Kathy those F3s are beautiful. The girls are looking as nice as the boys. Their color is really coming along nicely and they are VERY chunky. I hope the fertility tester got some of those eggs! It is so exciting seeing all this.
My chicks from the F2 cockerels are super vigorous. At three...
You could pick your three best hens. Try them with one cockerel, then do a second hatch with the other cockerel. This would give you two separate strains to compare and work with. Keep the extra hens as layers and perhaps breed the best layers of that group to the best cockerel. This is just...
Cool art shots Kathy. I would frame a couple of the "squiggly" ones. Those birds are looking great too. There are some chunky guys there.
Kopeck: Normal dosage is 1 tablespoon per gallon but when I'm going for pullets I always add a little more. Just being sure because it won't hurt them.
I have had luck getting pullets by putting apple cider vinegar in the hens water. I had read this somewhere and it seems to work for me. It is also good for the hens and keeps the water cleaner. I am making no claims as I don't have many years of experience with it. I had 15 pullets and 5...
If you look at the picture in the APA Standard the back is much shorter. Now it may be that since your bird is too shallow in chest it makes him seem longer in back than it is. I don't know.
Also I don't know how long it takes for this particular line of birds to fill out. My ten week old...
I am really interested in these Cappy Valley as I have 28 Braden chicks that are 3 weeks old.
The cockerel seems too long in back and neck. Also as Speckled Hen said he is very shallow in the chest. This is not a bird I would want, and that is even if he were not pigeon toed.
Please show...
Their colors change a lot as they grow. Boys tend to carry more speckles on the back but not always. From what I can see both of those look like cockerels to me. Nice yellow legs.
I understand that decision. I don't have room for lots of chickens and even though I don't want to show, I want the birds I do have to be very good ones. Lower quality birds eat as much and take as much time and work as the good ones do. I'm too old to wait 10 years too. I also want to help...
Plantcity from what I can tell from the photos I like the gray boy the best. He has the best tail angle and width of body, if I'm seeing him in the last breast picture. He is too dark in color but to me that is preferred over being too light. His wings are a little low in carriage but not as...
Plantcity body type always comes first along with disposition. Post pics of your boys and we will be glad to let you know what we think. There are some very knowledgeable people here that can help you decide.
Kathy those are the best looking Delawares I've seen. I do consider them Delawares as they were created the same way as the originals. Who knows what "purebred" Delawares have been diluted with. The common Delaware rooster is too long legged with a great big comb that screams "Leghorn" to me...
Don't get discouraged with the brassiness. Your birds have very nice body type. I love the speckled neck on the one hen, beautiful color. Even though they are not perfect, they are far better than hatchery birds. In fact they are better than most of the Delawares out there as the breed needs...
Yes, I think you may be right. Could we get some of the old time experts like Walt or Bob Belosi and others to come and post what their opinion of this brassiness is? It would help us all make better selections.
Hi Stevenson,
There are too many roos to look at. It makes it hard for you to see everything. I would start by culling out the obviously poor choices and work from there till you are down to two. The "heir and the spare." Your idea of breeding from both is a good one.
I also...
Thank you Kim. I get a broody now and then. The last one was in November and I didn't let her have any eggs. The next one that comes along will probably get to set. They are wonderful moms.