Icelandic Chickens

[The Sheriff]

Crystaldegallina, I don't have a problem with your re-posting my response. I try to be open about the Icelandics even of the subject is negative. I do get a bit cranky when the Icelandics are insulted as mutts. But I think open and honest discussion of genetic issues can only help. It is important not to breed or hatch eggs from the birds with the feathering issue. I have personally re-homed my two with a local farmer who takes them as "mixed breeds."

 

[Jake Levi]

I probably have three of these, and it is not a frayed gene, it is quite a bit different. No frizzle or fray to them as I see. Immature is the best discription I can give it, that they shed out.

When very young those with it have what I can call for no other reason an 'immature feathering' to some of their feathers, now at ~ six mos or so their feathering has all caught up and the 3 show what I call 'enhanced feathering'. One is a bit tighter feathered, one on the loose side and one right in the middle. The smallest one does seem to have some sexual immaturity at this time, I was going to rehome it to a pet home, but am going to keep it for observation. The largest one, a white SC, is the one I refer to as having tighter feathering, close and slick, he also will be observed. The middle one, is a black breasted red wing with RC, and crest, I am observing it for a probable breeder. All three of these have feathering right down their legs and unto the toes. The smaller one also has a crest. Two also appear to have 'looser feathering' then the larger white one. At this time I think the two loose feathered ones appear to have better feathering for a northern climate. So I am watching them closely to see how they develop and mature. We shall see what will be with them, right now the jury is out, I prefer RC over SC for more winter hardiness, and will see if the feathering also makes them better able to withstand the cold. At this time I see nothing in any of the three that would be a negative to their surviving . The immaturity of the one seems to be something that it is growing out of. Whether delayed maturity would be a survival factor I dont know, but to join the gene pool it has to show me more. I will post more as they develop.

 

[joyous]

Very interesting!

I will look for your further observations!

I probably have three of these, and it is not a frayed gene, it is quite a bit different. No frizzle or fray to them as I see. Immature is the best discription I can give it, that they shed out.

When very young those with it have what I can call for no other reason an 'immature feathering' to some of their feathers, now at ~ six mos or so their feathering has all caught up and the 3 show what I call 'enhanced feathering'. One is a bit tighter feathered, one on the loose side and one right in the middle. The smallest one does seem to have some sexual immaturity at this time, I was going to rehome it to a pet home, but am going to keep it for observation. The largest one, a white SC, is the one I refer to as having tighter feathering, close and slick, he also will be observed. The middle one, is a black breasted red wing with RC, and crest, I am observing it for a probable breeder. All three of these have feathering right down their legs and unto the toes. The smaller one also has a crest. Two also appear to have 'looser feathering' then the larger white one. At this time I think the two loose feathered ones appear to have better feathering for a northern climate. So I am watching them closely to see how they develop and mature. We shall see what will be with them, right now the jury is out, I prefer RC over SC for more winter hardiness, and will see if the feathering also makes them better able to withstand the cold. At this time I see nothing in any of the three that would be a negative to their surviving . The immaturity of the one seems to be something that it is growing out of. Whether delayed maturity would be a survival factor I dont know, but to join the gene pool it has to show me more. I will post more as they develop.

 

[NotAFarm]

Can someone direct me to some information regarding the "frayed" gene that pops up specifically in Icelandics?
There is a thread on the Icelandic Facebook page and we are all kind of wondering more about it.

I know I have seen some information on this thread in regards to it, but the search function has me puzzled and I cannot find any pertinant information. And while I would LOVE to go through 13800+ posts to find it again...

It seems someone has a contact to a Icelandic Icelandic breeder, and they had said they were unaware of frayed type feather issues *over there* and that most feather issues are related to lice/lackofdustbaths/nutritional issues. I had come to think that the frayed thing was quite prevalent in the U.S. flocks, or am I wrong about that?

I don't do Facebook so I don't feel comfortable adding to a conversation that I don't participate in. I wouldn't give my permission to use any of my photos or comments somewhere else, I feel they could come here to BYC if they are truly interested in the information available here.

I had found a frayed feathered pullet in my flock, I started to research it, from what I can remember was finding that it seemed to pop up quite a bit and that it was recommended to breed/cull away from it. Again I could be wrong, and it could have only happened in isolated instances but I know I have seen and read about frayed feather Icelandics on this thread.

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Thank you! My choice of wording "quite prevalent" might be a bit dramatic.

Yes, I think the "quite prevelant" and "pop up quite a bit" are a bit dramatic.
I don't know that the odd feathering mine had was the "fray gene" but I had some kind of odd feathering. I had two hatch in the very first setting of mine last spring, a group of 10 and another three weeks later one in a group of 19. After that none. All were from the mating of one rooster and two hens. I culled the rooster in May due to behavior issues, not because I thought he had anything to do with the odd feathering issue. I have sons and daughter of his in my current flock. There were two small hatches (total of nine chicks) after the hatches that contained the odd feathering from that rooster and those two hens, none of those chicks had the odd feathering. Here are some pictures that I posted earlier in this thread of mine that had the odd feathering. They could not fly like the other Icelandics, like a silkie, their feathers were useless for flight. Mine were all culled. I hope if anyone hatching eggs from my flock has any odd feathering, that they will let me know.

 

[The Sheriff]

You make a good point about Facebook Mary and I decided against having my posts re-posted there.

 

[RingedTeal]

Jake that is interesting about the smaller one.

 

[Farmerboy16]

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I don't do Facebook so I don't feel comfortable adding to a conversation that I don't participate in. I wouldn't give my permission to use any of my photos or comments somewhere else, I feel they could come here to BYC if they are truly interested in the information available here.


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Yes, I think the "quite prevelant" and "pop up quite a bit" are a bit dramatic.
I don't know that the odd feathering mine had was the "fray gene" but I had some kind of odd feathering. I had two hatch in the very first setting of mine last spring, a group of 10 and another three weeks later one in a group of 19. After that none. All were from the mating of one rooster and two hens. I culled the rooster in May due to behavior issues, not because I thought he had anything to do with the odd feathering issue. I have sons and daughter of his in my current flock. There were two small hatches (total of nine chicks) after the hatches that contained the odd feathering from that rooster and those two hens, none of those chicks had the odd feathering. Here are some pictures that I posted earlier in this thread of mine that had the odd feathering. They could not fly like the other Icelandics, like a silkie, their feathers were useless for flight. Mine were all culled. I hope if anyone hatching eggs from my flock has any odd feathering, that they will let me know.

I have one that a family hatched for me, and she looks just like your chick. I will cull her today. :/ On the bright side, I had set my Emu eggs yesterday!

 

[Totalcolour]

I have one of those pullets with the odd feathering. It looks halfway between real feathers and silky feathers. They are very soft and loose, but don't seem frayed at all. She is a smaller bird than the others, but seems the hardiest. (She is also my favourite)

Having said that, she isn't a year old, and hasn't gone through a molt yet so maybe the feathering will change.

 

[The Sheriff]

I think it is interesting how hardy they seem. True fray babies have a tendency to die early. Mine ran around with the others except one of them would hide when it was cold or rainy but he had been picked on by one of the mean girls. They were always the first to the feed bowl, often getting completely in it while the others ate around them. They were plucky little things. Oops, maybe not a good word to use when describing a chicken.

 

[NotAFarm]

Yep, mine weren't sickly or unhealthy in any way except they couldn't get to the roosts without a ladder to help them up. They could hop/fly about 18 inches but that's it. I thought they would be at a definite disadvantage where predators were concerned.
Totalcolour, Is your pullet laying?