Good morning all,
I am between Ione and Cusick Wa, mail is Cusick but closer to Ione. About 90 miles north of Spokane on 20, but almost off the grid. Going to Ione this am to get plastic for broken cabin windows, and massive cleaning for the next several days, its primitive for the next couple weeks, 'camping in' as it were.
Ref to breeding strategies, I am with Mary and Kathyinmo. PICK ROOS CAREFULLY !! I have a small flock now, with 3 roos, no genetic defects that I can see and will be watching next years birds very closely. My roos are quite diverse, on purpose. One SC Spash Dominant White, 2 RC Blackbreasted Duckwings, one with black expressed as blue. Pullets range from black with gold threaded cape to wheaten, several with blue and one all blue with the gold threaded cape. I am hoping for some of each next year, I willnot be keeping breeding pairs, I want as much diversity as can be.
So far, I believe the wry feather to be a recessive that takes both genes to be expressed, so I would cull all roos with it and try not to use pullets with it if possible, but knowing they can pass it on and if using a non wry roo just know that all their chicks can carry it, so use only if they are exceptional in other traits.
One trait mine dont have is the feathered legs so will be looking for 2-3 of them next year. And looking for any other 'survival value' traits I dont have. All my hens are RC, which I think has more cold resistance. But Ici's comb is very thick so I will be watching him very closely this winter. I am going to be watching closely to note if the crests appear to give more cold resistance.
Right now we have a genetic treasure house, which we are just starting to learn about, so I am in the camp of shooting all who advocate 'outcrossing'.
Pet mixed flocks will happen, but they arenot flocks that anyone should look to for Icelandics. To me genetic preservation is what its all about as we learn more about this beautiful and fascinating breed. So while there are a couple other breeds I would like to explore, and that merit preserving its not going to happen until I know for sure that each breed is securre from others. To me it would be as much a tragedy to get Icelandic in them as it would be to get them into the Icelandic breeding. The Iowa Blue and the Delaware are two breeds that I think are possibilities. But not for awhile.
Life is good, and better with Icelandic Chickens and Packgoats !
