Answer to the Delaware Dilemma

[jeremy]

Totally not on topic... but Kathy, I want some of your silky Ameraucanas, I read that you were giving that project up?

I LOVE DELAWARES! Ha, back on topic.

 

[kathyinmo]

I can just see it all now .... the new Delaware strain ..... "The BYC strain!"

I will do hatching, heck that is my thing ya know! You all can do the rest!

Jeremy, I have 2 Silkied Ameraucanas left, and they are going to Germaine next week. I am just waiting for the shipping box to arrive. Then, I will have none. Talk to Germaine, as I am guessing she will have eggs soon after this rooster arrives to her.

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
Nope, they were made with BR Males and New Hamp females. The SOP calls them sports but in the true sense of a sport....they did not just pop out of a true breed. The popped out of a cross. (The bantams just showed up from sports in BR bantams..no cross). The large were made. The large fowl "sports" lacked the black extension, so I guess in a broad sense they could be called sports. That is just not what I think of as a "sport" though.

I'm kind of rambling here because I am thinking as I type and that can be dangerous. I am also adding my opinion, which is also dangerous.

So..bottom line.. if you make that cross SOME of the offspring will lack the black extension and will have a lot of white. Those are the birds that make the Del.

Walt

So what is the answer? Could that it be much worse than adding light sussex or coumbian? mostly unrealted birds except slightly similar color. I just read an article where one of the heritage breeding farms was working on correcting the barring in the tails, darkening the barring and working to eliminate the washed greys and lightness...How bad can it be to add a little of the foundation stock back into the breed..Australian breeders did it with australorps they were deliberate and knew what they were after...they re-introduced the cooper type blk orps to reduce tail size and give the birds a better curved shape back on the great bird of curves...granted not a color breed like dels...So Im just asking wouldnt it strengthen slightly the critically endangered del breed that according to a few breeders Ive talked to seem to go infertal younger than some other breeds..It just sounds like the whole thing kind of needs a shot in the arm , but not a breed that just looks similar color a delaware in color.


Boy if you ever judge a show walt, your not going to take this breed lightly are you..LOL

I will be judging at Columbus, but I don't know what I will be judging yet. I don't know much about breeding Delawares for color, but I am learning. I feel confident judging them, but not giving breeding advice other than techiniques that are used in most breeds. I don't know how to make that color, but I know that the barring has to come from a Barred Rock.
They did come from sports with the BRXNH cross. I had never thought of sports in that way because once you cross breeds anything can happen, but the sports from that cross come out with white bodies. I don't know how often they occur either.

Maybe the new Del club can make this a breeding project.

Walt

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
Your BR's will keep the size and shape you want in the Dels.

w.

 

[Lotsapaints]

Maybe Bob will find some good New Hampshires then we might get someplace....

 

[jeremy]

Doesn't Doug Akers have nice NHR?

 

[kathyinmo]

It would be fun, don't ya think?

 

[joletabey]

Well, I will help raise some chicks- Kathy and I have have sympathetic PO's that make sure I get chickens from her in less than 24 hours. I think I could process the extra roos and I don't mind mutts for layers. Count me in. Maybe I should look for great NHR at Columbus, then, too?

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
There should be good NH's for sale at Columbus.

Walt

 

[jeremy]

Walt, this pullet is about 4 1/2 months old (hatched May 21st), what do you think?