Yep the foundation has to be correct or the building will fall down. That said the deleware is very specific color pattern. and the perfect bird hasnt been hatched so Im told . a few very close but no perfections which we are all striving for. I did see a bhrama (sp ) that won BOS every show he was at considered best in US.
If you open your color SOP, turn to deleware look carefully at the picture, the barring , even the B&W standard will help...Then turn 2 more pages and look at plymouth/columbian when you cross them you get something inbetween some barring some striaght green sheen which is a requirement of coumbian and light sussex.
not a big deal we just move on and evolve.
Green is not always a base color in black but required of both sussex and columbians, Purple can crop up as well which is a fault or supposed to be in sussex , columbian, and even the dark black birds like Australorps you see purple shades thou a fault.
This last summer I read a lecture given in harrisburg about correct birds and thier breeding and how it is no easy feat...from straight combs to the art of color.
I had what I purchased as an australorps cockeral, he had all of the right stuff, thoub a little leghorn looking, white soles on the feet a requirement, white skin no blk or spots on skin correct green sheen in feathers no purpleing thought I can work with this, super nice comb ect...and guess what... first batch of eggs I showed you in previous post..yellow , more like cream yellow on soles of feet skin a cream yellow to me says jersey giant...so offered him for sale and made clear that this might be a cross.
I read that whole thread. I dont think that anyone meant to be insulting, just a do things right was what I got out of it. sometimes people are passionate , and a lover of the breed and fear of loosing them .they are still on the critical list and the reason is just that, there are lots of australorps, and lots of delewares but are they really jersey giants? and columbians? Maybe we just need to take a hard look, deleware is an important american breed , we need to get it right.. look at the big shows , see whos winning in american - dels, seek them out, buy some great birds, or hatching eggs enjoy this important journey and please dont cross them back onto columbians or light sussex it only sets the whole thing back.. get some hatching eggs and go to work.. I know this is america and we want everything instant but think a couple years down the road to a great success.. And I hope you acheive it, I know you can.
I was told by a big breeder that True delewares in thier experience and using correct birds from different scources that the true delewares tend to go infertile earlier than other breeds so he liked to set them in the breeding sheds quite young and after 3 or 4 years he took them out on the show circut..the crosses will always keep thier fertility longer sue to longer gene pool, del gene pool is quite limited probable cause. He got many years of fun showing roosters . So maybe a tip from him, breed them straight off then retire-show and enjoy. the hens do better in fertility dept. He also said dont get jumpy with a baby with greyish tail after they loose those babies the darker tail barring follows.
