Buckeye Roo over Delaware Hens Meat-Type Cross Project

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

My eldest son and I are hatching Buckeye Roo over Delaware Hens as a Meat-Type, Sex-Link Production project for 4-H. I thought I would start a separate thread to track our progress, as there was some interest expressed in this cross.

The Delawares came from Sand Hill Preservation (2010 Hatch) and Whitmore Farms (2009 Hatch). The plumage on them is imperfect, but the bodies and personalities seem to type.

The Buckeye came from a private breeder from an Easter 2010 hatch.

The Delaware eggs are large in size.

All eggs began developing and made it to lockdown.

So far, three are out and are all Delaware blonde with Buckeye red "mink stoles" around their shoulders (very handsome chicks). The light coloring should indicate they are males, if the Dels truly have the silver gene and my Buckeye is pure. We have more to hatch, I am hoping for at least one female as a comparison, but would prefer more males to females.

I plan to start them on 21-30% protein feed.

They will be raised with a few Specled Sussex and Black Ameraucana that were in there too.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not sure what the markings will be on the Buckeye over Delaware females. I hatched some Speckled Sussex over Delaware, but also had some from the same SS rooster but Buff Orp and SS hens in there. I was not sure which were the SS over Delaware females until several months later.

This is only part of the chicks, but the three yellow ones were SS over Delaware roosters. I had a couple of SS over Delaware pullets, but I don't know which if any of these red ones were those pullets.

 

[SJ]

Sounds awesome. I wanted to do this very thing. Will any be for sale.

Im working with my Delaware roo Leo on a similar project for an meat bird and would love to see and hear all about this Buckeye cross. The hens should lay well too. Sounds like a good Dual Purpose bird to me.

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

I do not have many, this is an experiment and the hubby is a bit concerned about feed costs. (I can always make more though

or give you the buckeye roo, he is a bit too human aggressive for us and is on the to-be-butchered list. We want to start over with some Duane Urch Buckeyes.)

All that have hatched are light colored. All Males, seems unlikely. I am concerned that the Buckeye may not really have that red gene, or the Delawares experienced a cross somewhere in their background that eliminated the silver gene. We will know in a few weeks if they are all boys or not.

Plumage should not affect the meat making experiment, but it may indicate I did not start with "real" Delawares.

They are happy and healthy in the brooder.

 

[Arielle]

Hi Joann,

I usually live over on the buckeye thread, but wanted to keep up with this meat project. Very curious if this cross results in a birds thats are meatier, or grow to market wt faster; that sort of thing. I'm sure you'll keep posting.

 

[SteveH]

 

[Jared77]

Another curious observer please keep us updated I'm subscribed!

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

(pretend it is fried chicken

)


I have crossed my large Splash Orpington rooster over my hatchery Delaware hens. The resulting chickens are blue/gray. Hens are great layers and the cockerels are so, so

I am looking forward to hearing how your chicks do.

 

[EasterEggersRULE]

will be watching this thread for sure !

 

[cubalaya]

isn't the delaware already a meat bird? is the purpose of the cross for sex links? you state that you got your delawares from sandhill and whitmore and then say that you wonder if you have 'real delawares'. if thats where you got them from then you have delawares. isn't the buckeye more of a dark meat bird? i dont understand what your project will accomplish.