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Member Reviews: Delaware

Positive Reviews

carolinagirl58

I LOVE my Delawares

Posted

Pros: inquisitive, friendly, beautiful

Cons: none

Last year, I decided I needed some chickens.  I bought three breeds....Delawares, Speckled Sussex and Blue Lace Red Wyandottes.  They were raised together.  Of the three, the Delawares are the only breed I will continue with.  They are interesting, inquisitive and intelligent.  They are friendly with my grandson and lay very well. 
pattycake

Best Chickens Evar!!!

Posted

Pros: Friendly, smart, hardy, excellent layers

Cons: Tendency to peck at your clothes, difficult molt

If I could only have one kind of chicken forever, it would be Delawares. They are just smart and friendly and healthy and very reliable layers. Two things: they peck at people's clothes (I've heard other people say this too) and they have a really hard molt once a year that makes them lose more feathers than the other hens: picture a pillow exploding. Sometimes there's a few days during their molt where they have difficulty walking -- they do a weird backwards walking thing. They get over it, though.
heronz

Great layers of really big eggs.

Posted

Pros: Huge eggs and lots of them.Friendly with people.Attractive.

Cons: Even as very young chicks a bit aggressive with other breeds.

Couldn't ask for bigger eggs. Big,friendly,hardy and attractive. A bit bossy with other breeds though.

Negative Reviews

Nicolew

Never again

Posted

Pros: Good layer

Cons: Bossy, aggressive, egg eaters

I purchased a mixed flock from My Pet Chicken in June 2012 (4 austrlorp, 2 barred rock, 2 delaware).  From the minute that I opened the box, my delaware hens were loud, and kind of pushy.    As the girls got older, Precious and Princess just became more and more agressive.  They are very loud, they eat eggs, and run at you if you attempt to get eggs from the nest.  They have gone after poor Lucy (australorp) so bady that they took off most of her comb and put a hole in her neck....all within a matter of hours!!  They are well cared for birds, were handeled often since birth, always have plenty of feed and fresh water and have lots of room.  We have...
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MommaBee

LOUD, MEAN but egg laying machines

Posted

Pros: lays daily all year long

Cons: Mean, loud, aggressive, feather picker and egg eater

I read above that someone else got their Delaware from MPC, maybe it is just their stock. But our first batch of hens came from MPC and we loved them all except our Delaware. She is mean, and even pecks at the kids. She lets everyone know EVERY time someone goes into the coop to lay an egg. We can't stand her. I am sure there are some great lines out there but we didn't get a good one.
DalzellChickens

Our Delaware rooster

Posted

Cons: AGRESSIVE!

Our Delaware rooster is very VERY aggressive. You can lay scratch down for him, and when you walk away, he'll flog you. We carry a lunge whip with us while we work in the barn just in case he needs a lesson taught to him. Again. But, he protects the hens. We also had guineas for a short period of time, not long after we got him, and the guineas and George didn't get along, so who knows why he's mean.

More Reviews

Clover Run

Great Dual Purpose Choice

Posted

Pros: Perfect for Meat and Great Egg Laying

I have a breeding quad of heritage Delawares from a breeder - not hatchery.  This breed is in need of conservation and is on the endangered list. I have been hatching out and selling chicks and love it when people learn about the history of this breed and choose it over the typical broiler.  Takes a couple more weeks to mature - but more then well worth it.   The hens lay daily and I have a batch of pullets I am raising up to add to the flock.  Nice big eggs - laid all winter.
ZakoHero

Nice Bird

Posted
My Delaware is realy nice i love it!It is a nice layer and meatbird!
tgooberbutt

Fast to mature - leads my flock - vocal!

Posted

Pros: Consistent layer. Can take care of herself.

Cons: Loud when she insists/wants something!

I have five hens: Delaware, New Hampshire Red, Dominque, and two mystery tan ones...   They all got delivered together, and the Delaware (Angel) was the first to get her wings (and was white...hence, Angel). I think because she matured first, she became the leader of the pack...she's always curious, pretty brave, and jumps on top of everything, and that girl has some hops for a heavy breed...she can get about 3-4 feet of the ground.    She's cool to be picked up and held, I set up a nesting box indoors for when I'm at home, and when angel wants in to get to that nesting box, raises a racket and let's you know she needs to be let in.     
bruce89123

Delaware

Posted

Pros: Frequint layers of large brown eggs

Cons: none

    My Delaware is a little on the controlling side of the other hens on my flock, however this could be just because she is the dominant hen of the flock. My Delaware is less noisy than the average chicken and lay more eggs than the average hen. Overall, a great addition to a backyard flock.
jaj121159

Delawares

Posted

Pros: Docile

Cons: not much

I love my Delawares so much I'm going to make them my primary laying breed this spring. I'm going to have a total of 40 +/-. They have been laying extra large eggs and have been decent winter layers.
tommysgirl

Fun and Friendly. I will always have some!

Posted

Pros: Curious, Pet Like, Pretty

Since we received our first order of chicks last spring, the Delawares have distinguished themselves as adventurers.  The first to figure out the eating and drinking thing, the first to roost on the waterer, the roost, the brooder lamp and  edge of the brooder, and the first to escape the brooder, these girls just want to explore.   We have three and one, Shirley, is the funniest. She comes in the house when the door is open and if she sees you in the yard or on the front porch she is right there talking to you.  Our Delawares are very vocal which I don't mind one bit.  Last weekend Shirley hopped on a table we have on our front porch and laid her first egg...
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milleryardchx

My favorite breed

Posted

Pros: nice large brown eggs, gental roosters with kids

Cons: Huge! had to make the coop opening bigger

I have had Delawares off and on over the years but right now I have the best Delaware rooster, I purchased him at 20 weeks old from a heritage meat farmer he is huge, 9lbs and is soo sweet! he lets my kids pet him he calls for the hens and chicks to come eat when he finds bugs or some yummy plant. He lets the chicks eat before he does. My favorite rooster I have ever had! Im going to cross him with with white rock hens for meat birds, Superman rocks maybe 4h next year for my son.
FrancesR

Delawares are well worth having around

Posted

Pros: Sweet, easy-going, very productive, pretty birds

Cons: ?

I have been very happy with all of my delawares.  They are friendly, calm and great egg-layers.  I will always include them in my chick orders.
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