Delaware Chickens ???

[imloulou]

Hi Tes...
We have a Delaware in our little flock of 10. Her name is Smudge. All the chickens are all only about 3 1/2 months old but we love our Delaware! She is nice and personable...and one of the more curious. She gets along great with the other hens and our 1 rooster. I do have to say that these chickens get a lot of attention. They are our pets and we are out with them often...that may have to do with her good personality.

We don't have eggs yet....

editing to add: I just went outside to set the table for dinner and Smudge was the first one to come waddling over to see what "Treat Lady" (me) might have for her. She came...others followed and they were just standing there looking thru the chicken wire...lol! I did not have anything with me...poor chickens...lol!

Here are a few pics:

Hanging out on my husband:

Curious hens:

Smudge with part of the group just hanging out:

 

[JacobsRewardFarm]

This is probably the wrong thread for this post, but since you asked, here goes:

My tractor is 6.5' x 10' and was easy to make. I used 1" pvc for the base and 3/4"pvc for the arched pieces and the top "spine." I covered the whole thing with 2x4" welded wire, but also added some 1" plastic mesh around the bottom because the birds were a bit small when I put them in at first, and I didn't want them escaping. I made arched "doors" for each end, though one end is wired on permanently. The other end is wired on one side like hinges, and it opens for entry. It latches with velcro bundling wrap. It's not very convenient in some ways, because it's only about 4' tall, so I have to bend over to get in. Also, I thought the chickens would run away from me when I came in, but instead, they run toward me, and sometimes slip out between my feet!! Then I have to catch them and put them back in. I have it down to a science now, and have very few escapes. I hang their water from the center pole and set their food up on a cinder block just inside the door. I covered about 2/3 of it with tarps for shade and rain protection, and I have another tarp that I can pull down over the "door" to also help keep rain out. These are all wired on where the grommets are.

Two nights ago I lost a chicken when a raccoon (I believe) reached through the wire and pulled a chicken's head through. Chewed it off and left the chicken behind. DANG!! So I'm thinking of putting a length of corrugated roofing along the bottom on three sides to keep coon hands from reaching through and grabbing a chook. Since they are for eating, I haven't put roosts in, and they sleep piled up against the wire in one corner. For this reason, I moved them to one of my wooden/metal tractors until I can fortify the pvc one better.

This tractor is easy to move... I remove the food and cinder block, and pull it with a cord tied to the bottom of the frame.

Oh, also, I let the wire run out along the ground about a foot on all sides to discourage predators from digging under. You can see that in the close-up of my 3 delawares above.

Let me know if you have any other questions. Hope that helps!

Cindy T.
Parker, TX

 

[Zenbirder]

I have two Delawares, and mine are a bit different in personality from the other chickens. They are beautiful, but a bit "full of themselves", grabby at treats so much that they will grab my skin instead of politely pecking at the treats. I free range so pecking hasn't been much of a problem, but my BO Emily won't come near them if she can help it and has run away with a squawk more than several times. They have not layed yet, but I am expecting they will any day now because they are squatting for me. That places them early/medium in laying time. I would say an agressive tendancy breed.

 

[serendipity22]

Tes, got your e-mail! I'll keep you updated!

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

loulou - thanks so much for the pics... you have some beautiful chickens!!! We also spend alot of time with our hens... I just love being near them... especially when I get aggitated... they seem to calm me right down!!!

Cidy T. Thanks for all that information... LOL to me it does not matter if it is the right thread or not LOL... I asked.. and you know what... I have all of that stuff except for the wire... hmmm.... thinking... DH not too thrilled with me right now LOL... Its a good thing we love eachother... heehee... Its something that I can use for my babies or even as a hospital for sick ones... I would have to put something around the sides though as you..... sorry about your loss!!! When I first saw it... I wondered about predators... but didnt say anything... now I know... Thanks

Zenbirder - I have a few hens like that... I have a couple LB, RIR, and BO that have somewhat of attitudes... especially the infamous Rosebud (aka rooroo) Dont dare mess with momma when she is around LOL... she is so full of herself and she knows she is my fav... the others just say... dont mess with me... I give you eggs.. thats enough... give me treats but dont touch me LOL... Thanks for the info

Serendipity - okay thanks

 

[JacobsRewardFarm]

imloulou: do you know how many times I've swatted my monitor trying to kill your avatar?????

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

You are not the only one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have done the same

 

[Davaroo]

Delawares are one of the only breeds "designed" in the USA. They were first seen in the 40's and soon dominated the broiler market, and to some degree the egg market, in the northeast. When the Cornish Crosses and SuperEgger breeds hit the scene, they faded. They are now on the endangered breed list.
They are a utility cross between Barred Plymouth Rocks and New Hampshires and have all the qualities of these two: Good size, good temperament and good brown egg production. But their real 'raison 'd etre' was to add a nice white skin, free of pin spots, to these other good traits.

Here's what the American Breed Conseratory has to say about them:

Delawares, originally called "Indian Rivers," were developed by George Ellis of Delaware in 1940 and were used for the production of broilers. The breed originated from crosses of Barred Plymouth Rock roosters and New Hampshire hens. A few off-colored sports were produced that were almost white with black barring on the hackles, primaries, secondaries, and tail. This coloration is very similar to the Colombian color pattern, but with the barring substituting for the black sections. For about twenty years the Delaware and the Delaware x New Hampshire cross were the most popular broiler chickens on the DelMarVa Peninsula (Delaware, Maryland and Virginia), because of the Delaware’s ability to produce offspring with predominately white feathering. This is an advantage for carcass appearance since white feathers don’t leave dark spots on the skin when feathers are growing in. Both the Delaware and the Delaware x New Hampshire were replaced in the late 1950's by the Cornish x Rock cross (solid white) that has come to dominate the industry.

Though its economic dominance was short lived, the Delaware still makes an excellent dual-purpose bird. It has well-developed egg and meat qualities, and a calm and friendly disposition. The breed is noted for rapid growth and fast feathering of the chicks. Cocks grow to 8 pounds and hens to 6 pounds.

Delaware males may be mated to New Hampshire or Rhode Island Red females and produce chicks of the Delaware color pattern. Delaware females mated to New Hampshire or Rhode Island Red males produced sex-linked offspring; the males having the Delaware color pattern and the females having the solid red color of the sires. Chicks from this second cross can even be sexed by their down color when hatched.

 

[Poison Ivy]

I love my delawares and decided a few months ago that I would sell off all my single odd ball birds and go with Delawares. My roo Zaxby is gentle and a easy keep. He will be one of the first to come up to me looking for a treat for his ladies. He calls them over to eat and won't eat anything until they are finished. He has never tried to attack me or even act like it. I've had him over a year now and he's my favorite. I'm just so glad he was one of the chicks I got in my brown egg layer assortment from McMurray. My pullets are only 4 months old so no eggs yet. I can't wait for them to start laying. Plus I have 10 delaware eggs in the incubator due around the 20th.

Zaxby

A few of my delaware girls

 

[speckledhen]

Delawares are beautiful birds. Zaxby sure is! And they were created by using Barred Plymouth Rocks, my favorite breed, so I think my flightly, mean ones I called "The Vampire Chicks" were an aberration.