Icelandic Chickens

[NotAFarm]

Mike, love the dog and the hatching eggs! We, as new owners of Icelandic chicks, are just gaga for them. I have some pictures for the day. The first is of my 'current' version of 'Rock Dwellers.' The other two are of our Icee chicks. They are running, and fluttering their wings and bounding from place to place and providing us with a lot of fun entertainment fun.




Best to all and your birds.

RJ

Nice work on the garden! I love rocks...I try to get one when I go places and I have some I got from some friends around here that found them on their property.

Your brooder is wonderful!! Looks like you put a lot of thought into it. I love the "...most wonderful time of the year" sign. I think it is....I love Spring!

I've been gone the last couple of days to see my daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren. No new chicks under the remaining three broodies....should be in the next day or two....and no new broodies....which is good since I'm running out of separation spots!
On the other end of "chick rearing", Jóka weaned her chicks today. They were four weeks old yesterday. This afternoon when I got home, she was out quite a ways from the coop with the others and the chicks were in the yard by themselves (actually, Heppni and her chicks were in the vicinity). They hung in a tight group and didn't seem to be too frantic about her not being around.

Did I tell you I think they are all cockerels? Yeah, five chicks from my friend's Icelandic flock and all cockerels......

Tonight, she was in the rafters and they were in their broody nest area. I'll leave them the coop tomorrow morning and let them out when I am home for lunch. From the look of how things went today, I think they will be fine.....now to see how long Heppni wants to mother hers. I'm pretty sure there are at least two pullets in her group. I'll have to get some new pictures of all of them....they have grow tremendously since last week!

I'm glad to see everyone enjoying their Viking chickens!!

 

[mlm Mike]

Quote:

6 hatched. I originally set 7, one quit between day 7 and 14.

 

[RJSorensen]

Good morning kind friends, a bit damp here and that makes for a slower start to the day, but one in which I have the time to quip a few lines. NAF, good to see you back in in fine spirits, Mike love to see these little fellows doing well with you. ARConfederat, yes I understand the shipping of eggs is a trial… but if you even remotely have the feelings for them as do I, stick with it and fight it out. I have never been happier with a batch of chicks, and though I did not hatch them, I am forming a (hopeful) group so that I may have that opportunity myself. I bought my first Incubator last week, one of those Brinses Mini's. Yes it is small, but it is a start and like with Icelandics you have to start somewhere.

So thanks for the kind words and the comments on the new brooder. The DW, Special K won't be happy with this shot, but won't see it either. However she refers to it as the 'Entertainment Center' and quite enjoys the time she is able to spend here with the babies, her babies. Ok I am good with that. This reach in from the side brooder is 'much' better that my top down ones. The grandchildren enjoy sitting there as well, leaning their arms in on the sill and letting the chicks bound and bounce in front of them. This is this brooder's maiden voyage and it needs a few tweaks, but for the most part has come on line in stellar fashion.

.

Best to all and your birds,

RJ

 

[arconfederate]

Thanks for the kind words RJ. I definitely plan on sticking with the Icelandic chickens. I like your brooder. It reminds me strongly of my days in tissue culture and the isolation hoods that we used to use. You're right too. Access is great and I bet the chicks are less wary of you to the side than looming over the top of them like a giant hawk.

Not a Farm, my wife took some pictures and tried emailing them to my computer at work but the internet ate them. She promised to try again this morning.

My smaller chick decided that he/she didn't want their sibling to eat while they were and literally jumped on top of him/her. I wouldn't mind having a male and a female. How soon does the male start trying to dominate? If I were guessing based on the comb, I'd say this one was female but then again, they aren't even a week old yet.

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote:

How many now?!?!

6 hatched. I originally set 7, one quit between day 7 and 14.

Where are the pictures of said 6?!

