Delaware

I have super good friendly birds. Nothing bad to say about them....

I am by no means an expert on the Deleware, but I am currently raising 9-week-old growouts, most of them cockerels. (No issue, since I want to eat them anyways.) When I go outside, they peck at my feet and complain. They are very docile and friendly, but they are also quite stupid. The Delawares want all of the food in the cups that I have while I am feeding other pens, despite the fact that they can walk over to the many feeders I have. Additionally, they beg for water from waterers I am filling for other pens. I tried to teach them to use the nipple waterer by carrying one over and making the water come out and he just pecked another nipple, as clear as saying “I already knew how to do that, I just didn’t want to walk all the way over and go into the work of pecking it.”
They also eat a lot of food. A LOT of food. They understand the free range concept, but some young birds feel safer inside, so I don’t know if it’s just flock dynamics. I don’t know whether they convert feed efficiently but compared to the Marans and Welsummers their age, they are much beefier with more frame and weight. They look like they will be delicious some day, and they’re really sweet meaters. But they are exasperating, would never survive on their own, and don’t meet my standard of intelligence. I really do love them, but am definitely not going to make them any more than a laying hen and some chicken dinners.

My first chickens were Delaware’s from McMurry, so some of this could be inexperienceand some could be hatchery, but I was only moderately pleased with this breed. They laid large to xl eggs daily their first year. Started late their second year and never ramped back up to full production. They were great foragers, and the hens are mostly docile with a flighty hen now and again. Not a starting breed in my opinion. Not bad birds, just not beginners birds.

Excellent for meat if you like a full flavored almost gamey bird and A little tough, but they lay decent and eat ok. Dual purpose for sure.

Got eggs of these last May. After having the Silky-sized Peruvian Araucanas - these looked HUGE! The roosters eyeball me, asking for treats, as I sit on the Adirondack-chair in the yard - their heads are above the armrest! I have to guard my food! Mine are not aggressive. They don't like being picked up, but they don't run away, either. They come hang with me when I sit in the pasture. Kinda slow growing, but they put on enough bone to hold them up - unlike Rock x Cornish. Anticipating when they start laying eggs - the hatching eggs were fist-sized! Ate two extra roos already - nice meat! Got these to start a meat-flock while my Araucanas work as layers.

The Delaware Turken hen I had would let me hold her but she didn't like it. She was distant to the rest of the flock. I had 2 other Delaware hens and they avoided the flock also. I ended up rehoming them because I couldn't keep them escaping the field. If there was a weak spot in the fence or something they could climb up on to fly over thy always found it.

I started last year with 3 breeds, all heritage hatchery stock - Delawares were not my favorite at the beginning but definitely grew on me. My hatchery stock wasn't quite up to par size-wise, but selective breeding should fix this. They seemed (what I thought was) aggressive at first, but I found out later that was just their way of being inquisitive. They are really nice hens, I currently have 2 and I'm raising another 9 straight run chicks to begin a spiral breeding program. The cockerels that I had from the first batch were pretty docile compared to the Dark Cornish and White Rocks I had at the same time. I look forward to raising a few more roos and hope they continue to be one of my favorite breeds.

I bought a handful (or in some cases more) chicks of about 12 breeds this year to compare. I concentrated on dual purpose breeds that are known for being very good meat birds, cold hearty and non aggressive. The Delaware are one breed that I will never raise again due to their aggressive behavior. The flavor was not outstanding either. The roos started very aggressively attacking many of my other birds (hens and roos both) and were all harvested by 5 months. The aggressive behavior was actually apparent from a very young age, but I tolerated it until I had to chase them off my other birds on a daily basis.

I had high hopes for my Delaware hen but after 6 months she is getting re-homed. She could be the most productive layer ever but she is way too noisy and just flat out mean. She attacks people in the coop, screams bloody murder every time you handle her, and is just loud in general-for no apparent reason. She was raised with three other breeds from day old chicks and none of my other hens act like this.

Maybe I just got a dud but I won't be giving this breed another shot. I can only have a small number of chickens and I don't have room for all the Delaware drama!

Mine somehow managed to drown herself before she started laying, but I would get them again.

I really enjoyed them. I have thought about getting more and may later on. However it is not one of my specialty breeds. We had one that broke her foot, while her footmended she was in the house with us living and she would lay with her head on my foot while I worked at the computer. She became fully house trained after about 2 weeks. After she was healed up though her sisters would no longer accept her so we had to keep her in the house. She lived a nice long life. We will always remember our Tiger.

