Icelandic Chickens

[kathleens1979]

Thanks, Turkeyrangler! Love your babies!!! Fingers crossed I get some blondes that stay blonde this time. My first hatch a week before easter I had basically half that hatched dark and half blonde. I had the same experience as you, though, because they all turned different dark shades. My only one that is still kind of light looks a lot like Mary's Cupcake, I think. Not that I don't think they are beautiful, but I'm hoping for a little more diversity this hatch! Interesting fact: Lyle Behl (name dropping again, lol) told me that his line does not have blue in it, but he wishes it did. He keeps thinking about breeding in some Sigrid roosters that are really pretty shades of blue into his line. This is what I'm hoping I get:

 

[drumstick diva]

I find I really admire the different breeds that also come in blue

 

[KaldakurFarm]

One of mine from a hatch three weeks ago that started out completely yellow is now basically black with bronze highlights. Never had any chickens like this before. Lots of fun.

They are crazy colors. One in my last hatch that I thought was blue started to feather what I thought was black, but after three weeks I realized it was blue mottled. Then a white one I had got spots like a few spot dalmatian. I am also having fun with the surprises. I have another one colored like a penguin, and those chipmunks, I'm really curious to see how they turn out. I only kept one yellow chipmunk from my first hatch and it looks partridge at this point, but I have 6 various colored brownish chipmunks from the hatch I had this weekend to keep. One even has what I think might be a blue stripe in the brown, very interesting. I also see that my white hen is very fertile, and loves to throw her white. I got 5 white/yellow chicks out of this hatch too. Not a big fan of white :\. Maybe mine will turn like yours Turkeywrangler!!!

I saw some laced colors on the Icelandic Chicken Facebook page the other day, I had never seen those before. I REALLY wouldn't mind if one of those cropped up in my group!

 

[ConPollos]

O  goodness me ,i am sooo very interested in keeping  & protecting  the Icelandic chicken breed , and   I  to  would like to  be part of the very  important effort to save the Icelandic chickens.  i  would like to find some  for sale and  give them  a  good home  were they can  live  to old age  in  peace good health & happiness ,  if you can tell me were i might fine  a  few  from   good   protected  blood lines , and if you might have any  you might part with to a good home  , thats me,     i can assure you, they will have  the best of care &a great  home here  with me ,   thank you   for  any  help you can give me  in advance , and i hope  to hear   good news soon , thanks again  take  care  have a great week  kindest  regards, Dianna 

You might be able to find an Icelandic breeder near you on the Icelandic Chicken Facebook page.

 

[Turkeyrangler]

They are crazy colors. One in my last hatch that I thought was blue started to feather what I thought was black, but after three weeks I realized it was blue mottled. Then a white one I had got spots like a few spot dalmatian. I am also having fun with the surprises. I have another one colored like a penguin, and those chipmunks, I'm really curious to see how they turn out. I only kept one yellow chipmunk from my first hatch and it looks partridge at this point, but I have 6 various colored brownish chipmunks from the hatch I had this weekend to keep. One even has what I think might be a blue stripe in the brown, very interesting. I also see that my white hen is very fertile, and loves to throw her white. I got 5 white/yellow chicks out of this hatch too. Not a big fan of white :\. Maybe mine will turn like yours Turkeywrangler!!!

I saw some laced colors on the Icelandic Chicken Facebook page the other day, I had never seen those before. I REALLY wouldn't mind if one of those cropped up in my group!

Of all my yellow chicks not a one is white. One does appear to a grey lavender color. Can anyone tell me when you can begin to sex them. I have one with a red comb already at 3 weeks old. The rest are still light pink. These guys feather out fast as well I noticed.

 

[Turkeyrangler]

Thanks, Turkeyrangler! Love your babies!!! Fingers crossed I get some blondes that stay blonde this time. My first hatch a week before easter I had basically half that hatched dark and half blonde. I had the same experience as you, though, because they all turned different dark shades. My only one that is still kind of light looks a lot like Mary's Cupcake, I think. Not that I don't think they are beautiful, but I'm hoping for a little more diversity this hatch! Interesting fact: Lyle Behl (name dropping again, lol) told me that his line does not have blue in it, but he wishes it did. He keeps thinking about breeding in some Sigrid roosters that are really pretty shades of blue into his line. This is what I'm hoping I get:

I have at least one blue I guess you would call it. I'm not sure which line I have or if it was a mix of all lines from David Grotes flock. I'm seeing quite a few crests starting though. This is becoming very fun.

 

[KaldakurFarm]

Having a really frustrating day, I just picked up a box of dead chicks at the post office. They were cold (and half of them stiff - so I believe they had expired awhile ago) and I thought they were all dead in a heap until I noticed three were still barely breathing, but I ended up losing them all. I did try resuscitating them using methods from the video with the hairdryer (thanks for posting that - I had no idea what to do until I saw that). They were in shipped expedited Monday afternoon and I picked them up at the PO Wednesday morning at 11AM when they arrived. Grogel and a hand warmer type heat pack were in the box. The chicks were a week old. Let me mention they are not Icelandics, so I'm not talking about anyone here.

Anyway, my question is, when you buy from a seller (not a big hatchery) and all the birds are DOA... what is customary for a refund/replacement? The price of the birds? The price of shipping? Both? I see many hatcheries offer another shipment, or refund, especially when everything is DOA, but curious as to what is customary for the smaller guys.

Yesterday I had to cull a suffering meat bird from my last hatch that just wasn't going to make it. It hasn't been a good week at all chicken-wise. Today just really iced my cake. I thought I'd have better luck buying chicks than hatching shipped eggs. Now I don't know what's worse. Thanks for listening, and any information you might have on what is typical when something like this happens.

 

[mlm Mike]

I'm so sorry to hear about the DOA chicks and the cull. I have no idea what is customary, I would hope for at least a refund.

 

[KaldakurFarm]

Quote:
Originally Posted by mlmddh

I'm so sorry to hear about the DOA chicks and the cull. I have no idea what is customary, I would hope for at least a refund.

Thanks. I am pretty bummed out. Ordering a batch of Bielefelders today from Greenfire Farms did make me feel a little better

. I guess that's the upside I'm going to look at. I was getting second gen Bielefelders from the person that shipped the DOA chicks, now I'm getting them from the source.

I had to argue with her but she did give me back the price of the chicks minus the shipping cost. She mentioned another batch in the incubator but never offered to replace mine. I can't believe I had to argue for the refund of the cost of the chicks. I have my own business and I know I would have given a full refund (including shipping) right off the bat - I'm taking the product risk being the seller in my eyes. Most days you come out ahead as the business owner, but some days you lose money by doing the right thing... BUT it gets you further ahead in the long run. That's how I see it at least.

At least I know I'm safe ordering from Greenfire if things go awry. Lesson learned.

PS. Your avatar picture of the dog staring so intently at the camera always makes me giggle! My dog does the same thing

 

[KaldakurFarm]

Some pictures from this weekend's hatch. Lots of blondies and chipmunks this time.

It's tough being a chick.

It's so tiring.

This one is smiling I think!!