icelandic in them as it would be to get them into the Icelandic breeding. The Iowa Blue and the Delaware are two breeds that I think are possibilities. But not for awhile.

Life is good, and better with Icelandic Chickens and Packgoats !

 

[kathyinmo]

I have 5 roosters and just can not part with one of them. 3 from my older group, and 2 from the juvenile group. Guess I will be keeping them all. Each one is unique to me and I love the variety. As long as they are all getting along, I will leave them all together. If a problem arises, I will just deal with it. I have to count my girls again. I am having a senior moment and suddenly forgot. I know I have 4 from the older group, and I believe I have 13 or 14 juvenile pullets. I will likely end up making 2 pens for them, but for now they are doing well together.

Note: I sat out there for over an hour watching them this morning and no one escaped. I am going out again in a few minutes. I expect to see someone outside their pen.

However, Tyler is telling me he thinks they were "let out" (accidentally) yesterday when the folks buying other birds from me were here.

 

[The Sheriff]

Well that's good news then Kathy if they were let out accidentally. Kelly had a thought this morning that maybe I should replace my roos with eggs from your older group. Maybe if you end up making separate pens for them I will get some hatching eggs. Those would have been from my originals, right?

 

[The Sheriff]

I counted heads this morning. I have 15 free ranging Icelandics but Little Man will be leaving tomorrow. Then I have three hens and their babies in the layer yard accounting for 14 more. So I should end up with 28 over the winter. My decision now is do I keep any of the roos that are growing out from this bunch or wait a month until after Pretty Boy and Little Man are gone then hatch some eggs that will be Isi only. I think I like that scenario the best. I just don't think Isi could be the one carrying the wry tail gene. This would certainly be the only way to find out for sure. Thoughts?

 

[Chickielady]

I have contacted my friends that live in city with birds, and offered any wry pullets as pets only, Cockerals will be culled.that leaves me with 1 cockeral, and looking for hatching eggs now..anyone?

Jake: I used to live in Ione, and had 40 acres in Old Town on 41.
I know the area well, and you are in store for a 'fun' snowy winter.
Terrie Lacy lives in Cusick, too, maybe you can stop in & visit her.
So, anyone have any hatching eggs they want to sell...from older stock as said..?

 

[gforce07]

Cool chickens!

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Yes, Mary, those are from your originals. You can certainly get eggs from them anytime. Well, as soon as they start laying again!