Are we Delawares?

[M To The Maxx]

Quote:
They are not delawares! look at the hens hackles!

I thought they are supposed to have black hackle feathers.

 

[speckledhen]

To me, that appears to be a mix of Delaware and Columbian Rock, with heavy emphasis on Columbian Rock. The tail on the male should be barred, not solid black. Wish I could see the hackles better on them, though. The male looks like he has some faint barring on the hackles, but the hen is pure Columbian Rock or a cross of Del and Rock. She has solid black hackles, which would be barred in a Delaware. That is one reason why really good Dels are endangered, the crossing of the two breeds which makes many hatchery Dels a real mess today.

 

[LeBlackbird]

Delawares have barred hackles, like my girl...

Yours has black hackles laced in white

 

[speckledhen]

Though he has light colored legs, your rooster could still be CR/Del cross. Though both breeds are supposed to have yellow legs, but good leg color on the Rocks and the Dels is a trait that is lacking in many hatchery breeds, so that doesnt necessarily mean there is a third breed in his background.

My Delaware rooster:

Young Delaware Pullet:

 

[Chris09]

The rooster looks to have red in his Wing Bow and the hen looks to have red or buff in her wings and on her back...
The Columbian Rock and the Delaware shouldnt have or put red there.

Chris

 

[speckledhen]

Chris, I saw that, but didn't know if it was a trick of the light or not, or if he was just dirty. If that is actually red, reminds me of a red sexlink rooster.
I thought it was dirt, like the red clay we have here that they dustbathe in. Often, hatchery Dels are outcrossed with production reds, I'm told. That may be coming out in his plumage, that telltale red smut. Some who posted their Dels have had that.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Quote:
I also saw that. I was thinking they were part of some kind of sex-link cross since Delawares are often used..

 

[speckledhen]

I have seen some Dels recently on BYC from hatcheries that have the off-color smut, so I'm thinking that's what's going on, the outcross coming through. Cross a Del with production red blood with CR and you'd get that color. I do see some faint barring, like white then off-white, in one of the pics of the rooster's tail.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
It could be clay but its on both wing in the same spot.. That's why I was thinking sex-link..
I could be wrong..
Chris

 

[Julie_A]

They are given free time, but not anywhere near red dirt.