Icelandic Chickens

[RJSorensen]

NAF ~ love the pictures of hens with chicks. I want some as well. Nine days or so until I have my chicks… and we are on needles and pins. I sat and watched Loki, our Icelandic rooster this afternoon. He is hands down, the best rooster we have ever had. And man is he busy, checking here, looking there, settling disputes and watching the sky. I have not had a Icee rooster prior, but find him to be excellent. The two tame hens are doing well and we have found where 'Hippy Chick' is roosting at night. She is the wildest hen we have ever seen, or been around. It is like she was abused as a chick. Or something.

Been working this week on the Longhouse, our older twelve by twenty feet coop. Got it clean and fixed up nice for the birds. We painted the inside walls Iceland White, so as the girls will feel at home. I feel like I have found my life's calling, to keep and raise these wonderful birds. We could not be happier than to take up this breed and just enjoy them and their chicks. The love of birds, chickens, is such a simple pleasure, yet it is one that is highly valued around our place.

I have a photograph of the coop from last evening. Glad it was Sunday today, as I get older, I seem to get tired more. We still have some finish work to do and the usual maintenance issues, but the hard work is finished, at least for now. Need to figure out a ceiling covering and a few things that can wait until I am not so sore. This is the third spring I have spent working on this coop that grandfather built in the 1920's. I think he would like that it is still standing and in good repair. In some ways, better than new. There is a nice cement floor in there as well and it is dry as a bone, for the most part.

I appreciate this thread and the posters here. I hope to be able to do more here as the 'needed' chicken chores slow down, at least some.



Best to all and your birds,

RJ

 

[NotAFarm]

Nope, no broody here. Left a nice clutch of eggs where they were laying, no takers.

Fingers crossed for your day 10 candle.

I have 7 in an incubator to candle, they are on day 8.

The candle went okay. Gula is a wicked witch when broody.....I think I'll have bruises in the morning. The two Icelandic eggs look good. I forgot to bring the super-duper flash light out to candle the Orp eggs but from what I could be with my regular one they are developing on schedule. I will candle one more time next weekend and pull any that need it.
Játa was still on the nest...so I gave her four eggs.....and Cupcake and Járn were also on nests.......we see if they are still there tomorrow at lock-up.

Mike, you must be holding your mouth wrong or something....

Mary sounds like they are playing musical broodies. I know I shouldn't make fun of them(chickens) but, how hard can it be for a broody to find the right nest, if HERS have a few eggs already in it. Okay, I'm sorry I will accept my punishment and stand in the corner.

There is no figuring out why they get back on the wrong nest

She is in my "double decker" 10 spot nest box.....bottom left....8 eggs. Been there the whole time. None of the other boxes have 8 eggs....some have a few that others hens may have laid but no where near eight....maybe I need to teach them to count!

If it happens again, I'll move her. She is the most flighty of my hens so I hesitate to try moving her but I may have to.

 

[NotAFarm]

I can't find a picture of the whole thing but this is what the nest boxes are.....add three more top and bottom to the left of what you see. Each box usually has a golf ball or two and an egg or two.......and a pullet/hen or two

 

[NotAFarm]

NAF ~ love the pictures of hens with chicks. I want some as well. Nine days or so until I have my chicks… and we are on needles and pins. I sat and watched Loki, our Icelandic rooster this afternoon. He is hands down, the best rooster we have ever had. And man is he busy, checking here, looking there, settling disputes and watching the sky. I have not had a Icee rooster prior, but find him to be excellent. The two tame hens are doing well and we have found where 'Hippy Chick' is roosting at night. She is the wildest hen we have ever seen, or been around. It is like she was abused as a chick. Or something.

Been working this week on the Longhouse, our older twelve by twenty feet coop. Got it clean and fixed up nice for the birds. We painted the inside walls Iceland White, so as the girls will feel at home. I feel like I have found my life's calling, to keep and raise these wonderful birds. We could not be happier than to take up this breed and just enjoy them and their chicks. The love of birds, chickens, is such a simple pleasure, yet it is one that is highly valued around our place.

