I saw your video and it is excellent I also went to utube and saw the other video that you had when you got your chicks from Murry McMurry.
You asked about getting better breeding stock for your Delawares. There are a few strains out thier but not many in the higt class of Heritage look of this breed but they are trying so very hard to improve them. Some are crossing Barred Rock Males onto New Hampshire females to start a whole new line. So you might just want to keep what you have untill they can breed these up one source told me its a three year out in the breeding program.
In your barred rocks and New Hampshire’s you also have a production type bird for each breed and they will be outstanding providers of eggs and meat. If you set up breeding pens for these breeds you will just produce more of the same. That is still good as you do have a good all around quality chicken. The difference is in appearance of the breed.
Let me give you a example: I have a dog I adopted that is half German Shepard and half Beagle. He has thin legs like a beagle but a pretty good body cavity and the color of a German Sheppard. I can’t call him a pure Breed German Sheppard and the other day he was down at the river with me and a lady was walking the real Rin Tin Tin German Shepard. They both smelled each other and I told the lady what a gorgeous dog she had and his type and color was dog book picture perfect.
I love my dog and I saved him from being put to sleep but he is not Standard German Sheppard Dog material because he is not a pure breed. In chickens it is the same way. Many breeds have clubs that promote the very breed you own. I was the National Secretary of the Plymouth Rock Club and any one who had Barred Plymouth Rocks had the Heritage Type or pure breed to the Standard of Perfection.. If you wanted to breed these type birds you would have to get some stock from such a breeder. Most folks get eggs or started chicks about four weeks old.
There is some excellent New Hampshire large fowl coming along and they could be obtained by eggs or chicks as well. There is not a lot of breeders out there yet but it’s growing each year.
I hope I helped you a little bit. You have a choice and that is to keep what you have or switch out maybe next year and try New Hampshire or Barred Rocks from some of the folks that post on this web site.
You have a great set up and I enjoyed seeing your layout and future nests for this fall when they start laying.
What state do you live in? This can help on how to get started with new blood.
Hope this may help others who cross over to this tread who may be interested in these very rare breeds of chickens. All three breeds you have are very low in numbers in America today. I am talking about standard breed birds.
I have a question when you made your video how long did it take to upload to U tube?
So many people want to send me pictures of their grown birds but if I could see a three minute video of them walking on the grass it would be so much easier to grade their birds which they ask me to do. Thanks for posting and showing us your great video. You look like you can raise young chickens up to adult hood and that is step one in Back Yard Chicken hobby. Bob
