Delaware Discussion

[The Angry Hen]

Hello Everybody,

Hey there fellow Delaware peeps! Thank you for opening this thread. Nice to see you. Now lets all get this part started! Here is a bit about my Delaware-keeping background:

I have four Delaware's, they are all mixed though. Not pure Delaware. I think the make the perfect “clean” and “sassy” and “stylish” birds. They have their own minds. I hope to one day get a few pure Delawares.

Oh! I almost forgot to mention, this isn't what this thread is based around... But has anybody ever crossed a Blue breed (referring to Cochin) to a Delaware? I bet that would be quite the beauty!


So... Any Delaware Mama's or Papa's out there? What is your point of view? Please share photos and names and stories. Lets discuss what we want to breed/cross breed.


Please don't make this a “SOP” thread. We are all in it for fun and learning. (Although if you stand for SOP, you may join just don't push it please). So have fun! All rules apply and please get along.



Lets start now! What should we talk about? How about what I mentioned above... Any Blue/Delaware crosses out there?!? Please post pics and tell!



Sincerely,
-The Angry Hen

 

[rjohns39]

Hmmmmm, well I guess I'll have to say the jury's still out.

I've got 30-40 right now. They have a mind of their own, they can be aggressive--but they are not flighty and they are really good foragers. They dress out a lot smaller than they look and they can be decent layers.

I've got a set of RIWs and will be comparing performance this year to determine if the Dels get to breed in the spring.

Although I am trying to breed to the SOP, sometimes unauthorized mating occurs... Some of my del's are a silver spangled hamburg cross. Some of my ILs are too. Crazy free extra rare chick.

If you want a true pure bred del, SPN is the place to find some http://www.spnusa.com/certification.html#certified I didn't find out about them until I'd already ordered from McMurray. I got good birds but have work to do to get them as good as the birds found at SPN.
Some of my Del's mingling and doing what chickens do...

Some babies with hamburg coloring

The dels in this group are mentors for the turkeys... That is one job they do exceptionally well. ILs don't do as well as a mentor. The hamburg seems to mentor well too.

 

[The Angry Hen]

Hmmmmm, well I guess I'll have to say the jury's still out.

I've got 30-40 right now. They have a mind of their own, they can be aggressive--but they are not flighty and they are really good foragers. They dress out a lot smaller than they look and they can be decent layers.

I've got a set of RIWs and will be comparing performance this year to determine if the Dels get to breed in the spring.

Although I am trying to breed to the SOP, sometimes unauthorized mating occurs... Some of my del's are a silver spangled hamburg cross. Some of my ILs are too. Crazy free extra rare chick.

If you want a true pure bred del, SPN is the place to find some http://www.spnusa.com/certification.html#certified I didn't find out about them until I'd already ordered from McMurray. I got good birds but have work to do to get them as good as the birds found at SPN.
Some of my Del's mingling and doing what chickens do...View attachment 1103482
Some babies with hamburg coloringView attachment 1103484
The dels in this group are mentors for the turkeys... That is one job they do exceptionally well. ILs don't do as well as a mentor. The hamburg seems to mentor well too.

Hello There,

Thank you for your response. It sounds like you have a wonderful selection there! Great cross and breeds you have. They are beautiful.

Yes, they can be a bit aggressive at times... But they can also be nice when they would like to do so. I wish you luck with the RIW's performance.


I have a question for you. Out of ten being best and one being worst what would you rate the particular breed?

Thanks again!

Sincerely,
-The Angry Hen

 

[rjohns39]

Hello There,

Thank you for your response. It sounds like you have a wonderful selection there! Great cross and breeds you have. They are beautiful.

Yes, they can be a bit aggressive at times... But they can also be nice when they would like to do so. I wish you luck with the RIW's performance.


I have a question for you. Out of ten being best and one being worst what would you rate the particular breed?

Thanks again!

Sincerely,
-The Angry Hen

Today, I'd have to go with a solid 8. My goal is to have both white and brown layers and to focus on heritage breeds that are critical, threatened or Watch status.

 

[The Angry Hen]

Today, I'd have to go with a solid 8. My goal is to have both white and brown layers and to focus on heritage breeds that are critical, threatened or Watch status.

Very good goal, and score. I try to stick with the same,
but I only have brown layers. I would rate the breed 8 and 1/2.

Sincerely,
-The Angry Hen

 

[rjohns39]

I should probably add that mine are 8 months, 10 weeks, 6 weeks, and 2 weeks old. My ILs are 1 year, 10 weeks, 6 weeks, and 2 weeks old. RIWs are 4 weeks and Barred Hollands are 2 weeks.

 

[The Angry Hen]

I should probably add that mine are 8 months, 10 weeks, 6 weeks, and 2 weeks old. My ILs are 1 year, 10 weeks, 6 weeks, and 2 weeks old. RIWs are 4 weeks and Barred Hollands are 2 weeks.

Very wide selection of ages! When you add on... Do you have a broody hen hatch them or do you incubate them? If so, have you found them to be good mothers?

