Icelandic Chickens

[Jake Levi]

Mahonri I think many roos are needed, like at least one roo to five hens, I am going to be pairing some, and putting others in trios, so I need 4 roos for sure, and will probably have 5-6. I will band the chicks and try to keep some sort of records as to who is who.

That said, there are some traits I want to preserve, feathering on the shanks and legs, crests I think add a little more head warmth, just a guess but it seems logical. But the colors I want to be varied, and if I had a choice between two roos and all else was equal and one has a rose comb and one a single comb the rose will get the pick. Just nods in favor of traits that will help them to be more winter hardy. Along with that of course is laying ability and temperament, bad tempers breed bad tempers. In fact temperament has one of the highest breeding coefficients of all traits. In mammals as well as birds.

I will also add in intelligence, thats a real survival factor.

It seems that even with a very diverse breed there will be selection, its unavoidable, but, needs to be in favor of survival traits.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Hatchery Icelandics? Oh gosh I hope not.

To the person stating it might be a good thing to get them out there, once there is a mass amount of people that have them, there will be an effort to standardize them - it's human nature, we have to mess with everything. And in the event they are crossed, their unique genetics are gone forever. My fingers and toes are crossed.


Michelle......as for your white bird, it's a tough one. How old is it?

As for the Grand Canyon, it is an AMAZING view. Pictures cannot capture the large scale beauty.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Oh and Mary, that Saint Bernard did not pay one single bit of attention to your chickens, and he appears to be very much under that girls control - so I don't think you need to worry about him.

 

[AK Michelle]

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Thanks for looking Kelly, this batch is the first set of eggs I got from Mary and was hatched around March 15th. I just can't figure this one out. I will just have to keep watching.

 

[speckledhen]

Mary, I have to say, I never have given these much thought, but the more I look at them and read about them, the more fascinated I become with these birds. Perhaps some of the reason is that they remind me a tiny bit of my Poufy Head Sisters that I lost over the past year, but they are such pretty and unusual hens, every one a bit different than the next. Another huge draw is their independent and self sufficient nature, their foraging ability. Maybe one day you and I will be talking about these seriously. I have to go back through this thread now since I haven't been following it closely.

 

[AK Michelle]

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I am thinking that natural selection will provide the best birds. In my case, cold will eliminate a few, predators will take a few more, in the end - the ones with the best survival skills will be my breeders in the Spring. I have a 3 acre pasture that will be my "Chicken Pen" although the turkeys will share the space too. I will do my best to protect them, but I am also realistic enough to realize that losses will occur.

I have so far only ever lost one bird to cold, and predator losses have been limited to one hawk grab-n-go and the massacre by my own dog, but since that dog is no longer living in this state I am pretty sure I don't have to worry about her anymore

All-in-all I think my birds have a pretty good set up.

And did I mention they are GORGEOUS!!!!

 

[AK Michelle]

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Funny, I was thinking of naming my speckled hen Cyn in honor of The Speckled Hen, and here she is posting on our thread.

 

[speckledhen]

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Funny, I was thinking of naming my speckled hen Cyn in honor of The Speckled Hen, and here she is posting on our thread.

Are you serious? Well, I'd be honored! LOL. I have a super long thread to browse through, darn it. I'm only on page 54.

 

[AK Michelle]

BTW, those with free ranging Icelandics, are the eggs being layed in the coop, or are you finding them in the pasture, field, rocks, yard...?

 

[Mahonri]

"I think" that all of Mary's birds go back to the coop to lay... she can correct me if I am wrong.

When it came time today to make cuts (figure out which roos need to go) I couldn't do it. I've decided I've got to wait until they are a bit older so I can keep the pretty ones.

Today I was looking a Vindur and his HUGE floppy comb. I'm thinking this can help cool him in Phoenix so I think it would be an advantage. I'm thinking I'll cull all of the rosecombs.

Like Kelly said, each of us are going to cull so that the Icelandics we keep can adapt to where we live.

I'll be honest, the only way I can be happy with McMurray doing their thing with Icelandics is for them to stress the importance of us keeping them pure.

I have three EEs in with Vindur and his two ladies. All of the green/blue eggs IMMEDIATELY go into the fridge for eating when they are laid. I've only gotten one Icelandic egg so far. (from my two pullets that are 5 months old) I am thinking it may be the heat, as all of my other girls have slowed down as well.