Icelandic Chicken​

Icelandic Chicken​ come in a wide variety of colors and patterns, as they are a landrace, so there is no standard to their appearance, adding to the breed’s visual appeal! Birds can be crested and non-crested and a variety of comb shapes are accepted. Because they are a landrace, there is a high level of genetic diversity within the breed, making them particularly resilient and adaptable to different environments. This breed is known for its resourcefulness and self-sufficiency, traits that have been honed over centuries of living in the challenging Icelandic environment. These birds are excellent foragers, capable of surviving in diverse landscapes, which makes them relatively low-maintenance!

In addition to their hardiness, Icelandic chickens are also known for their prolific egg-laying abilities, making them a great option for small-scale egg production! Typically you should expect between 150 to 200 eggs per year from the hens. Hens weigh in at about 3 to 3.5 pounds and will lay medium-sized, off-white eggs. Roosters weigh roughly between 4.5 to 5.5 pounds. They can be a little flighty and will happily fly up and perch in trees. The hens are also somewhat broody so you can try to hatch naturally if you’d like. Some hens are more broody than others. We have also observed that they do well at a higher rooster-to-hen ratio of about 1:12. One rooster can easily mate with many hens. The viability of the eggs is consistently high at 90% or greater.

With the growing interest in heritage and rare breeds, the Icelandic chicken has gained attention outside of Iceland, where it is valued for its ability to thrive in diverse conditions and contribute to sustainable agricultural practices. We are sure if you decide to add this truly one-of-a-kind breed, you will not be disappointed.

Yes, you will see a wide array of appearances as the chicks hatch!

We recommend that you only hatch these chicks with other Icelandic as their varying appearance will make it extremely difficult to confidently tell them apart from other breeds. If you have other breeds on your farm, we recommend that you band the Icelandic immediately with leg bands to help you identify them as they grow.

We incubate at 99.5F and 55% humidity and typically we see about an 80% hatch rate from the eggs that are placed into our hatcher. Most of the chicks will hatch on time, so on day 21. But we have consistently seen that some of the chicks hatch a day late, so definitely plan to keep the eggs under your broody hen or in the incubator an extra day or 2.