Answer to the Delaware Dilemma

[Urbanfarmerkc]

The Del's legs will get more yellow after molting or having a rest from laying for awhile. I have a 4 year old hen (who still lays like a pullet) but has the ugliest pale yellow legs and a bit scaly too... But she stopped laying for awhile this winter and her legs got quite a bit of their color back. She is back to laying up a storm again so back to ugly legs but alas, who cares, she is a dynamo chicken. LOL

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Dave,
You saw the greenish legs on those pullets I hatched from shipped eggs. Do you think those will turn yellow? I don't see it happenin', but I gotta say, I do like their shape (type) and their markings aren't bad either. Hmmm, just another dilemma with the Dels, eh?

 

[Urbanfarmerkc]

Quote:
Dave,
You saw the greenish legs on those pullets I hatched from shipped eggs. Do you think those will turn yellow? I don't see it happenin', but I gotta say, I do like their shape (type) and their markings aren't bad either. Hmmm, just another dilemma with the Dels, eh?

No, I'm afraid I don't think they will either.

They are really BEAUTIFULLY built though. I think with a little time you could breed it out of them but I'm gonna guess that is a dominant gene. The green leg isn't unattractive and if you were a mind to, you could just perpetuate them and see where it get's ya. If I were to make a guess, I'd say someone way back in the genetics of these girls must have mixed with another breed. Probably the easter eggers or something of that sort. The fact that it is sex linked is interesting and may be worth pursuing since this would be an easy way to tell the boys from girls provided the coloration is present at hatch. I can't remember if you said it was or wasn't. Of course, it would throw your chases of showing out the window and it would be easy to mix up the colors since the male doesn't have green legs so it is a tossup.

I have to say, I'm glad it is not a problem I have to deal with. I've got enough to do on my little acre and a half. LOL

BTW, all your babies, including the ones I've hatched are happy as can be. I've got 5 of the originals under 2 momma hens and they are the foraging champs.

Dave

 

[speckledhen]

Green ones won't turn yellow later, no, but pale yellow legs can become brighter yellow as the bird gets older, pre-laying age. Tasha's sure did.

 

[kstaven]

Green legs would put them in my stew pot.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Even if they had great type?

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
Even if they had great type?

Yes.

 

[kstaven]

Quote:
Even if they had great type?

Give me mediocre type to deal with over green legs any day. YUP, stew pot bound.

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
Even if they had great type?

Give me mediocre type to deal with over green legs any day. YUP, stew pot bound.

100% agree!

 

[bt2000]

anyone care to give some insight into this post?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=6163439#p6163439


And on that note. Is there anyone in Michigan that has Dels that do not have the possibility of this happening.

At this point I'm wondering if Dels are a lost cause from what I've read. I've read so much on this breed the post couple of months I'm starting to feel like a chicken. No wonder the rooster gets jealous when I pick up on of the hens..

I looked at 3 different places settled on getting them from two different people. One I was told part of them were hatchery and some were from breeders.
the roo was supposed to have been from a reputable breeder.

None of the chickens I looked at showed any signs of what happened when I bred them. And after putting almost 200 chicks on the ground. It's more then disheartening to have something like this happening.

I've been lurking this site for months and it seems to me there is a HUGE problem finding "true/non crossed" delawares.