Icelandic Chickens

[wava1vaughn]

 

[snhchick]

Woo hoo finally got a chick! I tried putting one of the hens in a dog carrier to hatch the last couple eggs, but she scattered the eggs in the bedding and wouldn't sit on them. So I put her and the eggs back in the coop. Another dead baby was there this morning but there was also one that survived. So cute!

Since I only have one, I assume that I shouldn't try to put her in a brooder by herself, right? The problem I'm having is trying to feed her. I have a chick feeder, but the adults immediately knock it over. Not sure if she is getting any of that food out of the bedding. If I drop the adult feeder down, they immediately kick shavings into it. The hens seem to be taking care of her otherwise.

Any suggestions? Are Icelandics generally good mothers? Thanks.

 

[WVduckchick]

Woo hoo finally got a chick! I tried putting one of the hens in a dog carrier to hatch the last couple eggs, but she scattered the eggs in the bedding and wouldn't sit on them. So I put her and the eggs back in the coop. Another dead baby was there this morning but there was also one that survived. So cute!

Since I only have one, I assume that I shouldn't try to put her in a brooder by herself, right? The problem I'm having is trying to feed her. I have a chick feeder, but the adults immediately knock it over. Not sure if she is getting any of that food out of the bedding. If I drop the adult feeder down, they immediately kick shavings into it. The hens seem to be taking care of her otherwise.

Any suggestions? Are Icelandics generally good mothers? Thanks.

Sorry about the ones you lost.

Is your adult feeder hanging? Mine is on a wire, so its hard to adjust the height, so I add a block of wood on the ground under it, like a little ladder for the little ones to climb on, until they can reach it regularly.

 

[NotAFarm]

I always put new chicks and their momma in a separate area for the first couple of days. Part of the reason is because I want the chicks to have their own place to eat without the flock around. I will often scrambled an egg in the morning and give to the new momma and chicks. They learn early that I am the bearer of good things. My hens that have been broody know that that chicks mean special treats.
As to being good mothers, my flock of Icelandics have, over all, been great mommas. Hens lower on the pecking order have the most trouble. If there is no where for them to get the chicks away from the flock, there could be problems.
Flock size, hen rank and how much space is available are all important factors in how you will deal with mommas and chicks.

And speaking of broody mommas, I have two. One with three eggs and the other with two. I'll be candling them soon and hope each hen will be able to hatch at least one chick.

 

[WVduckchick]

So, I'm going to be one of the folks that sometimes annoys me, by asking a question that has probably been answered a million times. I read alot of the early pages of this thread, but haven't finished yet. On the prior byc platform, i think i would have had a more successful search, but not so much luck now.
So... With all the variations with the Icelandic breed, what are the keys to look for to tell if they are purebreed or not? Are there colors or patterns that at definite no-no's? Leg color? Combs can be straight or pea, correct? They can be crested or not, right? Which is more desirable, in general (crested or non)? I love the crested look.

From what I've read about them so far, I'm considering the breed, if i can find some true ones.

thanks in advance.

 

[NotAFarm]

@WVduckchick
The question you ask is one that doesn't have a short answer...so I will get on my soapbox.

Icelandic chickens are a landrace. They are the descendants of the various types of fowl that the Vikings brought to Iceland following their marauding throughout the North Atlantic. They don't have a "standard", so looking at the comb type, leg color or feather color isn't going to tell if you, or the breeder you are getting them from, has pure Icelandics. The fact that they have not been held to a standard (meaning their genes have not been narrowed down to contain only single combs or only rose or walnut or whatever kind of combs or only yellow legs or only willow legs, etc) means they contain a multitude of genetic diversity. You can not tell by looking at a chicken whether or not it is Icelandic.
It is the genes, genes kept from being crossed since leaving Iceland, that make them Icelandics. Keeping a flock pure usually means only having Icelandics since everyone who has chickens knows that escapes happen... and with Icelandics, escapes will happen. ...or like I do, keeping only Icelandic roosters with Icelandic hens and other hens that do not lay a white/cream egg. I don't let any eggs that don't belong to my Icelandic hens get hatched (my set-up doesn't allow for rouge broodies to hide with crossbred eggs).
You have to know that the person you got your eggs from has been diligent about preserving the gene pool.
I've said this quite a few times here but it is still true so I'll say it again.
You can have show quality Rhode Island Reds and maybe you want to get more size into your line. You could crossbreed to a different breed and keep breeding the resultant stock until one day you got a chicken that met the Standard of Perfection for Rhode Island Reds. You could take that chicken to a show and win Best of Breed, Best of Class, etc. It is not purely a Rhode Island Red but that is not what is important for that breed. It looks like what the SOP says they are suppose to look like and therefore it is a Rhode Island Red.
If you did the same thing with an Icelandic, you no longer have an Icelandic...no matter how many times you breed back to an Icelandic. The gene pool was muddied and can not be "fixed".
Soooo....with that said, if you want pure Icelandics you have to get them from someone who has kept them pure. Not maybe did, Not hope did, but did.
You can trust to get true stock from David Grote of Whippoorwill Farm, WI.

 

[WVduckchick]

Thank you. that does go along with everything else i had been reading, but still had to ask. I apologize again for making you repeat it.

i do understand not having SOP for landrace breeds, but i was still hoping for some distinguishing features.

I'd like to have them just to have them, but knowing me, I'd also want to breed them, and without a reputation like Grote's, it sounds pretty unlikely to be accepted as a true breeder of them. Oh well, i can always admire them from afar.

Thanks again. I do appreciate your time.

 

[NotAFarm]

I was, in no was, trying to discourage you, or anyone else from getting Icelandics.
The reputation is paramount. It only takes one person to besmirch you on the internet and nothing can repair it.
If you got stock from David and were diligent, you could breed them. It is all up to you and how willing you are to preserve the breed. Over time, you could build the reputation needed.

 

[WVduckchick]

I was, in no was, trying to discourage you, or anyone else from getting Icelandics.
The reputation is paramount. It only takes one person to besmirch you on the internet and nothing can repair it.
If you got stock from David and were diligent, you could breed them. It is all up to you and how willing you are to preserve the breed. Over time, you could build the reputation needed.

Thanks. I understand. I didn't mean to sound rude, or unappreciative. I'll continue my research, they sound like wonderful birds, for sure.

 

[snhchick]

Very happy to find my single chick and two mommas all safe and happy when I got home today. It was in the 80's, so I worried about baby Zap (Named by my 10-year-old son. His first choice being The Kraken.) getting enough water. Seems that mommas are teaching her well (using a nipple waterer). They seem to be fine raising the single chick together. Sid, my roo, seems to be fine with the whole situation as well (although he hasn't been getting much alone time with the hens for a while). Does anyone have a suggested thread or post for raising a chick with the flock? I'm wondering about things like how soon they may venture out of the coop (and what sort of walkway I need to provide), when they will wean the chick, how soon the hens can safely go broody again, etc. I'll search the site, but thought I'd ask in case someone has a link handy. And thanks for the suggestion about putting something below the adult feeder. Zap can now reach the food and the adults are getting a minimal amount of shavings in the feeder. So exciting!!!