Icelandic Chickens

[Icies]

I certainly dont know anything (my only experience is with my 1st batch of hatchlings that are now 12-13 weeks) but I think I see 3 roos. 1st & 3rd Im almost certain & 2nd I think it is, but I think it is harder for me to tell early w the smaller combs. The last I cant see a comb so Im sayin hen. Im curious what you thought & what others think. I can't believe how much mine have grown since that age!!

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote: Icies, She is beautiful and is very much like some of her ancestors. This link has been posted before but just in case there is some one who didn't see it I'm posting it again. http://www.aviculture-europe.nl/nummers/10E06A03.pdf
If you look at the pictures, you will see hens that look like her among Jóhanna Hardardottir's flock.

My hens usually will wean their chicks around 4 - 6 weeks. Since hers were in that age range, I think she was confused as to where they went but she didn't fret over them for long. Chicks learn their mommas voice and the hens know their chicks. Even when I have three hens with two chicks each, some of which look very, very similar, the momma knows which are hers. I don't know that they are "attached" to their chicks, it is more like a responsibility that they take very seriously and one day when the hormones say "time to go" they let them. Some are rather brutal in their tactics to get the chicks to stay away from them. If I notice a hen trying to separate herself from her chicks, I "herd" them into the coop and catch the chicks. I put the chicks in a broody coop (usually the one they were in with their momma) for a few days. I give them special treats and make sure they are okay. Sometimes the hen will hang around the coop on and off but won't want anything to do with them if I let them out to be with her. I think the "distress" call they make triggers the mothering instinct but then when the chicks stop and just want momma to be with them, the hen "remembers" she weaned them.

 

[NotAFarm]

I just wish I knew their genders... I still have a feeling that two of mine are roosters. A friend of mine mentioned another of my four looked like a rooster and it kind of makes me panic since I was certain a different pair were roos!

I am not sure if posting a few photos is okay in this thread, but I honestly can't resist!

YES, posting pictures is highly recommended!!

The one in the upper left (or second photo posted) looks like a cockerel to me because of the wattles. Cockerels will get wattles earlier than pullets and they will be larger and have more color. Comb also is getting pink already.
The one in the lower left (or third photo posted) looks like the second most likely to be male. Compared to #1, the comb is pinker and there seems to be some wattle growth.
The upper left (first photo) looks, at this point, like it is a pullet.
The last one looks like a pullet.

Compare their legs. Are some visibly larger than others? Males will, in most cases, have thicker legs that females.

.....but I could be wrong.....what works with my flock may not work with yours.

 

[IcyLady]

I certainly dont know anything (my only experience is with my 1st batch of hatchlings that are now 12-13 weeks) but I think I see 3 roos. 1st & 3rd Im almost certain & 2nd I think it is, but I think it is harder for me to tell early w the smaller combs. The last I cant see a comb so Im sayin hen. Im curious what you thought & what others think. I can't believe how much mine have grown since that age!!

Quote:

YES, posting pictures is highly recommended!!

The one in the upper left (or second photo posted) looks like a cockerel to me because of the wattles. Cockerels will get wattles earlier than pullets and they will be larger and have more color. Comb also is getting pink already.
The one in the lower left (or third photo posted) looks like the second most likely to be male. Compared to #1, the comb is pinker and there seems to be some wattle growth.
The upper left (first photo) looks, at this point, like it is a pullet.
The last one looks like a pullet.

Compare their legs. Are some visibly larger than others? Males will, in most cases, have thicker legs that females.

.....but I could be wrong.....what works with my flock may not work with yours.

From what I thought.. 1st and 3rd were roosters since they have the huge combs, but my husband told me not to be certain with it! (note: never had chickens before in my life haha, so I don't know much of anything)
It seems like number 3 had all the development first so far comb and wattle wise! (by the way the classmates of my daughter named that black one in the third photo Batman because it was all black)

As for the 2nd one.. there is barely a comb there but it is starting to turn pink now, and of course has the slight wattle development starting. I thought it was a pullet for the longest time since it looks so much like the 4th one besides wattle development, also has the same type of stature. The 2nd one also barely has a comb like number 4!
I've thought the 4th was a pullet for awhile now since not only is it the smallest,it has no comb or wattles and holds itself far different from number 3 and 1, and has dainty legs!

From my observation the 1st one seems to be bigger than the others, and was the last to hatch (the kids named that one Ljómi. I thought the legs looked a bit thicker and honestly the way it holds itself while strutting around- that's why I thought it was a roo! The 3rd one (Batman) has always been the bravest out of the bunch and rather struts its stuff similar to number 1!
Speaking of legs- the 2nd one (which is actually named Mörgæs.. or Penguin in English) has a bit of feather growth on it's feet, I don't know what kind of trait that is, also it has a darker color (greyish) all down it's legs except the tip of the toes being yellow. When it was smaller it looked so much like a penguin chick and that's why the kids named it that way!

