Icelandic Chickens

[yochickiemomma]

Finally got my first egg saturday. silly girl laid it in the run lol. I would have posted sooner but been dealing w a sick hen.

 

[NotAFarm]

Congrats on the first egg!

I did something I have never tried with my Icelandics....I put four cornish-cross chicks (about 1 1/2 days old) under one of my broody Icelandic hens. She took to them and has been raising them for the last couple of weeks. I think she wonders about their lack of ability to fly up into the broody coop after two full weeks (she is 3 years old and raised multiple broods of Icelandic chicks). She is a great momma and is doing her best with the four. I have 19 others in a separate coop and they are doing well. It will be interesting to see how her chicks finish compared to the others.

I haven't taken any pictures in forever. I'll try to get some when I am off on Thursday.

 

[Icies]

yochickiemama - I hope your hen is ok!

It has been a chore to keep the rooster away from the pullets. I put him back in my rooster pen in the barn but he wasn't eating so after a couple of days of no food I figured I would try something different and let him out but keep the girls locked up. He just threw himself at the run trying to get through and they were doing the same trying to get to him... back to the drawing board... I had already talked to the local icelandic breeder to see if she had any older hens that weren't laying or had slowed down so I could get him some company. No luck. I ended up finding some on CL - a golden comet and barred rock and brought them home last Friday. They are in quarantine in cages in the barn so they can see each other. I hope I didn't make a big problem worse by bringing them in. He is eating again so I guess that is good but I worry if they will get along and worry about their health. They both had (what I was told was) rooster tread. No feathers on their head and back/sides. I actually feel bad for them, they both look pretty beat up, the barred rock is missing part of her comb also. And I'm not exactly sure how old they are but they don't seem to move much (I know they are in a crate so can't) but don't seem to want to move much either. Carrying the crates back & forth from the barn to the garage (at night) is wearing me out too. They are both used to being mated so I guess that is good and he appears to be a gentleman compared to the rooster they were with. I hope these too old ladies don't beat up my cockerel (or give him any diseases). I keep telling myself he would have killed himself by not eating so at least he has a chance now - but I can't deal w any more problems.

 

[Vindi]

There is an Icelandic chick on the property! My broody Mrs Blue has hatched out 3 chicks 2 days early 2 barnyard mix and an Icelandic! This picture is the only one out from drying off! It's a barnyard special! It's a dark one too!

 

[Flock Master64]

Chickens from Iceland!!! I'm in!!!

 

[Vindi]

Can u tell which 4 are icies?

 

[Flock Master64]

No

 

[Icies]

I just get a txt from my neighbor. They were going somewhere at 4am and saw at least 3-4 racoons right next to my coop. Ugh! It isn't like I didn't know they were around but don't like the fact they were camped out by it. Is there anything I can do to dissuade them? I am thinking about setting my alarm for every few hours and going outside with the dogs but I obviously can't do that forever. Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[Flock Master64]

Live traps, LED motion sensor lights, electric wire around the fence

 

[Icies]

The coop isn't anywhere close to electric... but I had forgotten about traps. Thanks.