Icelandic Chickens

[NotAFarm]

What a nice group! Why do only get 4? Are the rest promised to someone else?

If you don't keep, I'd like to know how the one in the upper right corner ends up.

 

[KaldakurFarm]

I sold a dozen before they hatched, and I have another 4 promised but they said they could wait, so I'm running the bator again this weekend. So, that left me with 4. I think the hatch is done, nothing is pipping or chirping anymore. Candling tonight to see what's left.

One dark cornish hatched well (hope I can find him in all those chipmunks) and there is one in the bator that I'm not sure is going to make it. After it pipped, it didn't zip for 24hrs. Then another 24hrs went by and it wasn't getting out, but it was trying. It was starting to get glued to the shell, and it only had about a quarter of the way around to go so I dampened it down to get the glued membrane loose and cracked it so that half fell off. Then I let it get out the rest of the way itself. I think it was malpositioned, it didn't looks like it was sitting the same in there as the others were. It's just not lively, and it looks like one foot isn't working right. Or maybe it's completely wore out. I'm leaving it in the bator to see what happens when it dries up. I'm afraid to put it in with the other rambunctious ones, but I want to clean that stinky bator out too! Maybe another brooder tub is in order. Terrible results. 2 dark cornish hatched out of 12 (shipped) eggs. The chicks just are not as vigorous as the Icelandics are. I thought they would be huge and strong, but I was very wrong. The Icelandics are bowling that one cornish chick around in there.

The colors in that photo don't do those red chicks justice. There is one that is almost chocolate colored brown, and a couple really red ones. I'll have to try with my good camera and see if I can get some pics.

There is one yellow with a black stripe on his back and eye liner - any guesses on what that color will turn out to be?

The folks that bought the chicks are coming tomorrow to pick them up. They are driving over 3hrs, and bringing the whole family because they are so excited to be getting Icelandics. It made me very happy to see someone else get as excited as I do about them. I think I may have found a fellow addict...

 

[drumstick diva]

The chocolate brown sounds good enough to eat- oops didn't mean it that way.

 

[orrandmorefarms]

i am a breeder of icelanidcs. I am the new owner of dark horse farms icelanics hens. They are mary o brien line from jake levi. I love them even thou they got my lots of angry emails and calls from d. Grote. But oh well. I have grote, behl and 3 other lines that are to complicated to say with out copy amd pasting lol. Love the breed. I have lots of questions for you mary and jake. Im a proud owner but frustrated with people

 

[kathleens1979]

Iceland Air has direct flights out of Chicago now. Anyone want to go with me??? I'm going to smuggle in eggs. Ssshhhh!!! Lol! I wish!!!

 

[KaldakurFarm]

So, what's the longest you've waited for a chick to hatch? I went to clean out the bator last night because I couldn't stand the smell anymore and everything looked done. I candled each egg as I removed it and they were all DOA - except one. There was one that was moving still. No pip, no chirping, but moving, so I quickly finished changing out the paper towels and put the sponges back in to bring the humidity back up. Still no pip today... how many days was your longest egg?

 

[NotAFarm]

I rarely hatch in an incubator so am not the best to answer this but 22 days is longest I've had one successfully hatch. I have a still air and the temps can vary depending on where the eggs are. I try to move them around when I turn them so none are in "cooler" spots too long.

 

[kathleens1979]

I'm going to agree with Mary- 22 days. I hatch a lot in an incubator (I've got my first broody and am EXCITED). I would make an exploratory pip in the air cell and see what's up. Check out the article on Assisted Hatching by Sally Sunshine before you do it, though. Do you have the stomach to do Egg-topsies? I do for all mine that don't hatch and try to check them out to see if I can make the next hatch better. There are some good articles out there on what different positions mean within the shell if chicks don't hatch. Hope that helps!

 

[KaldakurFarm]

I'm going to agree with Mary- 22 days. I hatch a lot in an incubator (I've got my first broody and am EXCITED). I would make an exploratory pip in the air cell and see what's up. Check out the article on Assisted Hatching by Sally Sunshine before you do it, though. Do you have the stomach to do Egg-topsies? I do for all mine that don't hatch and try to check them out to see if I can make the next hatch better. There are some good articles out there on what different positions mean within the shell if chicks don't hatch. Hope that helps!

I have read the article, I had to assist one the other day and it was a deformed chick - a bad deal just like the articles all say will happen. I was in tears by the end of that one. I do not have the stomach for eggtopsies, but my husband checked out the other death we had. I'm sure if this one goes he would be more than happy to check it out for me. I'll look into the exploratory pip idea. I can do that

It isn't moving per say, but it I see a flutter on one side of the air cell, like at a heartbeat rate... but I'm not sure what it is. I just figured it was alive as something was moving in there. I'll have to do some reading I think!

Thanks for the ideas Kathleen!

 

[kathleens1979]

No problem! Tell us how your last hatcher turns out. Question for the group- how do Icelandics do in the snow? Do they actually forage (or even go outside) when there is snow on the ground? My other girls won't touch the ground if there is any white stuff. Just wondering... NOT wishing for snow, though!!! Lol