Our few feed store Delawares have been awesome backyard additions. They started laying much earlier than our other breeds and consistently lay a large nice brown egg, sometimes with speckling, 5 days per week. (Maybe 3 during the winter months.) Sassy and assertive without being bossy or bullyish. Constantly underfoot to get first crack at the treats and they don't typically wait for the to be offered - they jump up and try to snatch them! One of the nicer breeds I've come across that is not prone to broodiness. I have nothing negative to say other than some may find their markings kind a boring when compared to other breeds. One of my faves!

After reading several other reviews, I would like to add that they do enjoy pecking more than my other birds. They are like piranhas when taking treats from your hand, and when I wear pants with *bling* on the pockets, a butt-pecking is sure to come as soon as I bend down. I find it hilarious but children may not.

I Bought her as a pullet she is very smart low maintenance and good forager and she does lay very well. Overall easygoing.:cd

We have one young Delaware pullet and she has been great! She has just started laying and the eggs she lays are of good size, so far she has been laying on a regular basis too. She is not mean toward her flock mates and is nice to people! She is also a sweetie and very docile! The snow and cold weather have not phased her one bit! In fact, she loves going outside when there is snow on the ground! I recommend getting a Delaware if you are looking for eggs, a docile bird, and one that will not pick on other chickens in your flock! 5 stars!

Delaware are a pretty good breed overall. The hens are good egg layers and have very quirky and fun personalities that seem to stand out in my flock. I have had all of my cockerels and roosters become aggressive at a young age. Not only towards people, but other chickens. The roosters that have been human tolerant have been very mean to the hens and would pick on them and hurt them. We have only one rooster now, he has been pretty friendly towards his ladies and humans so far. But as soon as I pick up one of "his" girls, he will run at me. The Delaware's meat is very very good. It is very tender and rich in flavor. A good breed for meat and eggs. Leaning more towards the meat side.


Here's my cockerel now

Good alternative to the cornish cross thought take alittle more time,but i think it worth it because they are stronger foragers which means they eat more good stuff and you dont need to be buying so much food.

I got my Delaware as a chick and so far she is super kind, super tame, and very cute! I recommend the Delaware.

I've had a variety of chickens over the years. I've settled on Delawares. Of all the varieties I've had, Delawares are by far the best.

I read a few of the negative comments. I don't get it. Are they really talking about Delawares? Mine are not aggressive. Mine do not eat eggs. They can be loud but my little Nankins (as well as others I've had) are louder! If you want a chicken that isn't curious, doesn't make noise, doesn't mess on your porch, maybe you should get a cat instead.

Lots of BIG, light brown eggs almost all year long. I have 24 hens right now and get 15-20 eggs per day. My roosters are 8 - 8.5 lbs. Hens are not as big but still good size.
They fly up and sit on my lap waiting for treats. If I don't have treats they'll try the buttons on my shirt. Then they will just sit there until I'm ready to go in.

Love them!

I LOVED MY DELAWARES. I NAMED ONE DAISY AND SHE WAS MY FAVORITE HEN, SHE WOULD SIT ON MY SHOULDER AS A CHICK. SHE WAS MORE INTERESTED IN ME THEN THE OTHER CHICKENS. I SAW A BAD REVIEW ON DELAWARES EATING EGGS, I NEVER HAD THAT PROBLEM. THEY ONLY EAT EGGS IF THEY ARE DEFICIENT IN THEIR NUTRITION. I THINK MOST CONS, WE ARE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS. I THINK CHICKENS WERE MEANT TO FREE RANGE, NOT SOMETHING I CAN DO ALL THE TIME, BUT HOPING TO. I LIKED MY DELAWARES SO MUCH, I ORDERED A DELAWARE ROOSTER, HOPE HE WORKS OUT, HOPING TO FREE RANGE NOW WITH A ROOSTER, FOR PROTECTING MY HENS.

I really wanted to like them as I like their story and heritage. Even named her after my Grandmother and she is a pretty bird. But I'll not have another after she's gone.

My Delaware was stand-offish as a chick. Refused to sleep with the other chicks, stayed to herself. I'd go to hand feed them and she'd consistently run up and peck me. HARD. She was smart enough to know that if she did that I'd eventually drop whatever I was holding and she could rush in and get it for herself.

She has done well both winters and we've had some zero degree nights. She's also handled our 100+ degree summer days. A large girl, she consumes a huge amount of feed in comparison to my other hens of her similar size. If your hens aren't free-ranging, expect your feed bill to increase as these girls can chow down! She is a good forager and can get a good bit of her daily needs from free-ranging.

My Delaware is a consistent layer with 4-5 eggs a week. The eggs appear to be medium in size. Seems like little return for all the feed she consumes.

Others may have a different experience with Delawares. Mine was purchased at a Farm Store. Possibly a line from a breeder would be different but I doubt I'll try them again.