Sdwd

[rancher hicks]

I took some pictures of my F3 Delawares. At least a couple of the pullets have started to lay.
I posted them HERE.

very nice. Now are these your BR and HR crosses? Is this how you developed these? If I get rid of the orps I may go with some NR's. Though I do like Buckeyes and Rosecomb RIR's. Where I'm at combs get frost bit on the roosters. Unless I build a rooster winter coop with a heat source.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Yes. I started out by crossing a Barred Rock x New Hampshire.

 

[jeremy]

Kathy, they are gorgeous.

 

[kathyinmo]

Kathy, they are gorgeous.

Thank you, Jeremy! I still have work to do, but am hopeful that the next generation will be good enough (in my eyes) to share them. F4s or F5s maybe. I'll just have to wait and see.

 

[rancher hicks]

Yes. I started out by crossing a Barred Rock x New Hampshire.

Where did you get your NH's. As far as Dels are concerned in this area nice ones are few and far between. Well Dels themselves are few and far between. They're just not popular for people to want to keep in any amount other than a few extra birds. No real breeders that I know of. Other than me of course and I'm considering devoting more of my flock to Dels. Right now I'd say I'm at 25%.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
I got my start with New Hamps from Doug Akers in Indiana.

 

[wekiva bird]

Very nice job Kathy with the Delaware F3 hope some day i will get some from you.

 

[Serrin]

<snip> Though I do like Buckeyes and Rosecomb RIR's. Where I'm at combs get frost bit on the roosters. Unless I build a rooster winter coop with a heat source.

Or, you could just slather some petroleum jelly on those combs and save yourself a ton of money and time in building a heated coop!

Kathy, they're all drop dead gorgeous. Any chance I can get on the list come spring for some of those F4 eggs?

 

[rancher hicks]

Kathy - I'll have to see what I can do.

Serrin - I tried the petroleum jelly thing and it just gets to darn cold for it to work. The tips just don't stay covered with the jelly.

 

[Serrin]

Tim, your problem might not be how cold you're getting, but rather a moisture problem. We typically get down to the minus 20 range in the winter. The only time I've had any kind of real problem with frost bite is if their coop gets damp. That happens when those silly women sit out in a full on blizzard and then cart all of that snow back into their coop! The Dingbats!

But, if I can keep them from doing that, and keep the coop dry, the petroleum jelly applied to rooster combs at bedtime seems to do the trick.