Icelandic Chickens

[RJSorensen]

Hello keepers of Viking Hens,

I am back and wondering what or where to learn everything I can about these wonderful birds. Should I try to read the old posts, is there a web place that one can go to? I have twenty five chicks coming to me the 18th of April, to add to my three hens and Loki, our rooster. I've been advised to only mate Loki with one hen, and perhaps the wild one, should we ever catch her again. The older hen of the bunch is Loki's mother.

I am interested in a breeding plan, how to make and keep the birds viable and of use to the breed, even if it is a landrace. I am getting my chicks from David Grote. The other birds appear to have lines that lead back to folks here on BYC.



The wife and I are very excited with the birds we have, and the ones we will get in just over three weeks.

Best to all of you and your birds,

RJ

 

[ashleyzoso]

I tried to post a reply here a few times but the site is acting weird on my phone.
My test hatch for the hatch a long went great! I started with 12 eggs and ended up with 10 healthy chicks!
We ended up keeping 2. ETA: The other 8 went to my friend's farm. The first one is a silkie and the very first egg I ever hatched. The 2nd one was an assisted hatch that I thought for sure the chick would die, but it's doing great so I got attached lol. It's a grey easter egger. If either one if these are roos I'll probably get rid of them though because I really only want to have an icelandic roo on the property. I will only hatch icelandic eggs.
I feel pretty confident about hatching the expensive icelandic hatching eggs now! I'm really excited, I should be getting eggs the first week of April.

 

[drumstick diva]

Glad your hatch went so well

 

[RJSorensen]

My Icelandic rooster, Loki, comes to me by way of an egg, from coldupnorth. I was most pleased to be able to acquire the birds that RedIII had. And I mean we are 'over the moon' happy. With the few birds we have, and those we expect to have set today, we hope to contribute to the cause. We wish to expand the numbers, and try to ensure they stay pure, to their landrace. Perhaps some of you know and or remember the gracious and talented RedIII. The wife and I are most fond of her and her endeavors. It is and was an honor to receive our start in Icelandic's from her.



We are looking for advice and input. Are there other places one can join in to learn and share these most wonderful birds? Information seems to be hard to find, other than here. I hope to be able to spend time here and to make aquaintce with the active members. We look forward with eager anticipation, the joys of this wondrous chicken.

Best to all and your flock,

RJ

 

[mrspnut82]

@mrspnut82
 I think you have 5 cockerels.....from what I see in the photos....middle blue in top and middle black in center are your pullets. I have that same kind of ratio at times    
Did you hatch the eggs or get chicks from someone?

I bought them at 4 weeks from someone. One of the black ones was just crowing. :/

 

[NotAFarm]

Hello keepers of Viking Hens,

I am back and wondering what or where to learn everything I can about these wonderful birds. Should I try to read the old posts, is there a web place that one can go to? I have twenty five chicks coming to me the 18th of April, to add to my three hens and Loki, our rooster. I've been advised to only mate Loki with one hen, and perhaps the wild one, should we ever catch her again. The older hen of the bunch is Loki's mother.

I am interested in a breeding plan, how to make and keep the birds viable and of use to the breed, even if it is a landrace. I am getting my chicks from David Grote. The other birds appear to have lines that lead back to folks here on BYC.

The wife and I are very excited with the birds we have, and the ones we will get in just over three weeks.

Best to all of you and your birds,

RJ

My Icelandic rooster, Loki, comes to me by way of an egg, from coldupnorth. I was most pleased to be able to acquire the birds that RedIII had. And I mean we are 'over the moon' happy. With the few birds we have, and those we expect to have set today, we hope to contribute to the cause. We wish to expand the numbers, and try to ensure they stay pure, to their landrace. Perhaps some of you know and or remember the gracious and talented RedIII. The wife and I are most fond of her and her endeavors. It is and was an honor to receive our start in Icelandic's from her.

We are looking for advice and input. Are there other places one can join in to learn and share these most wonderful birds? Information seems to be hard to find, other than here. I hope to be able to spend time here and to make aquaintce with the active members. We look forward with eager anticipation, the joys of this wondrous chicken.

Best to all and your flock,

RJ

RJ,
I'm glad to hear you got @RedIII s flock of Icelandics. I know she felt terrible about having to give them up and wanted badly to find someone who would preserve them. I'm happy you got them!