I have a photograph of the coop from last evening. Glad it was Sunday today, as I get older, I seem to get tired more. We still have some finish work to do and the usual maintenance issues, but the hard work is finished, at least for now. Need to figure out a ceiling covering and a few things that can wait until I am not so sore. This is the third spring I have spent working on this coop that grandfather built in the 1920's. I think he would like that it is still standing and in good repair. In some ways, better than new. There is a nice cement floor in there as well and it is dry as a bone, for the most part.

I appreciate this thread and the posters here. I hope to be able to do more here as the 'needed' chicken chores slow down, at least some.



Best to all and your birds,

RJ

I'm glad to hear Loki is doing his job. I love my Audun and can't believe that a better rooster exists anywhere....I know I'm biased but he is the best. As for Hippy Chick, does she ever go into the coop? Where does she lay?
What a nice set-up!!

Your grandfather would be very proud of how you've kept it up!
My favorite part is the "boom box" you've provided for the flock's entertainment....very thoughtful of you!

I'm there with you on the

shorter work days!

Way past my bedtime........seinna, peeps!

 

[drumstick diva]

Huge, beautiful coop RJ, are those some type of heaters on the back wall under the nest boxes?

 

[RJSorensen]

Good Night NAF, and Hippy Chick does not go into the coop. We put feed out for her and try to hand feed her treats, by throwing them her 'safe' distance away from us. I don't know where she is laying, or if she is. She is a bit 'rough.' We are trying to earn her trust, but honestly do not know if that will ever be. She sleeps in one of our apple trees, and has found shelter in my open garage and chicken bath house. I suppose she is my challenge in life. I could catch her at night, but don't feel she would do well confined. So we are, for the present, just going to try and put some meat on her bones and try to get her to settle in. She was with RedIII's mother, and needed rehoming as well, so we took her at the same time we picked up Red's birds.

As to the radio, I can not paint without one. I did not notice it in the background, I was so pleased to have the nest boxes back up and on a clean wall… just goes to show.


Diva under the nest boxes is a mash feeder, well two of them mounted to a board, I have found that they get less on the floor, if they can only get to one side of it. I have them raised to reduce the shavings that get in there as well. So it has just worked out to place and keep them under the nests, works out best for the birds and me.

Night time for me too… I am on page 230.

RJ

 

[NotAFarm]

Játa and Cupcake got of their nests yesterday when I went out in the morning but were back on when I got home from work. Járn didn't leave the nest in the morning, but sometime during the day she switched nests.

 

[drumstick diva]

Mary those icelandics have quite a sense of humor but, no sense of direction. My mother was the same way, and I am too.

 

[RJSorensen]

NAF I am on page 331, learned about goat cheese, a home flooded with human waste, and a car wreck in the Home Depot parking lot. Might take me a while but I will get through it. Does Kathyinmo still have icelandic birds? I saw Jake get involved and others… Who is active still, besides yourself. The birds I ordered should ship on Monday next. We are excited to say the least. Regarding Mary and Kathy, do you know what it is that led them to not keep them anymore. Assuming of course Kathy does not. But a quick back read of current posts have me somewhat concerned about all of this.



I found Loki on the nest the other day. I thought it odd.

Anyway best to all and your birds,

RJ

 

[NotAFarm]

NAF I am on page 331, learned about goat cheese, a home flooded with human waste, and a car wreck in the Home Depot parking lot. Might take me a while but I will get through it. Does Kathyinmo still have icelandic birds? I saw Jake get involved and others… Who is active still, besides yourself. The birds I ordered should ship on Monday next. We are excited to say the least. Regarding Mary and Kathy, do you know what it is that led them to not keep them anymore. Assuming of course Kathy does not. But a quick back read of current posts have me somewhat concerned about all of this.



I found Loki on the nest the other day. I thought it odd.

Anyway best to all and your birds,

RJ

RJ, Mary moved and no longer has any roosters, just a few hens (Stella among them) for eggs. I don't know if Kathy has any. She down sized her flock and I think when she posted over on Stella's Social Club on what birds she still had, she didn't mention Icelandics....maybe @drumstick diva or @mlm Mike will chime in if they know differently.

I got some new pics of the mommas and chicks this evening after work....I'll download them now.