Delaware Chickens ???

[EweSheep]

"Vampire birds"

 

[FluffyChickenMama]

Quote:
My husband is gonna love this... Hes has been talking about using PVC forever.. Do you use these in the winter?? Do you just use cinder blocks to weight them down?? This I must try..

 

[Davaroo]

Zaxby!! I love it!

 

[Davaroo]

The arch is one of the strongest structures known. Using PVC is a very low-cost way to make a hoop house...really just a free standing arch structure - consider it half of a cylinder. PVC structures are also lightweight and easy to move from place to place, as every chicken house should be.

But, while the shape of the hoop house does shed wind, it isn't perfect. It does need to be weighted in high winds or against determined, large predators. To do this, hang a 5 gallon bucket from one of the arches, maybe two if need be. This will hold down the hoop house and be easily manipulated. Just dump the water and move to the next spot. Refill from the hose and voila!, youre set. If you want (and you should) - you can use the bucket as a poop and refuse free waterer, too. Just make sure to refill it when needed!

Finally, plan to cover the outside BOTTOM of the hoop house with galvanized, 1/2" chicken wire - more protection against them nasty preds.

 

[biretta]

Quote:
Sorry to quote all this for just one question, but do you know why a breed (Delawares) categorized as endangered or critical is so readily obtainable? I guess I'd just assume if an animal was classified as such, it'd be more difficult to track one down, yet they're available through numerous hatcheries.

 

[Davaroo]

I think endangered has more to do with accountability than actual danger of being snuffed out.

By accountability I mean who produces accredited strains and keeps detailed records and how many are being disbursed from these breeders.

The fewer accredited breeders the more a breed can be considered endangered.

 

[WindyOaksYokes]

Oh Myyyy!! Thank you all for the information!!! I do think that we will get a few just to see how they do, as we are into the egg laying and broilers. Tired of paying those chicken farms!!! At least we know what we are getting if I take care of them myself!!! At least I will know that none of mine are shot with hormones or anything else un-natural. I really wanted to know because all the ones I have now are very gentle... my RIR's from the second batch are a little flighty but I blame that on myself for not spending alot of time with them when they were little like I did with the first batch. We have just decided to use the grocery store alot less if you all can understand that.

Poison-Ivy... Very Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!! and thank you

FluffyChicken... isnt that just the best "coop"!!! I love it... told DH I was going to steal his pvc piping that he has left over from replacing the lines... LOL... he was not happy at first but sees the possibilities, so has finally agreeed LOL...

Thanks again all for all the info and pics...
Tes

 

[JacobsRewardFarm]

RE: my pvc coop (aka Frankencoop or the Chook Wagon), I haven't had it through a winter yet - these are my first chix and I just got them in the spring. I did hear that these pvc kinds of coops will blow away, but I hang my water from the center post and haven't had trouble. But I am going to weigh it down on the corners with cinder blocks or buckets of sand.

And I will be modifying it to exclude little grabby 'coon hands from around the bottom edge.

So if you don't mind bending over to re-fill the hanging waterer, it's great! If anyone thinks of further improvements, please let me know! I might be just putting up with something that somebody else can solve!

This coop will only have one more batch of broilers and then it will retire for the season. I'll fire it up again next spring with more broilers.

Enjoy!
God bless,
Cindy T.
Parker, TX

 

[yogi]

I have 4 Delaware hens and 1 rooster which I hatched out of 15 eggs I bought on e-bay. They are 19 weeks old and haven't started to lay but are beautiful and wonderfully easy going chickens. I have 9 breeds and so far would rate them near the top.

 

[troub]

I only have one Delaware out of six hens. I wanted a mixed group of hens so have a lavender orpington, buff orpington, black australorp, blue laced red Wyandotte, Delaware and salmon favorelle. I had seven with the seventh being a coronation Sussex also a beautiful bird, but sadly a fox got her. I am so angry at myself for not knowing the young kit foxes come out during the day at the first of august. My Delaware is a delight. she is very inquisitive and when I got her as a day old chick, she was the first to hop on the edge of the box before I placed her in her new home. she is the first to run to me each day when I open the coop to the run and she loves to hop right up on my shoulder to show off how high she is to the other chickens! at night when I go to make sure they are in for the night and close the door to the coop, if she is out, she hops up on my shoulder and nuzzles me. very affectionate. only thing is that as she is getting older, her claws are long and sharp and she has scratched me a couple of times pretty good when she is trying to scramble onto my shoulder and she likes to peck at everything on my shirt. She has grown with the other hens, and seems to get along well with them. occasionally there is a standoff between all the hens trying to show who is boss, but she is pretty even par with all the others. definitely not shy, but very friendly. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend delawares for your flock.