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The color on our pullets is pretty good, the color on the cockerels needs more work. Regardless of color faults, people have been doing pretty well at shows with this line. They’re nice solid birds and judges seem to appreciate seeing Delawares with decent type.

Check out the United Delaware Poultry Club’s Facebook page. There are now several lines of Delawares that have been worked on for long enough that the breed is generally improving. Different breeders focusing on different goals. So it’s possible to get a head start on one’s own goals. Here are...

Both Zip and Jiffy brands work roughly the same way, and both seem to be manufactured by National Band and Tag Co in Kentucky. As far as I can tell. One style comes with special pliers that you put the band in, and then "staple" on the wing. The others are pushed through by hand ... and then...

You crack me up. Doesn't National band sell both Zip and Jiffy "brands?" They come in the same box, sounds like the same factory. I haven't quite figured out the family tree on how the difference between the brands all works. I even called Natiinal ... I chose the one that is supposedly less...

Do you have any photos of a wing band on a day-old Delaware from this line? I think seeing that might make me feel better.

So I have the wing bands and peroxide ... but the chick's wings are TINY! I just don't think I can do it this early. :/ The chicks are pretty good weights, I think. A Facebook friend gave me criteria for assessing day-old broilers, and these guys weights are good. But, tiny wings.

We got our NPIP number. We bought an incubator and a hatcher and chick heat plates. We hatched a small batch of F7 Delawares (Kathy's Line). We're building a brooder fort on the back deck where I can keep an eye on the chicks. I'm going to try to wing band that first batch of chicks today. Lots...

We had a great day here yesterday with our breeder/judge consultant picking breeding birds. We sorted my two cocks, 10 cockerels, 7 hens, and lots of pullets. Then we put together two breeding pens ... first the remaining hens with a cockerel, then one of the two cocks with the pullets. It may...

I believe you've misread the 2014 study. And the 1950 study involved no Delawares. Here is a link to the 1950 study: http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/4/552.full.pdf+html There currently are no standard bred Delawares. Kathy's Line comes the closest. I don't think it is odd at all...

Thank you for the explanation about how to select the fastest growers. If you're looking for Delawares that conform to the Standard, then the Kathy's Line birds come the closest. For now. There are a few breeders working to bring Delawares back to the standard. In the study you link to...

I'm curious now if there are currently any actual breeds that reach 6 lbs in 11.5 weeks.

Exactly. Yellow legs and no ink stains on the carcass.

No, this line of Delawares is not reaching 6 lbs live weight in 11.5 weeks.

Also ... are we sure the historical numbers are from Delawares? From what I understand, the Delawares were more the beauty queens of the meat industry, not the most muscled up birds.

Generally, I don't think anyone is getting 6 lbs from any actual breed at 12 weeks. I believe only hybrids grow that fast. But then, I don't know if anyone is growing any actual breeds indoors, where feed efficiency is higher. Specifically, no, the Kathy's Line Delawares do not grow that...

That's super unfortunate! I wonder what happened. I know someone up in Washington who was really hoping to get some starter birds from them, as they've already been working to select them for performance as pastured meat birds.

Over at the Delaware Club's facebook group page we're going to be working on a couple group, member-driven projects we think will be useful to people working with Delawares. I made a more detailed post about it over at the Breeding Delawares to the Standard of Perfection thread. We'd love...

At the facebook breed club, someone from Texas was showing photos of their Delawares ... and the chicks they just hatched. But they claim they "can't remember" where they got their birds. There is a farm in Texas ... Cobb Creek Farm ... that has a line of Delawares they're breeding to use as...

Here is one of the younger cockerels (PapaDel breeding) of the batch we sent to the processor a while back, ready to cook. Not a very big bird, as you can see ... only dressed to about 4.5 lbs with the neck still on. No brining ... and only the second time I've used the dutch oven instead of dry...

Well, since the cockerels are at least 2 months behind the pullets, it would sure be helpful!