Reading this thread will provide entertainment and some anecdotal information. If what you are seeking is scientific studies, you won't find that here. There are few English translations available of any. Perhaps David Grote would be able to tell you if any are available. A few pages ago, I quoted a post from way back in this thread from Sigrid T. David has her stock and mentions her on his website. I wish she was still active on BYC.

As for a breeding plan, breeding Icelandics is not so different than breeding any other breed of chicken. Which birds you decide to keep may be based on different criteria but the method is the same. I think I've posted this link before but I will again in case it was elsewhere.
http://bloslspoutlryfarm.tripod.com/id65.html
Bob Blosl was a premier poultry man and left a wonderful site with information for anyone wanting it. His breed plans can be used for any breed.

I have a small set-up and can't keep a large amount of roosters because of the crowing. I have good neighbors and I want to keep them. Also, my dear hubby is not as enthusiastic about my chickens as I am and I want to keep him also. My numbers have to stay small. But as Edward Everett Hale said, "I am only one, but I am one. I can not do everything, but I can do something. And because I can not do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do." I will continue to try and preserve my Icelandic flock by carefully keeping a little of everything and bringing in a new pullet every year or two for new blood. Some of you may be able to do more and I hope you will.

 

[NotAFarm]

I tried to post a reply here a few times but the site is acting weird on my phone.
My test hatch for the hatch a long went great! I started with 12 eggs and ended up with 10 healthy chicks!
We ended up keeping 2. ETA: The other 8 went to my friend's farm. The first one is a silkie and the very first egg I ever hatched. The 2nd one was an assisted hatch that I thought for sure the chick would die, but it's doing great so I got attached lol. It's a grey easter egger. If either one if these are roos I'll probably get rid of them though because I really only want to have an icelandic roo on the property. I will only hatch icelandic eggs.
I feel pretty confident about hatching the expensive icelandic hatching eggs now! I'm really excited, I should be getting eggs the first week of April.

ashley, I'm glad to hear your test hatch went well! April will be here in a few short days and we will need to see your incubator with your new eggs in it!

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote: If you have just the 2 or 3 pullets, you will want to separate them from the 5 or 6 cockerels or they will have a rough time of it when they get to be 3 - 4 months old. Icelandics mature quickly and the cockerels will be mounting the pullets early and often. I kept my original two pullets separated from the cockerels when they were 3 months old. I put one cockerel in with my mixed flock of hens (all laid an egg a different color than my Icelandics and none were ever hatched). The other cockerel I put "in isolation". When my pullets were old enough, I put them with the isolated cockerel in their own coop. I alternated days that the two groups were outside. I hatched eggs the first year from my trio. After that, I used the other cockerel from the laying flock on the pullets from the first year.
The cockerels will change a lot in the first year. Don't be too quick to choose which one(s) will get to stay.

 

[RJSorensen]

Thank you NotAFarm, your steady hand is the one I am looking for. We do so like RedIII, and our rooster came from the Sheriff to ColdUpNorth to Red, via lineage. So since I don't know all the persons here and such, I am sort of checking to see if my starting plans are sound. I hope to have up to fifty hens… if I can get there. Red told me David G's stock was good, and we did have to get on a list and wait. Our birds were set by David yesterday, I think.

I suppose that Special K (the DW) and I are 'smitten' with these Icelandic Chickens. I have started to read the thread here, might take a while to get through, but I will take a shot at it. A question, is The Sheriff still active? I am located in Utah, near Logan (USU) about two hours north of Red. We have snow the past two days, but will melt off soon, again. I love your NotAFarm sign, very clever. Also best to keep 'humans' on your side. I tend to 'yield' as well, people come before birds…

I am so very grateful that this thread exists and is here, so a big thank you to those whom have made it so. I have so many questions, but for now they can keep.

Thanks to those of you who keep these birds, and are able to support this thread.

RJ

 

[Jake Levi]

It is somewhat slow, but well worth reading right from the beginning of this thread. Especially Sigrids article with the link early in the thread.

My personal preference for a flock is with two roosters, either free ranging or switching hens and roosters if penned in small groups. I try to keep a couple backup roosters.

But for now, restarting after a couple years away from the Icelandics.

I had a disaster, a 20hr power outage. I lost the whole hatch, 17 eggs. So looking for an auxillary heat supply, probably a propane heater.

I babied this clutch unreal. But they got too cold. I opened 2 eggs, last eve, developed chicks, dead. I didn't have the heart to check anymore. Today the incubator gets shut down, emptied, cleaned, and wait for another set of eggs.

Life goes on.