Importing Chickens into Iceland?

[ANightPerson]

Hello! I'm gonna get right to the point with this. I'm moving to Iceland in a little over a year and a half. I grew up on a farm in Massachusetts, and I'm planning out the logistics of my Icelandic dream farm. I want to import a few breeding pairs of rabbits, as I've spent the past few years developing a very cold-hardy project breed that would thrive there, which I've researched & am preparing for. I also want to import Soay lambs from the UK, goats from the US, and chickens from the US & Sweden, but I haven't been able to find any information on importing anything other than rabbits, rodents, dogs, cats, reptiles, amphibians, hedgehogs, and cage birds.

Does anyone have any information on importing fowl into Iceland? Is it prohibited? Livestock in general? (Any information on importing the lambs & goats would also be greatly appreciated.)

 

[SmallCityChicken]

I know you CANNOT import sheep into Iceland, they are working very hard to preserve the purity of their native ones.
They also have a strict no questions/no exceptions rule of euthanizing any animal not brought in correctly so I would be very careful with importing stock.

I would call & speak with someone in Iceland's import-export department.

 

[ANightPerson]

I know you CANNOT import sheep into Iceland, they are working very hard to preserve the purity of their native ones.
They also have a strict no questions/no exceptions rule of euthanizing any animal not brought in correctly so I would be very careful with importing stock.

I would call & speak with someone in Iceland's import-export department.

Damn! I really had my heart set on Soay sheep. I can live without importing goats, which I suspect are also prohibited, I really just want to know if I can bring over some of my Ameraucanas & if I can bring over some Svarts from Sweden. It'd be nice to import some choice duck breeds as well. I'm personally not a fan of Icelandic Chickens.

Thank you for your help! I'll get in contact with MAST and ask about importing fowl.

 

[Uff Da]

May I ask why you don't like Icelandic chickens? Icelandic breeds of the animals you asked about are highly coveted elsewhere; it seems a shame not to take advantage of the local availability and adaptation to the conditions. I always source out local landraces wherever I am and find they do much better than foreign varieties, whether plant or animal.

 

[ANightPerson]

May I ask why you don't like Icelandic chickens? Icelandic breeds of the animals you asked about are highly coveted elsewhere; it seems a shame not to take advantage of the local availability and adaptation to the conditions. I always source out local landraces wherever I am and find they do much better than foreign varieties, whether plant or animal.

It's not that I don't like them, since I can't bring any in, I'll definitely start a flock of Icelandics. I was just hoping to bring over some Ameraucanas & Svarts, they're my favorite breeds.
The only animals that I can bring in are the rabbits, so my only options are Icelandic breeds of everything else.

 

[Uff Da]

Well, hopefully you'll find enjoyment with the Icelandic breeds. I've had dozens of different chickens in my lifetime, and once I got Icelandics I lost all interest in other breeds. Although, I do find Svarthona very tempting! If I had separate facilities to prevent mixing the breeds, I wouldn't hesitate trying to get some Svarthona. But I adore my Icelandics.

 

[Loopeend]

You can't import chickens that easily to iceland due to health risks. Just like the U.K. and Austalia and any other Island. That does not mean there are not any other races of chickens in Iceland then "Icelandics". You can contact breeders over there and choose a breed you like. Good luck.