Sincerely,
The Angry Hen

 

[speckledhen]

I raised Delawares for years, from a heritage line hatched from a breeder trying to bring them back from extinction and improve what hatcheries messed up. My very beloved rooster, Isaac, passed away in 2015 at 6 years and 7 months old. I have one almost 9 yr old hen left now.

I will say that they are smart birds that don't do all that well in extreme confinement due to their intelligence-they need stimulation and good high protein feed or they'll pick at each other some. My rooster's comb and wattles were fair game for his hens all the time. I would not say they are aggressive at all; they are usually dominant in a flock, which I do not consider aggressive. They will, as chicks, explore everything with their beaks, more so than chicks of other breeds. They love to free range and forage and do it quite well. Isaac took his hens far and wide. He was extremely easygoing and passed that trait to his male progeny.

I will say there is one downside to the Delaware. I can't speak to hatchery Delawares in this regard, but my true old heritage line Delawares were not as heat tolerant as other breeds, including my big Orpingtons. You'd think, being a white bird, they would be, but they are not. One reason, in my opinion, is they are densely muscled, throwing back to their meat bird heritage. A good Delaware is heavier than it looks! My last hen, Georgie, is quite a chunk when you go to lift her.

***I did have some chicks hatched from McMurray Dels before these and sold them all-they were mean and flighty, not something a Del should be***

Isaac, my sweet old man. Sure miss my boy. And Georgie, the last Dellie hen.

Ike the year before he died

And a video shot by my friend when her daughter met Isaac. This shows his temperament.

 

[The Angry Hen]

I raised Delawares for years, from a heritage line hatched from a breeder trying to bring them back from extinction and improve what hatcheries messed up. My very beloved rooster, Isaac, passed away in 2015 at 6 years and 7 months old. I have one almost 9 yr old hen left now.

I will say that they are smart birds that don't do all that well in extreme confinement due to their intelligence-they need stimulation and good high protein feed or they'll pick at each other some. My rooster's comb and wattles were fair game for his hens all the time. I would not say they are aggressive at all; they are usually dominant in a flock, which I do not consider aggressive. They will, as chicks, explore everything with their beaks, more so than chicks of other breeds. They love to free range and forage and do it quite well. Isaac took his hens far and wide. He was extremely easygoing and passed that trait to his male progeny.

I will say there is one downside to the Delaware. I can't speak to hatchery Delawares in this regard, but my true old heritage line Delawares were not as heat tolerant as other breeds, including my big Orpingtons. You'd think, being a white bird, they would be, but they are not. One reason, in my opinion, is they are densely muscled, throwing back to their meat bird heritage. A good Delaware is heavier than it looks! My last hen, Georgie, is quite a chunk when you go to lift her.

***I did have some chicks hatched from McMurray Dels before these and sold them all-they were mean and flighty, not something a Del should be***

Isaac, my sweet old man. Sure miss my boy. And Georgie, the last Dellie hen. View attachment 1103546
Ike the year before he died
View attachment 1103548 View attachment 1103549


And a video shot by my friend when her daughter met Isaac. This shows his temperament.

Hello There,

What a wonderful story. Thank you for responding!
Isaac is so handsome and your hen is beautiful! So sorry for your loss of Isaac.

I find it fascinating in it's own way that they were grouchy from a different hatchery,
it must have been how the are bred or handled. Something strange.

You have very good observations. May I ask was you would rate them from 1 to 10?
Thank you, once again!

Sincerely,
-The Angry Hen

 

[speckledhen]

Hello There,

What a wonderful story. Thank you for responding!
Isaac is so handsome and your hen is beautiful! So sorry for your loss of Isaac.

I find it fascinating in it's own way that they were grouchy from a different hatchery,
it must have been how the are bred or handled. Something strange.

You have very good observations. May I ask was you would rate them from 1 to 10?
Thank you, once again!

Sincerely,
-The Angry Hen

Depends on what I am rating them for. The particular line I had were superb egg layers and they were the earliest layers I ever had, starting at 17 weeks and never older than 24 weeks at first egg. Their eggs are an interesting shade of deep peachy tan and extra large to jumbo when they are mature. So, as layers, I'd rate them at 10.
As far as personality, I'd say they are more interesting and have more actual personality than many I've had, but they can be a challenge if they don't get out to expend their energy. They are dedicated free rangers and foragers. They love attention and now, Georgie, in her old age, is super crotchety, will bite you if you don't pick her up when she demands it. I'd hate to have a whole flock of Georgies! Her sister, Ellie, who died at 5 1/2 yrs old, was less demanding, but friendly. A Delaware should be friendly-it's really a breed trait. They don't eat more than any other breed I've had.

The hatchery chicks I mentioned were hatched here from McMurray parents owned by a friend of mine. She ended up culling both the parents for aggression when they were about a year old-that is not what a Delaware should be, not at all. By a few weeks old, I realized I really hated those chicks. And a breeder I knew had to talk me into doing a fertility test for her young cockerel, a ruse to get me thinking better of the breed, promised me they would be different. And they were, though the first wave I hatched, I did cull my selected male for aggression at 24 weeks, but kept the girls and later, she sent me more eggs after she mixed it up a bit and that was Isaac's bunch. He was a treasure from start to finish, probably the smartest rooster I've ever had.