 

[NotAFarm]

Good morning kind friends, a bit damp here and that makes for a slower start to the day, but one in which I have the time to quip a few lines. NAF, good to see you back in in fine spirits, Mike love to see these little fellows doing well with you. ARConfederat, yes I understand the shipping of eggs is a trial… but if you even remotely have the feelings for them as do I, stick with it and fight it out. I have never been happier with a batch of chicks, and though I did not hatch them, I am forming a (hopeful) group so that I may have that opportunity myself. I bought my first Incubator last week, one of those Brinses Mini's. Yes it is small, but it is a start and like with Icelandics you have to start somewhere.

So thanks for the kind words and the comments on the new brooder. The DW, Special K won't be happy with this shot, but won't see it either. However she refers to it as the 'Entertainment Center' and quite enjoys the time she is able to spend here with the babies, her babies. Ok I am good with that. This reach in from the side brooder is 'much' better that my top down ones. The grandchildren enjoy sitting there as well, leaning their arms in on the sill and letting the chicks bound and bounce in front of them. This is this brooder's maiden voyage and it needs a few tweaks, but for the most part has come on line in stellar fashion.

.

Best to all and your birds,

RJ

This is a great idea!! Love the stools and eye level access!

 

[NotAFarm]

Thanks for the kind words RJ. I definitely plan on sticking with the Icelandic chickens. I like your brooder. It reminds me strongly of my days in tissue culture and the isolation hoods that we used to use. You're right too. Access is great and I bet the chicks are less wary of you to the side than looming over the top of them like a giant hawk.

Not a Farm, my wife took some pictures and tried emailing them to my computer at work but the internet ate them. She promised to try again this morning.

My smaller chick decided that he/she didn't want their sibling to eat while they were and literally jumped on top of him/her. I wouldn't mind having a male and a female. How soon does the male start trying to dominate? If I were guessing based on the comb, I'd say this one was female but then again, they aren't even a week old yet.

The cockerels are less fearful even when very young. They will usually be the first to come out from under momma when only a few hours old. The pullets will hang back and wait to see if it is "safe". I knew this dark guy was a cockerel early on from his behavior. Notice how he is out front keeping an eye out?






I will try and get some new pics this evening.......after work and, if it isn't raining, some mowing. The differences in the color of combs, even at 4 weeks, is amazing. I've only had a few chicks in the five years of hatching them that fooled me based on comb color and wattle development at 5 weeks.
Cockerels that have dominant male siblings with not "pink up" as quickly as a lone cockerel chick among pullets. The submission of the lower ranking cockerels will "stunt" their maturity. They catch up quickly once the more dominant cockerel(s) is/are removed. The cockerels will attempt breeding at 3 to 4 months old. Caution should be taken to protect the pullets from the early maturing cockerels or they could be injured by the over zealous males. The smaller size of the pullets puts them at risk from the larger males. They pullets will begin to lay around 5 months and, at that point, should be able to handle the advances but care should be taken to "limit the access" by keeping a good pullet/hen to cockerel/cock ratio.

Got to get back to work!

Seinna vinir!!
Seinna

 

[mlm Mike]

Here is bad pic of all 6, and yes, Moose is still on the job.

 

[arconfederate]

Ok, I'm going to try to attach a couple of pictures. I'm not the most computer literate geezer around so bear with me please!!



The top bird is Bandit, the more aggressive one. The bottom one is as yet unnamed. If male, possibly Thor or if female, Frigga.

My chicks think highly of themselves....

 

[RJSorensen]

LOL! I love the little demonstration gif figures/people that NAF used to pressure one into showing pictures. I quite like it. AR I am a geazzer myself and had to have it all shown to me by 'others.' But I can post a picture now… So I love all eight new babies I see and the broody bunch. Mine are growing feathers so quickly, only a week old and wow. We have a black and white chick, kind of a tuxedo looking thing, we have proclaimed him king and given him the name of Ragnar. Not sure if it is a proper Viking name, but it does fit him.

The barstools are of course recycled from the house and with them and a wire milk crate we are set for all sizes of visitors. And everyone like the side access, birds included. It is a fun project that will last till I am done I suppose. Since I have gotten old enough to realize, that this could be my last go around, I started building better things. After all, one can not take it with you and my family and I can enjoy them now.

RJ