Icelandic Chickens

[The Sheriff]

Just wanted to let you guys know that Stella is back down free ranging with the Icelandics. She started laying again and her egg color is too close to the Isbars and Legbars for my comfort zone. It is actually about halfway between the two. So we moved her back down to Iceland one night. The very next morning she came back up and tried to break back in. The emus were chasing her. She tried to find a way through the netting.


That didn't work so she tried a roof approach. That didn't work either.



When I finally caught her, we put in the wire cage previously occupied by the pigs for a few days. That seems to have worked. We let her out a couple of days ago and she has stayed put. She forgot about being a saloon girl and seems happy back with Isi. The emus also got reacquainted with her while she was in the pigpen and stop chasing her. All is well. For now.

 

[Icelander]

Sheriff, wow I LOVE your henhouses, they are too cute!

 

[NotAFarm]

This is Kara, one of my 11 week old girls. I love her caramel color so much, do you know if she will keep it, or is it too early to tell?

I have found that my Icelandics change ALOT as youngsters and all of my adults coloring changed after their first molt....mottled hen got lots more mottling....other hen got darker.........rooster got more Pyle color......so I'm going with too early to tell!

This is a rhetorical question, right?

Quote:
I thought at least you and Kathy would be telling me that I'm no where near crazy.....'cuz you know what that'd make you!!!

Just wanted to let you guys know that Stella is back

Stteeelllllaaaaa.........................
gotta love that girl!!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Glad she is staying put Mary.


As for my flock.............today was moving day for the Icelandics/Isbars/and others. They needed to be moved to the main coop, in the brooder/broody area. (now watch, I'll get a freakin' broody) I have new babies hatching Thursday (Welsummers/Isbars/Barnevelders), so I need the brooder coop for them.

I managed to get some pics, although with the flash, it doesn't do them justice on their coloring.

First up is Briet - she's back from her molt and getting her crest back in nicely.



And now the babies, they are 7 and 6 weeks old.(2 stolen ones are 1 week younger) This girl is really pretty, but she didn't want to cooperate for a photo shoot. She was the barnevelder looking chick.


My girl with the feather issue - her feathers look singed when you look up close.


Stolen baby #1 (center) and YES, she's a pullet!!!!! (Welsummer in back/Isbar boy in front)


Stolen chick #2 - he wants to go back and live at Mary's. He looks blue in person.


Briet look alike? She's a feisty thing (and a biter). Hey Jake, see her shanks?


And lastly, big sister Briet giving them the lecture of how things are in this coop. The gold chick there is my welsummer/light brahma mutt.

 

[Icelander]

I have found that my Icelandics change ALOT as youngsters and all of my adults coloring changed after their first molt....mottled hen got lots more mottling....other hen got darker.........rooster got more Pyle color......so I'm going with too early to tell!

Thanks for the advice, I'm so curious what they will look like as grown ups, it's really hard to wait

They are not impressing me with their smarts though, yesterday they ran up to the house and gobbled up a bit of fresh dog vomit on the steps before I was able to clean it up. I just stood there with my jaw on the floor. It's not like they don't get enough delicious 100% organic chicken feed and free ranging on half an acre of grass, weeds, and bugs. Eating the dog vom was not necessary! Or maybe its part of a brilliant plan to make themselves look less appetizing?

 

[tazcat70]

Welcome to all the new Icelandic fans!

NotAFarm, I don't think you are crazy at all.

See below before you start feeling too good.

I have an sportsman full of eggs, and it is still early in the year that people aren't buying chicks so I posted an ad on craigslist "5 free chicks to the first 5 people" Then when they show up I give them 6-10.

I have been having a great time with it. I have been hatching my project chicks and I have to hatch about 64 to get 1 keeper. Better to give them away to people wanting chicks than letting them eat me out of house and home. Plus, more chicken addicts, how can that be a bad thing?

 

[thebirdguy]

So I added 10 more Icelandics with the eggs I got for the Easter Swap from Chookschick.. That makes 35 icees in there!! I'm so excited!! Hopefully I will have a lot more success hatching my own eggs than I did with the shipped ones last year.. My %s were horrible last year.. lots of scrambled air cells but the ones I did get are beautiful and doing great!!! Thanks to Kathy and Mary for all their help in getting my little Icelandic flock started!! I sent Icees out to Jim for the March/Easter swap and a box to Linda so I am spreading the wealth also!!

 

[joyous]

I put 36 Icelandic eggs in the 'bator for the Easter Hatchalong..........am I crazy?!

Crazy like a fox!

 

[Mahonri]

Took a while, but I'm caught up with this thread.

Do y'all love Stella like I do? What an awesome personality

And all these different looking birds...I've got to go out and get pics of my NYD Icelandics.... and I'll need Kelly to gender them for me.

 

[Farmerboy16]

I took this picture of the fray chick yesterday.
She was half of the size of her hatchmates. I have culled her.