Icelandic Chickens

[Happy Chooks]

I usually see the Barnevelder nickname as Barnie, so I figured yours were Barny(ard) but thought I'd ask in case Kelly sent you eggs.

I will be one of "those Barnevelder folks" when I receive the eggs I won in the Easter Hatchalong Friday Fun Night! They will be shipped April 28.....just in time for Elska to be broody....I hope!

Kelly has offered to send him "Barnies" anytime he wants.

My Easter hatch, I hatched 4. One has wry neck and is being treated, doesn't look good. Then I'm an idiot, didn't have any stones or marbles in the water, suffered a drowning victim last night. The worst part was I could hear the chicks making all kinds of noises and if I would have went downstairs right away I might have been able to save it, but I had to wait for a commercial.

The new eggs have not been candled, they seemed to have a rather rough trip, or at least the end of it. Hopefully I'll get a few to hatch.

I lost a hobbled chick to drowning last year. The waterer was so shallow too, it was strange.

Thanks Mike and Red........love my broodies and chicks!

Looks like Glima is following in her three sisters footsteps......stayed on the nest today and roared at me then bit my hand when I checked to see if she had any eggs under her. I left her with three golf balls and will try moving her to a broody coop tomorrow night if she stays.

My two original hens were both broody twice the year they turned one and their second year as well. Anna raised more than one clutch until last year when she raised one. Asta was not broody last year as a three year old and a daughter of hers, Fina, tried to be broody last year and I didn't have anything to put under her so I put her in a crate to stop her from sitting. She hasn't gone broody this year. Forsaela came to me from Kathy. She was broody and raised two clutches of chicks as a one year old before a hawk killed her. I think hens raised by a momma are more likely to go broody, especially if their biological momma showed the trait.

A pic I took of Eldur yesterday......kind of windy out....note his newly shaped comb.....all his fine points are gone......

.....but he is still a handsome guy!

Gosh he's pretty! Love your new girls too!

Hi Laurie!

Sad news tonight. I had to put down one of my chicks. He started hopping several days ago, then stopped walking today and was lethargic and choking. So DH helped me take care of him. I hate losing one of my babies

I'm sorry. It's never easy to put a chick down.

Here are the survivors of my Easter hatch:

They are a bit shy


Now some faces, it appears they both will have a little crest.


They are well watched after by Moose.

Beautiful chicks. And I love Moose!

 

[NotAFarm]

Hi Kelly!

I hope everyone had a nice Mother's Day. Here is a different momma and baby pic I took on Saturday....

Momma squirrel and baby out for a "branch running lesson"..






....and a kiss for Mom...




......and back to Icelandics..........

Audun:



Anna and Gaela with their chicks.....



Have a great Monday everyone!

 

[mlm Mike]

I don't think I've ever seen a baby squirrel before. Audun, Anna, and Gaela look great!

 

[Happy Chooks]

I don't think I've ever seen a baby squirrel before. Audun, Anna, and Gaela look great!

Ditto! But my dog is too busy chasing them.

Hiya Mary!

 

[NotAFarm]

I'm thinking that the baby squirrel is a singleton. This was the first time I've seen a momma and baby together and was glad to have the camera out taking chicken pictures when it happened. Usually the youngsters are playing together and the momma is nowhere to be seen. We have many shagbark hickories and oaks so this is the perfect place for squirrels. There were gray and fox squirrels when we first moved here in 2001, now some black ones have shown up. They have never been a problem with the chickens or anything else so we coexist peaceable......well, the cats seem to think the squirrels are there for their chasing entertainment and would make a meal of one if they caught one......survival of the fastest.....

 

[RedIII]

I love Moose's face. I would so get one of his pups if I were able right now. DH is set on a blue heeler, though.

On the broody thing - I know I sound like a broken record, but I have yet to have an Icelandic broody. I have three hens and two pullets that just started to lay. None of them seem interested in setting.

I finally got my last roo moved out last night. He's in confinement until I know he's okay. I need to set up a third pen for him, because I know he'll fight with my other two boys. Sigh.

 

[drumstick diva]

RE: squirrels. I had never seen a baby squirrel before - I assumed they just were kept hidden until they were full grown. Okay, so I'm not a deep thinker.

BUT....last year I was photographing a squirrel in a tree across the street. When I reviewed the photos on the Picassa, I noticed a baby squirrel with the mama, in several pics. Those telephoto lenses don't miss a thing.

I have still never seen a baby chipmunk - even tho we had endless generations of chipmunks under our front step for over 44 years.

 

[mlm Mike]

Here are a couple of pics of my two Icelandic broodies.

Broody number one, with a very reasonable 8 eggs.



And Broody number 2 with a ridiculous number of eggs. The photo also isn't very good, she is in a very dark area, and the shutter has to stay open long and I shake too much. But you can see that she can't cover all the eggs she has.

 

[drumstick diva]

Mike maybe somebody can send in a broody to help you out.

 

[NotAFarm]

Hello Icelandic lovers!

I have four hens raising chicks and four more sitting.......that means more sitting/raising (8) than not (7)......

and who knew lilacs blooming would trigger a snow shower.....