I love how they are so different from each other not only by appearance but also personality. Batman has the "hairdo", is black with the new white speckles showing up, Ljómi is the lightest colored one (which now is getting bits of brown in those feathers), Mörgæs has the fuzzy feet and is like a penguin, Rajódís (number 4) is the only one with the brownish grey going on!

I will try to get some photos and better looks at their legs for sure when I go in tomorrow morning to check on them.

If there are three roos.. I have no clue what will happen then. We accepted originally that two of these probably are roosters, and we agreed we would try to keep them.. but what do I do with three roosters and a hen?

 

[mlm Mike]

A small update here:
I found out that my 4 Icelandic chicks ended up being slightly younger than I originally mentioned. Instead of their April 21st and 22nd hatchdates, their hatchdates are the 25th and 26th of April. It's my fault for miscounting haha. Oh well!
They are doing well and I moved them out of my bedroom last weekend, now they are in a temporary living area in my well ventilated and nicely heated greenhouse that I currently am not using! They seem to very happy there and their personalities are really shining through. They also went out for their first adventure on my property last Saturday because the sun was shining, it was rather warm for Icelandic spring time and there was little wind. My babies plucked around in the grass a bit but ended up wandering over to an area where there was a lot of open "dirt". I assume they were plucking some grit for themselves. After their adventure and getting tucked in their greenhouse, they were happy and settled for the night!
The babies also love being handfed! They are honestly such little characters and I love them already!
I just wish I knew their genders... I still have a feeling that two of mine are roosters. A friend of mine mentioned another of my four looked like a rooster and it kind of makes me panic since I was certain a different pair were roos!

I am not sure if posting a few photos is okay in this thread, but I honestly can't resist!

Nice photos. It sounds like they rather enjoyed their first outing!

 

[NotAFarm]

@IcyLady
I hope this is helpful.

The two chicks, #1 and #3, you feel might be male because of the comb size, have what is called a single comb. The other two, #2 and #4, look like they have a rose, or perhaps walnut, comb. Because Icelandics have been "allowed to keep" their diverse genes, you may have many different comb types. You can only compare the rose to the rose for size, and the single to single. Please post more pictures of the side views of your chicks!

I am attaching pictures from chick to adulthood of a cockerel with a single comb.

Eldur at one month:


Eldur at 2 1/2 months: (note that his sister has a walnut comb)


Eldur at one year:



Below is a mature rose comb on Falki:


Pullets at point of lay with "messy" walnut on first, single on second and rose comb on third:

Here is Forsæla with a walnut comb (shorter, wider than the rose comb):



Mature hen with rose comb-side and front of Heppni:



Below is a picture of my group hatched on Easter weekend this year. They were just short of 6 weeks old when this picture was taken. The chick on the far left (same chick that is directly above w/ Heppni) is a male with a single comb and wattle development. The chick next to him has a rose comb and lacks wattle development.



In this group, the chick on the far left has a rose comb and showing a hint of wattles. The next one has a rose comb with color and wattle development. The third one has a rose comb and lack of wattles.

 

[IcyLady]

@NotAFarm

Thank you for the explanation! I understand a bit better now, I just never knew there were different comb types! I guess that comes with being a beginner!
I just also have to add that your flock is beautiful!

That is one thing I do love about the Íslenskas, they are just a huge variety of looks! I never really noticed how diverse they were until I started showing interest a couple months ago about owning some chickens.

I will definitely start doing some more research and reading.
Do you know if there are any "beginners" books on Icelandics available?

Here are a few more photos of my four. Boy was it a pain to get side views of them. I did my best and some aren't side view, but will share them anyway. (I threw in the names of them just for fun.. names are still subject to change except for Rey since we all kind of agreed so far that it's a pullet)

Rey:



Mörgæs:





Ljómi:



Batman:

 

[RJSorensen]

Good morning folks, a few quick photographs of the Icelandic chicks. They are starting their seventh week today and are quite wild and active. I have let them out of their grow out pen the past few days and they are taking to it better than I would have thought. Running and chest bumping and fluttering their young wings. We are enjoying them immensely and we have had two or three crowers and one mounter. Kind of young I thought… but I have thrown out most everything I have learned to expect with these. We love them dearly and enjoy them immensely. The 'odd' bird in the second photograph is a self blue modern game, the 'chicks' are already the same or bigger, than my Bantam birds.

I too like to see the photographs shared here, I can not get enough of seeing these wondrous birds. Watching the colors of mine change and bloom has been a lot of fun. Hope everyone had a nice weekend just past.





Best to all and your birds.

RJ

 

[Icies]

They are interesting, never having chickens before I didn't really know what to expect but things do seem to be different that the general info about chickens on the web. Here are a few pics too of my roo pen in the barn & the donkeys checking it out. And here is my motley crew out in the pasture. All in all things seem to be going well. I am actually letting all of them free range all day. With the heat we have experienced I thought they needed to be able to go wherever was the coolest. And the dogs surprisingly enough are great... I have no worries leaving the chickens & dogs together. I never imagined I would say that...

 

[RJSorensen]

Icies… your birds are beautiful. I just looked through your photos posted in the thread, and I think they are fine looking birds.

RJ