It is difficult to imagine a household without chickens - after all, they give the unique atmosphere of rural life. Unfortunately, not all countries can boast suitable climatic conditions for breeding birds. And because scientists, breeders are working on breeding new and reviving old or lost breeds of unpretentious chickens with good frost-resistant indicators. A prominent representative of this niche is the Iceland Landrace breed.
Inference history
On lands where the climate does not please with warm days, in a country close to the North Pole, a breed of chickens was raised that is able to survive in low temperatures, changeable weather, and strong gusts of cold wind. Scientists involved in the selection of birds, argue that the Iceland Landrace is one of the oldest breeds of poultry of the surviving. 
It is believed that this variety of chickens bred spontaneously. In the distant past, returning from hikes, the Vikings brought poultry from European countries, who, unable to endure the harsh climate, died, and the conquerors brought more and more. Many birds died, but some individuals were able to settle down in difficult conditions, and so the Iceland Landrace breed appeared. Farmers in Iceland cherish this breed and are happy to breed it.
Description and Features
A distinctive feature of the described breed is the presence of a very thick plumage, which covers almost the entire body of the bird and helps it survive in adverse climatic conditions of Iceland.
Check out such unusual breeds of chickens as: Araucana, Ayam Chemani, Barnevelder, Viandot, Ha Dong Tao, Gilyansk beauty, Chinese silk, Phoenix and Shamo.
Appearance and physique
Landraces have an average build: the weight of a chicken reaches 2.5 kg, and the weight of a rooster is 3 kg. The plumage of a bird can be of a completely different color. Landrace's cock has a small head, a large, erect comb, having 6-7 teeth with pronounced cuts. The skin on the ridge is rough, it is not prone to frostbite. Large earrings have an elongated shape with a rounded end. Beak - elongated with a rounded end, light yellow color.
Did you know? Chickens are well oriented in time: for example, they remember how much feeding takes place.The neck of Landrace is not long, but the plumage on the neck is elongated, falling on the shoulders of a bird. Outside the body, the shoulders barely protrude, and because of the thick feather on the lumbar section, the wings are completely invisible. The rooster has a feathery tail, beautiful, long, with rounded feathers. Tail landing - high. The plumage growing on the belly completely hides the legs of the bird. Fine-bonded metatarsus covered with yellow scales. The appearance of the Icelandic Landrace female resembles a rooster, with the exception of the main sexual characteristics.
Important! Color Icelandic Landrace can be any, with any hues, and inaccuracies, blur in color are not a deviation from the standard. Each color of chickens is unique.
Character
Landrace has a friendly and calm disposition. They quickly get used to their surroundings, the owners, and the roosters pay more attention to the person than the chicken. The most important thing in the pack is the rooster. He is responsible for the order and security in his family, watching his ladies, taking care of them. 
Hatching instinct
The bird's maternal instincts are very high — they are beautiful, caring moms, and in one season are able to warm two eggs. They are very attentive and responsible to the young - wanting to protect their lives, trying to keep close to them all the time.
Did you know? Cock sperm retains its quality for a month. One mating can be enough for two dozen fertilized eggs!Young animals die in rare cases. A distinctive feature of this breed is its ability to overgrow with feathers, which reliably protect the bird from frostbite - even during a blizzard with a strong wind.
Productivity
Icelandic chickens grow up pretty quickly and begin to rush.
Undemanding include breeds of chickens such as: Leggorn, Super Kharko and Moscow Black.
Growth and weight gain
The chicken, when born, weighs about 40 grams, but develops very quickly and gains weight. At the age of two or three weeks, chickens can walk in the fresh air along with the hen. 
Important! Chickens are sensitive to temperature variations up to 10 days from birth.
Puberty and egg production
Sexual maturity in the female comes at the age of five months, but she has not yet gained maximum weight, as she continues to grow up to a year. The first testicles that the hen blows are small, with a fragile shell, but over time, egg-laying normalizes.
The laying hens lay up to 220 eggs throughout the year, the egg production of the bird is preserved until old age. The weight of one egg is 55-65 grams, the largest specimens are selected for hatching. With a balanced diet, the icelanders rush without interruption throughout the year, regardless of the weather conditions and the season.
What to feed
Nutrition Landrasov is no different from the nutrition of other breeds.
Learn how to feed homemade chickens.
Adult flock
In the diet of poultry, in addition to cereal mixtures, such products as greens, carrots, fish oil, meat or fish broth, oil cake must be included. 
Did you know? Chickens are able to distinguish about a hundred "persons" (chickens, other pets, people), easily remember the offenders and those who are friendly to them.During the laying, it is desirable to double the rate of minerals (crushed shells, chalk, complex mixtures) and greens.
Chickens
The feeding and housing of Landrace chicks is no different from other species. Before the chicks reach ten days of age, they are given boiled egg yolks with crushed cereals and greens, later home ground grain mixes, cottage cheese. Vegetables, herbs, fish oil, vitamins and minerals - the guarantee of health and proper development of chicks. They must be present in the diet every day. In addition, timely vaccination and hygiene in the poultry house are necessary to maintain poultry health. 
Did you know? A hen can carry eggs only in daylight: even when it is time to lay an egg, the bird waits for the sun to rise or turn on the electric light.
What else to take care
The variety of chickens in question is kept in a regular chicken coop with a large territory for walking. It is necessary to warm the bird house, equip it with deep bedding and small roosts in height. Small superstructures should be installed in the poultry yard, as the bird likes to take off on buildings very much.
Make an aviary for chickens.
Landrace needs space: the birds love to run and flap their wings quickly, warming themselves in this way. Grain feed is one of the components of bird nutrition. Seeds, plants and their sprouts, insects contain the necessary supply of trace elements and vitamins.
Advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of representatives of the breed are many, these include:
- friendly and good-natured character;
- good health;
- strong maternal instincts;
- high egg production;
- tasty eggs;
- excellent taste of meat.
The disadvantages of the breed include:
- relatively small population;
- Representatives do not tolerate a hot southern climate.
Thanks to the Icelandic poultry farmers in the world there is one of the frost-resistant breeds of chickens. They appreciated the quality of this bird in the countries of Northern Europe and some cold regions of Russia.
