In all reality you are breeding one of the hardest birds there is to put all the individual elements together to meet the SOP.
The delaware history is so badly documented that the green leg issue could have been there right from the original "sports" the breed came up from. We have no way of knowing if the NHR or BR side of the line was carrying this, because really we don't know how pure that foundation stock really was. Secondly, considering our poultry history most old time breeders would never admit to it, even if it happened to them. It is just with the dawn of the internet forums like this and the renewed interest in poultry, along with more open and public discussion that is occurring that issues are more apparent and made public.
So far I haven't had to deal with it but that is not to say that 10 generations down the road something of this nature will not rear its ugly head just because I did a pairing with a fresh bird that introduced the right genetic mix to what was hiding in the background of my foundation birds. And yes it could come from a top breeders stock.
I know some of what you see may be because of more recent out-crossing. But that does not mean it has not been an issue that goes much further back.
Just like you will see reference to dwarfism rearing its ugly head from time to time. It has no doubt existed much further back than we have records of and no doubt it will rearits ugly head in the future.
With Marans I had Columbian chicks suddenly start regularly appearing in my Cuckoo Marans line after a number of generations and no new blood had been added to the flock.
So the most honest answer to your question is no breeder can ever GUARANTEE it will not happen by adding their blood to your flock. This goes for any breed of poultry. Who knows ... the new blood I am introducing this season may put me in the same spot down the road.
Have you tried using another rooster over those hens? That may put you on the road to cleaning this up. Like Kathyinmo and others have said "it can be bred out" In all reality we are all picking up the pieces when breeding poultry these days. What was once a common interest almost died and a goodly amount of the genetic stock and history of our current stocks lineage vanished forever.
Delawares are not a lost cause and looking at the dedication and discussion I see on the poultry front I have more hope now than I would have had a decade ago. So don't be too disheartened. Pick up the pieces like the rest of us and be part of building a more solid genetic base for the future of this breed.
The delaware history is so badly documented that the green leg issue could have been there right from the original "sports" the breed came up from. We have no way of knowing if the NHR or BR side of the line was carrying this, because really we don't know how pure that foundation stock really was. Secondly, considering our poultry history most old time breeders would never admit to it, even if it happened to them. It is just with the dawn of the internet forums like this and the renewed interest in poultry, along with more open and public discussion that is occurring that issues are more apparent and made public.
So far I haven't had to deal with it but that is not to say that 10 generations down the road something of this nature will not rear its ugly head just because I did a pairing with a fresh bird that introduced the right genetic mix to what was hiding in the background of my foundation birds. And yes it could come from a top breeders stock.
I know some of what you see may be because of more recent out-crossing. But that does not mean it has not been an issue that goes much further back.
Just like you will see reference to dwarfism rearing its ugly head from time to time. It has no doubt existed much further back than we have records of and no doubt it will rearits ugly head in the future.
With Marans I had Columbian chicks suddenly start regularly appearing in my Cuckoo Marans line after a number of generations and no new blood had been added to the flock.
So the most honest answer to your question is no breeder can ever GUARANTEE it will not happen by adding their blood to your flock. This goes for any breed of poultry. Who knows ... the new blood I am introducing this season may put me in the same spot down the road.
Have you tried using another rooster over those hens? That may put you on the road to cleaning this up. Like Kathyinmo and others have said "it can be bred out" In all reality we are all picking up the pieces when breeding poultry these days. What was once a common interest almost died and a goodly amount of the genetic stock and history of our current stocks lineage vanished forever.
Delawares are not a lost cause and looking at the dedication and discussion I see on the poultry front I have more hope now than I would have had a decade ago. So don't be too disheartened. Pick up the pieces like the rest of us and be part of building a more solid genetic base for the future of this breed.
