Icelandic Chickens

[Turkeyrangler]

This is exactly what we plan to do! We have 11 Icelandic chicks right now. We will be processing all of our cockerels in the Fall (which makes me a bit sad because I've grown attached to a few!) and will only keep Icelandic roosters. We will keep hens of other breeds, but they should all lay brown or blue/green eggs so not much chance for confusion. We don't breed or show. We just wanted free ranging, good foraging birds with nice color variation. Now we just need to find some more of them! Out of eleven chicks I expect maybe five to be pullets? Not much luck in the pullet department. We are very rooster heavy right now!

Have the exact same problem. I'm usually pretty lucky with the cockerel to pullet ratio. Not this time. Spoke way too soon last week when I thought I only had one cockerel. Have no idea with my 7 younger birds, but my older ones are looking like 6 cockerels and 3 pullets. Hoping I'm wrong, but I've pretty sure on 5 of them. Was wondering why I had so much fighting after I moved them to the coop on Friday night.

 

[kathleens1979]

Have the exact same problem.  I'm usually pretty lucky with the cockerel to pullet ratio.  Not this time.  Spoke way too soon last week when I thought I only had one cockerel.  Have no idea with my 7 younger birds, but my older ones are looking like 6 cockerels and 3 pullets.  Hoping I'm wrong, but I've pretty sure on 5 of them.  Was wondering why I had so much fighting after I moved them to the coop on Friday night. 

Yeah, I agree- I never have more pullets than cockerels. That's why I asked what everyone does with all the extra boys. I hatched 7 Basque eggs this spring, and 6 were cockerels. They grew out pretty meaty, though. We processed them last Saturday. My first time. It was pretty gross, I have to say, but not as bad as I thought it might be. We have 21 Cornish X that are atill growing out and I am looking for a meat locker or some Amish who will process them for us. Our Icelandic cockerels are about half the size of the Basques, so even though we have extra cockerels, they are all still alive and kicking, at least until they get a bit of meat on them or until we can find some place to sell them. Our closest livestock auction (that I know of) requires an NPIP number to sell, and I don't have one. Got to figure something out. I started to go through the NPIP process, but the "free" program isn't so free here in Illinois- you have to pay the tester to test each bird, and the tester is a private citizen. I am just mad about it, so I haven't gone any further after I found out that free isn't actually free.

Here we are with our first birds. See my smile? That's my freaked out smile. Lol!

 

[drumstick diva]

Kathleens, your "first" birds have the cutest legs, they would make great puppets for ventriloquists

 

[coldupnorth]

My chicks (about one week old) had their first field trip outside today. They were frenzied little foragers and seemed to enjoy it. This pic cracks me up because it spotted a gnat

They are growing up already and look at the fun they are having! Well I hope that your bunch end up like most of my hatches have been in the past - pullet heavy.

 

[drumstick diva]

X 2

 

[KaldakurFarm]

I have a broody hatching eggs today. I saw her in the yard so I went into the coop to check out what was going on. There was a little blonde wet chick in the middle of the coop, not even close to the nest. I put it back on the other eggs (it was wet and getting cold) but she wouldn't go back on the nest with that chick there. I brought the chick into the house and put it in the brooder and she went back to her eggs as soon as I got that noisy chick out. I'm hoping she keeps the next chick (I saw a pip when I was putting the first chick back in the nest) and that I can sneak this one back in. I have another hen that went broody a couple days ago. Do you think there is any chance I could put the chicks under her if the mother won't take the chicks? I realize I'm sacrificing the eggs under her that are a couple days old if I do. I'm completely inexperienced with broodies, and am trying to prepare for the worst. I'll bring them in if I have to, but I'd really like to see one take care of her chicks.

The little blonde chick perked right up once he got under the light and dried off. At least that part was a success!

 

[Turkeyrangler]

I plan on selling my cockerels for a small fee on craigslist. I'll stress what type of birds these are and how rare they are etc. With all the demand for them right now I don't think it will be an issue getting rid of them. I'll just ask a bit more than someone would be willing to pay for a bird they would butcher. That way they shouldn't end up in a stew pot. I've butchered some of my birds in the past so that isn't an issue if I can't get rid of them all.

 

[Turkeyrangler]

I have a broody hatching eggs today. I saw her in the yard so I went into the coop to check out what was going on. There was a little blonde wet chick in the middle of the coop, not even close to the nest. I put it back on the other eggs (it was wet and getting cold) but she wouldn't go back on the nest with that chick there. I brought the chick into the house and put it in the brooder and she went back to her eggs as soon as I got that noisy chick out. I'm hoping she keeps the next chick (I saw a pip when I was putting the first chick back in the nest) and that I can sneak this one back in. I have another hen that went broody a couple days ago. Do you think there is any chance I could put the chicks under her if the mother won't take the chicks? I realize I'm sacrificing the eggs under her that are a couple days old if I do. I'm completely inexperienced with broodies, and am trying to prepare for the worst. I'll bring them in if I have to, but I'd really like to see one take care of her chicks.

The little blonde chick perked right up once he got under the light and dried off. At least that part was a success!

Any updates?

 

[NotAFarm]

I have a broody hatching eggs today. I saw her in the yard so I went into the coop to check out what was going on. There was a little blonde wet chick in the middle of the coop, not even close to the nest. I put it back on the other eggs (it was wet and getting cold) but she wouldn't go back on the nest with that chick there. I brought the chick into the house and put it in the brooder and she went back to her eggs as soon as I got that noisy chick out. I'm hoping she keeps the next chick (I saw a pip when I was putting the first chick back in the nest) and that I can sneak this one back in. I have another hen that went broody a couple days ago. Do you think there is any chance I could put the chicks under her if the mother won't take the chicks? I realize I'm sacrificing the eggs under her that are a couple days old if I do. I'm completely inexperienced with broodies, and am trying to prepare for the worst. I'll bring them in if I have to, but I'd really like to see one take care of her chicks.

The little blonde chick perked right up once he got under the light and dried off. At least that part was a success!

Without seeing what happened, everything is speculation....but another hen could have harassed her to leaving the nest and the newly hatched chick could have been "stuck" to her and carried out into the coop. The disturbance may have caused her to be frightened of the nest and the peeping chick. I wouldn't immediately think she was a "bad momma". If she has remained on the nest the rest of the day and other chicks are hatching, I would give her a second chance.
After it is good and dark outside, I would take the chick and put it under the hen with the eggs/chicks. Check first thing in the morning to see if she is on the nest and if the eggs/chick(s) are okay. If you feel it is still a problem, then try putting all the eggs under the other hen. My Icelandic that raised my Easter Hatchalong Icelandic chicks got them as newly hatched chicks when she had been on the nest 3 or 4 days. It may or may not work depending on the hen.

That it all works to the good!!

 

[KaldakurFarm]

Any updates?

Thanks guys, I did sneak the chick back under Mom with the other one - knock on wood she fluffed back up and stayed put. She's been on the other chick all day so I'm hoping this worked. I'll let you know how it pans out in the morning. I put a board up in front of where her nest is so the chicks can't get out for the night. She can hop over it, but I figured at least for the night it was better than nothing. I really think that first chick either got rolled out of the nest or it hatched and she got up and it just flopped it's way into the middle of the coop. I had seen the pip an hour or so earlier...

Thanks, I do appreciate the feedback - it helps!!!