Answer to the Delaware Dilemma

[joletabey]

OK, for my OWN EDIFICATION - since I am a crack pot and still new to this to boot - is this roo's tail white and gray?

I realize he still has smut and shouldn't at his age (10 months) and he is not deep chested.Wide but not deep. But is that considered a grey and white tail?

Secret handshake, huh? Hmmmm....and what kind of party's will that get me in to?

 

[kathyinmo]

This girl seems to me to have good shape (though I can not find a good picture right now). I am wondering how much of this will carry over. As I am going for shape first, I am not gonna worry about it yet, just wondering.

 

[fowlman01]

Beth, if you tell me where you had your monitor calibrated and if I get it done there too, I might be able to discuss colors with you.

You do know that every monitor shows color differently. (A Walt lecture to start things off.) I am pretty sure the barring is not black though. When you folks post pics, try to take it from the side, so I can see the birds profile. When you have smut in a female with weak color, you have an uphill fight. Generally we see smut in a bird that is too dark. What color is the undercolor of that female?

The females have pinched tails. Check the pic of the Del female in the SOP....the illustrations you all love to hate. You should see 5 to 7 individual tail feathers when viewing from the illustration angle. (profile) That is what you should be seeing in the tail. Not the look of 1 or 2 feathers, because they are folded (pinched) together. Once you get past the idea that they are cartoons, the illustrations may become valuable.

Ahhh.....we don't have parties...this is serious business.......

Walt

 

[Lotsapaints]

okay mine are 21 weeks and I'm getting ready for the big cut now I'm looking at mine as having the same basic shape as a ROCK with the beak the color of my New Hampshires no stripe down the beak that would be from the Colombian that seem to get added in I do not see the dots on my hens tails I have the necklace the yellow legs and many of mine have too much color on the backs but the down color is white....I'm just doing pullets I have 3 nice roos need to cull one so I think the one with the most smut must go. I was thinking of keeping the pullets with the most width thru the pelvis wide thru the back and head and the heaviest ones.....

These are just random shots from this morning

 

[jeremy]

Quote:
I had no idea that there was an issue with the number of tail feathers able to be seen, everyone seem so hung up on color... now we've got a whole other set of things to look for.
These are my pullets from Bill Braden, they're around 14 weeks old now, in these pictures they were about 12 weeks though, a bit younger.

Mind you some of these photos they were sunbathing, so the their tail feathers were spread out like fans, for the most part though they tend to carry them where multiple feathers are visible, is this what you're talking about Walt?

This picture doesn't really show the angle very well, but it's a nice close up of the color.

What do y'all think? They still have much filling in to do, they're still very young.

 

[aveca]

Quote:
Boy, you see how difficult all of this is? Pretty nice for a 10 month old

You have to find straight combs, you have to have reddish horn beak you have to have tail barring ect...ect... Im thinking you might have something you can at least work with..

Just a question and possibly its just the lighting, but are the legs supposed to be bright yellow? Im still thinking you have something to work with here.

.these birds are so incredibly rare that you have to make a lot of careful decisions. Keep in mind the perfect bird hasnt been hatched and each generation you make little adjustments..It might just be the lighting in the pic, There is a plethra of things to get right, but you just have to choose your hens accordingly..What does this young rooster need for any improvments you want to make and find hens that will compliment that..

I have a cockeral ,(aussie) hes sold actually but leaving next fri...Boy I have days I want to think twice because hes kind of a knockout, nice wide healthy aussi, nice wide feather,super nice correct feather coloring, legs correct comb stright 5 points and drumm roll please, he has a yellow tinge to sole of foot..Im really torn but I made the decision and the new owners are happy so cant take it back and its probably for the best in the end...We think somewhere in his fathers history there was some jersey giant added , maybe by mistake, some times people confuse the hens, and they do look a lot alike except the giant will surpass the lorp in size in the end.. I have a hard time looking at him cause hes really nice in so many ways but I made the hard decision..I should take a pic of him befor he leaves, cause hes kind of a suprise, you try to make good birds but he surpassed expectations except light yellow foot undercolor. I could put him back on the blk orps and that should correct that and he would add a few nice features to these giant australorps I have..the SOP calls fora relativly tight feather and these giant australorps have a losse feather..so he would corrct that plus things, oh well Im rambeling. Autralorps are to ahve a white, light grey or pink sole to the foot, jersey giants have a mustrd yellow sole, this young bird does not have a mustrad yellow but a light biutter yellow, somedays hardly noticable.But I had to decide..Im still struggling with it a little.

If It were me, I would keep working on this group of dels .

In your case , these can be worked with.

I would just keep working things out with it generation to the next. looks like you chose pretty well on the hens to compliment the young roo.But I just cant figure out the leg color, Im thinking its the light they are in.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Delawares should have, "rich yellow," legs, according to the SOP. The difficulty is keeping them that color. As soon as the girls begin to lay, their legs pale.

Quote:
Jeremy,
I was told that a pinched tail is like .... well, like when you take your thumb and finger and crease a piece of paper (set it down like a tent) .... Imagine doing that along the back of the chicken, and there will be a ^ (an upside down V) shape looking from behind. That is the pinched tail.

In your first picture, in the center, is an example of a pinched tail.

 

[jeremy]

Kathy, thank you for the knowledge. So, should the feathers be more parallel to each other and not make the upside down V shape?
Just when you think you have something figured out...

ETA: I've noticed too that when they're heavy into their lay cycle my Dels (only my 3 older hatchery stock hens, no idea what the breeder birds will do yet) lose their yellow legs, they turn a very "pastel" creamy yellow. As soon as they start to molt and in the winter month's they tend to turn a more vibrant yellow again.

 

[Serrin]

Quote:
So in that case what should it be? An upside down "U" shape?

Hey Walt, if you ever grow tired of all of the technical side of these Dellies, and want to just kick back and share stories of them, come join us over in the SDWD (Society for Delaware World Domination) thread! Just follow the link and we'll see ya there!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=384349&p=1

You can pretty much skip to the last page if you like, and just jump right in.

Edited cuz I can't keep my acronyms straight!

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:

I can't see the behind from this view, Amy! This is what Walt said to look at!

ETA: I added a picture of Oliver for comparison.