Chicken Breed Focus - Delaware

[sherrib0401]

I have a hen named Angel who is very friendly and very vocal. She is always hanging out near me. I also had a beautiful Delaware Rooster name Del who got sick and died last week. He was very friendly and good to his girls. He will be missed.

 

[Duke12]

Dela Perching!

With Beyoncé the Buff Brahma, ironic but Sicily the Sicillian BC (Franky the OEG not pictured haha!)

Toddlerish? Pic haha! Look at the sweet EE baby!!

Day I brought them home from Wilco, and missing the EE cus he turned out to be a rooster. They would've had sweet Delaware ee babies

Maybe one day! Wonder what that mix would've looked like.

I thought I was being original when I called her Dela, guess not! Just kidding, I tried calling her marshmallow and other things but the only thing to stick was Dela, and she is the best hen in my opinion. Probably gonna be the first to lay with her big red wattles compared to the others theirs are all small and pink.
She's the mother hen of the other three, and so talkative! Tells me she wants out of the kennel and that she wants her scratch just talks to me when I'm walking around the yard. She tells everyone else where to be and she is so sweet! They really do live through the their beaks. I was painting and I've been gardening and I'll get a big ol peck on my back and her just looking at me curiously like "what? What's up?"
She's slso the one to take home the FFA Reserve Grand Champion best of show! She really shows her dual purpose side with the thick legs and heavy body. I'm just waiting on those brown eggs from her! Those meaty legs looks so funny when she chicken sprints across the yard, looks like a velociraptor from Jurassic Park!
My next flock when I own my own home with definetly have a few delawares! They are a permanent favorite! Hope she can hatch some eggs if she ever goes broody, anyone have any luck with that?

 

[8flocksMocked]

My Delaware is the shyest of my entire flock ! She hasn't began laying yet at ~18ish weeks but getting there soon .

 

[wornoutmomto3]

WooHoo!! I love my Delaware hens. I searched high and low for the two girls I have now. And I wouldn't replace them for anything. Considered getting a rooster to pair with them, but DH objects. Maybe crossing them with my Hertiage RIR roo will produce that beautiful sex linked cross. I will have to post some pics tomorrow when the sun is out.

 

[JacksHomestead]

My Delaware hen is very curious and vocal, she runs the length of the coop waiting for me to toss in some treats, I have 2 hens and she is the dominant one for sure, they started laying July 14th and i have gotten 2 eggs a day since. I hope to get more hens in the spring as i will soon be expading my run, i need help with ideas on how to make the most of the coop space. thanks

 

[caychris]

I love my Delawares I have some from hatchery stock and some from Kathy Bonhams recreated lines. I love these girls they are one of the most friendly inquisitive and smart chickens I have

 

[rancher hicks]

Well I just gave away two of my three roosters, now I have to hope the one I have doesn't die, though I plan to reduce chickens. It's hard to do. I do have a broody hen and might give her a couple of eggs, though she has four. She's just little frizzle.

I love the Delawares. They're also my quietest in crowers.

I sold my incubator so I can't hatch that way if the lone rooster dies. I like to keep two of each breed so i have a backup.

I have one Marans. The fertility isn't good. I don't think it's the rooster. I've hatched EE's that he's mated with.

I've never had trouble with Delaware hatching. They were my control group. If they didn't hatch in the incubator then I knew it was me.

 

[Maeschak]

I just hatched a bunch of Delawares and some have dark down on their back and/or a dark down spot on the top of their head. Is that normal?

 

[rancher hicks]

I just hatched a bunch of Delawares and some have dark down on their back and/or a dark down spot on the top of their head. Is that normal?

1. Where did you get the eggs?

2. Can you post pictures?

 

[Maeschak]

1. Where did you get the eggs?

2. Can you post pictures?

I got them from Whitmore farm in Maryland (picked up local) and I don't have any pictures yet. I will try to get some tomorrow. A few also have an interesting little black line at the corner of their eyes- sort of like a Cleopatra cat eye marking type thing. I thought I read somewhere in a genetics discussion something about those eye markings, but I can't for the life of me remember what they were saying. Anyway, I dont know if the eye and head/back colorations are related but thought I would ask someone here.

Thanks!