Chicken Breed Focus - Delaware

[rancher hicks]

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!

I've had some chicks with those cleopatra eye lines too and asked about them once but didn't get a good answer. My Dels orginally came from a small place in Western NY. That was long ago when you couldn't find anyone private who was working with them.
I had contacted a place in NY but they'd stopped working with them.
What I have now is a mix of the originals, some from Paul Harter, a nice guy, and Kathimo. Whitmore had a nice write up in a magazine, which is where I'd first heard of them.

Anyhow I'm not sure what that cleopatra line means if anything.

 

[Maeschak]

I've had some chicks with those cleopatra eye lines too and asked about them once but didn't get a good answer. My Dels orginally came from a small place in Western NY. That was long ago when you couldn't find anyone private who was working with them.
I had contacted a place in NY but they'd stopped working with them.
What I have now is a mix of the originals, some from Paul Harter, a nice guy, and Kathimo. Whitmore had a nice write up in a magazine, which is where I'd first heard of them.

Anyhow I'm not sure what that cleopatra line means if anything.

Well thanks for the info- every bit helps! I found the genetics discussion I was looking for and someone on there said that Del chicks that have markings around their eyes probably have a wheaten & wild type combo for the base color. (Dels are not supposed to have wild type in their genes). So, that quick answer had me satisfied until I kept on looking... now, Im quite confused again as apparently some with just the darker spot on the back of their head could mean that the chick has a dominant white gene (instead of Silver?) that is leaky.... Myeah... Guess I better start studying up now!

Are you keeping your Dels for any particular reason? (Eggs, meat, just a cool looking bird?) I had to send 5 excess Del cockerels to the dinner table at 20 weeks and they were quite good. They only dressed at about 3.6 lbs average with no extras (no neck, legs, giblets, etc) and so far my two remaining pullets are laying fairly well but they just started. Im hoping this new batch of 21 will fare a bit better (I previously hatched almost ALL cockerels then lost a lot of birds to predator attacks). Thanks again for the info

 

[wjpike1]

I love my Delaware "twins!" I think they are so pretty. They definitely are vocal and bossy, but they are very friendly, lively and curious. They started laying just last month at about 5 mos old.

 

[caychris]

Here are a bunch of my dels

 

[rancher hicks]

I keep Dels because they were at one time endangered. Still those that were kept weren't up to the SOP. Weight wise I still think they're lacking. Some were crossed with C. Rocks which are bigger, but I avoided those. Myoriginal rooster in my avatar was shorter than those I got from other breeders though he was wider.

Mine are good layers in the winter. I'm not able to work with these as much as I'd like. You have to keep a large flock and cull hard. Hatch hundreds and grow them out. That takes a lot of money that I don't have.

Most folks want a mixed flock. So they don't keep a lot of any one breed. I sold my C. Rocks this year and just received a call from the guy asking if I had another rooster. I don't, just three hens I hatched out after those were gone. Now I wish I had them back.

There are over fifty endangered chicken breeds, as well as nearly three dozen types of ducks, geese, and turkeys currently threatened with extinction in the United States alone, according to The Livestock Conservancy, an organization dedicated to saving endangered farm animals from extinction.

Just thought you'd like to know.

 

[rjohns39]

I keep Dels because they were at one time endangered. Still those that were kept weren't up to the SOP. Weight wise I still think they're lacking. Some were crossed with C. Rocks which are bigger, but I avoided those. Myoriginal rooster in my avatar was shorter than those I got from other breeders though he was wider.

Mine are good layers in the winter. I'm not able to work with these as much as I'd like. You have to keep a large flock and cull hard. Hatch hundreds and grow them out. That takes a lot of money that I don't have.

Most folks want a mixed flock. So they don't keep a lot of any one breed. I sold my C. Rocks this year and just received a call from the guy asking if I had another rooster. I don't, just three hens I hatched out after those were gone. Now I wish I had them back.

There are over fifty endangered chicken breeds, as well as nearly three dozen types of ducks, geese, and turkeys currently threatened with extinction in the United States alone, according to The Livestock Conservancy, an organization dedicated to saving endangered farm animals from extinction.

Just thought you'd like to know.

I have about 25, that just went to pasture (3 weeks old) from McMurray, Likely I'll be looking for a roo in early spring. I am a conservancy member and trying to balance conservation with economics and business success. I'm a start-up so life will be fun.

 

[Maeschak]

I have about 25, that just went to pasture (3 weeks old) from McMurray, Likely I'll be looking for a roo in early spring. I am a conservancy member and trying to balance conservation with economics and business success. I'm a start-up so life will be fun.

Well good luck! If you are ever up/over in Maryland I have at least 13 Delaware roos that are about 5 weeks old - you are more than welcome to one or a few!

 

[allosaurusrock]

I just joined 4-H, and I am going to show my Delaware in the spring. So excited!

 

[vtcath]

I have two! Liz and Fancy. I do believe Liz is a rooster! They're pretty great chickens. I have 2 Delawares 18wks, 3 Barred Rock hens 18wks, 2 Americauna pullets 2wks, and 1 Buff Orpington Pullet2wks. Its been fun and they all have personalities!
Here's a pic of Liz and Fancy, what do y'all think, Rooster and Hen right?! lol

[/IMG][/QUO

 

[vtcath]

Thank you for your help, I am looking for a nice docile breed to fit in with my Orpingtons and Austrolops. It sounds like the Deleware is the perfect addition to my flock. I'll be ordering two to place under my first broody hen, Onyx, my Black Australorp.