Answer to the Delaware Dilemma

[fowlman01]

Quote:
I think it is too young to tell with that kind of pic. I like the backline of the female in the background.

Walt

 

[tadkerson]

Quote:
Rereading this ..... what David said ..... Select the Delawares and the Silver Columbian pullets. What is "Silver Columbian?"

Do I have this right?
Step one: Mate BR male x NH female
Step two: Mate those F1s together
Step three: Mate the Delaware roos x Silver Columbian pullets

OK ..... find some great New Hampshire pullets or hens for me, and I will get this started, and YOU ALL can raise the chicks!

The way I produced my silver columbian rhode island (a work in progress) was similar to the regimen proposed by David. I used rhode island red females and a black sex linked male in my first cross.

This only works if the barred rock carries silver and not gold. If the rock carries gold the you will never get the silver birds to segregate from the F1 cross. You do not know if the rock carries columbian or not- they may even carry the pattern gene- you have to do the crosses and find out. I hatched over 60 chicks to get two silver columbian males and no females. Any females that you produce will most likely show some red on their backs

My f4 female birds still carry some autosomal red- which is a pain to breed out of the female birds. The males tend to be smutty on the breast. I am going to introduce the dark brown gene and I am sure it will clean up the smut. I will also have to introduce melanotic to insure the offspring have some black in the hackles.

I am doing this because I am trying to add to my body of knowledge concerning genes in chickens. The females produced will work for a red sex linked cross-say a RIR or a New Hamp X the silver columbian.

I would not suggest that a person try to produce a delaware from scratch.

Tim

 

[kathyinmo]

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Awwww, heck, Tim .....
Well, I don't know how they would turn out, but I personally think it would be a fun project. There is always someone available to take the extras. If it all works out..... GREAT!!! If not ..... oh well, just some more mutt chickens in the world.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm not sure why someone would try to reinvent the wheel with Delawares anyway. They are hard enough to get right--why try to go back to square one? Makes no sense to me. I agree with Tim on that one.

 

[fowlman01]

There are existing birds I have seen here that could be used to breed to the SOP.

Walt

 

[tnchickenut]

I have emailed and chatted with Bill Braden about the Del Club and he has declined at this time, but wanted to be part of a Del forum... until one is created, I'm going to point him here. (and the heritage thread we all love)


In reply to "reinventing" Dels... I think ALOT of people are frustrated with comments like "real Delawares are extinct" and "Good stock is near impossible to find" and they just want to KNOW without a doubt that there is no Columbian crossing in their bird. I think that is why so many are willing to dedicated half their yard more or less to a project like that. I think, also, that whether you agree that is a good idea or not, it shows a level of commitment to preserving the breed that should be applauded.

 

[fowlman01]

Quote:
There are Del females that are very good and most of the problems with the better males is a tail angle problem that can be corrected in a year if everything works out.
I would be interested in watching a Del project though.

Walt

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
There are Del females that are very good and most of the problems with the better males is a tail angle problem that can be corrected in a year if everything works out.
I would be interested in watching a Del project though.

Walt

I'm not disputing that... You can work with alot of birds on here... given time and knowledge.

I know why I am attempting it, and a big part of it is "just for the fun of it"... like a science experiment I want to see what it was like... you know, like people who hollow out a tree to make a canoe like a Native American just because they want to. lol. Simular to that. Plus, I really do want to be able to know there is absolutely no Columbian influence.

I'm still shopping for good canoes, but going to be burning out a tree while I do it... I may just end up with canoes all over, but then I can pick and choose the best, right?
(maybe the canoe analogy wasn't the best one)

 

[Inkheart]

Ok i am a newbie here but i have good friends that breed and show rabbits - a breed called Dwarf Hotots - they were originally from a "sport" sort of mutation - and if you dont cross back out after a while to something that would equate to a new hamphire or barred rock - they eventually lose what makes them a Hotot and you go all white or start to get horribly "smutty" rabbits. Perhaps the idea of bringing some new "mixes" might re-jump start the breed? Just a thought

On a side note - got my first egg!!!!! Is it odd that it is speckled? LOL

 

[joletabey]

Inkheart - I think the speckles are OK. I have two girls that have lightly speckled eggs, and I know two others who get them also.

I am curious, too, as to what Mr. Ellis did to get his sport. The descriptions and short histories I have found never mention his breeding three generations to get a Delaware, as in what David said. It is generally just stated that he got a sport after crossing the BR and NHR -I keep harping on this, but I wish the man would have left notes or pictures somewhere of the original birds, or there was some documentation of exactly how he arrived at a flock - if that information is out there, I wish I could find it.

I may need to make a separate thread for this BUT:

OFFICIAL FIRST MEETING OF THE NEW DELAWARE CLUB TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12 AT 9:00 EST.
SITE TO BE ANNOUNCED AS SOON AS I KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL SHOW. PLEASE PM ME IF YOU WILL BE THERE. PM OR CONTACT ANYONE YOU THINK SHOULD KNOW.