Breeding Delawares to the Standard of Perfection

[MsKay]

Hi! Just getting started but love Delawares. Do any of you have any hatching eggs or chicks for sale? I am in South Mississippi.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Hi! Just getting started but love Delawares. Do any of you have any hatching eggs or chicks for sale? I am in South Mississippi.

This is the wrong time of year to be looking for eggs and chicks. Most chickens are molting and not laying much.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

This is the wrong time of year to be looking for eggs and chicks. Most chickens are molting and not laying much.

So true. Yesterday I got like 9 eggs out of a flock of over 100 laying birds. I haven't seen an egg from a Delaware in about 2 weeks as those two hens are molting.

 

[caychris]

I have a general question on molting. Do chickens molt this time of year if they are just approaching POL or hit POL late summer? or is that something I would expect to see next year around this time.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I have a general question on molting. Do chickens molt this time of year if they are just approaching POL or hit POL late summer? or is that something I would expect to see next year around this time.

My oldest Delawares are about 1.5 years old right now and are molting noticeably. The pullets/cockerels molt several times while maturing, but not like an adult molt. I'm noticing much more complete tails on the younger birds right now.

With my hatchery birds, they went through a wowzer of a molt the 3rd fall/winter.

 

[MsKay]

Oh yes, I know it is a bad time but I thought I might get lucky.

 

[gjensen]

Quote:
The molt is based on age, and by the change(shortening) in length of day etc. Fast maturing birds that are hatched especially early may molt in their first winter. Otherwise they will molt their second fall, and annually thereafter.

 

[kaiwan]

Here are the two hens I would use. The larger one (last picture) is a year younger and is half-sister to my young cockerel.



The smaller of the two(above). Better coloring. Comb is a mess.



Tee-pee tail of the smaller hen - not perfect, but not pinched. I would not use the hen on the left (pinched tail, narrower body).



The larger hen (above). Tail set and spread is similar to the smaller hen. Her coloring is obviously not as good, but she is larger and wider.

 

[finnfur]

So true. Yesterday I got like 9 eggs out of a flock of over 100 laying birds. I haven't seen an egg from a Delaware in about 2 weeks as those two hens are molting.

I was getting worried because we got down to 1/2 egg average a day from 5 Del and two EE hens - this is been at least 6>7 weeks + .If it doesn't change soon we will have to do the unthinkable - BUY EGGS

 

[finnfur]

Here are the two hens I would use. The larger one (last picture) is a year younger and is half-sister to my young cockerel.



The smaller of the two(above). Better coloring. Comb is a mess.



Tee-pee tail of the smaller hen - not perfect, but not pinched. I would not use the hen on the left (pinched tail, narrower body).



The larger hen (above). Tail set and spread is similar to the smaller hen. Her coloring is obviously not as good, but she is larger and wider.

with a limited supply I would try to breed both and keep good records of chicks hatched from them - the smaller "may throw large genes" you never know till you try { quote from APA judge]
-with limited choices its a longer haul - we are in a similar predicament but we just select the best and keep "kicking the can down the road"

I think the tail set is better on the smaller BTW- but pics are a little dark and hard to see markings good