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What is an Icelandic chicken?

The Icelandic chicken is one of the oldest varieties of poultry in the world. They were first brought to Iceland by Norse/Norse-Gael settlers (often called ‘Vikings’) in the 9th century AD and have been on farms in Iceland for more than a thousand years. Due to the isolated conditions of Iceland and the small farms, it is probable that they remained pure during this time.

 

The Vikings traveled a lot over hundreds of years and probably brought back a variety of chickens from many places.

Recent DNA testing places Icelandic chicken ancestors in Northern Europe and Mediterranean regions. They are considered a ‘Mediterranean type’ (a medium-sized chicken with white earlobes, white eggs and featherless shanks).

 

Due to importations of commercial chicken breeds into Iceland in the 20th century, the pure Icelandic chicken landrace became very rare by the 1950s. Preservation efforts began in the 1970s at the Agricultural Research Institute in Iceland (RALA), and it helped make a strong recovery, but Icelandic chickens still have a low population overall. Read more at the Eigenda-og raektaendafelag Landnamshaenan (Owners & Breeders Association Settlement Chicken or ERL) in Iceland: http://www.haena.is/thehistory/ 

 

Icelandic chickens are considered a landrace (see below) and not a breed with a standard of perfection. They do well in most management styles, such as a roomy coop with large adjoining run, or chicken tractors. However, they are at their best in free range situations.

One of their Icelandic names -- haughænsni -- means "pile chickens," due to their habit of foraging on manure piles and other places rich with insects and seeds.

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They are also sometimes referred to as Viking chickens.

celanders call them Íslenskar hænur (Islandic hen), Íslenska landnámshænan (Islandic hen of the settlers) or haughænsni.

 

What is special about Icelandic chickens?

They have been found to be more than 78% genetically different from any other breed, landrace or variety of Gallus gallus domesticus (the domestic chicken)..

Mix and match the import lines as long as they remain 100% pure Icelandic landrace. The variety of combs, colors and patterns are endless.  Icelandic's retain are a self-sufficient farm/homestead chicken – alert, curious, great foragers, good egg layers over a long time, thrifty, hardy, and fertile.

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