Delaware Questions

[csibb]

Hi,
I have 10 Delaware Hens, 3 Delaware Roosters, 2 Buff Orpingtons Hens, and 5 Pearl White Leghorn Hens. I love all my chickens, but I really love the Leghorns, (mine are not flighty at all) I had bought some Leghorn eggs (off E-bay) and kept some of my own to Incubate with them! When I received them THEY WERE NASTY!(my dirty eggs looked cleaner then the 5 cleanest ones) Out of 15 eggs I kept 5 to incubate due to filth, and some were even rotten! Ok here are my questions!
1. I read that you have to breed a Delaware Rooster to a RIR, or a New Hampshire Hen to to get the looks of the Delaware, what are my chicks going to look like? (Delaware X Delaware)

2. One of the Leghorn eggs hatched and it has a big black spot on its back! Is it a Leghorn X?

3. Then the Delaware X Leghorns that were mine hatched, and all be darned if they don't have some black spots on them also?, not near as big as the other but they are there! Do they get this when they are crossed with something other then Leghorn?

4. What will the Delaware X BO end up looking like?

Any information would be great!

29 hatched out of 37

Thank You!

 

[ginasmarans]

I don't know that I can answer all of your questions,but I can try.
1) Delaware X Delaware should give you Delaware chicks,as long as both parents are pure. The chicks may have black spots on them as they feather out. That is perfectly normal.
2) Sometimes leghorns will have a black spot or two. It will probably fade with age.Given the shape the egs were in when you got them though,I would not be surprized if they are mixed,
3)refer to #1 answer
4) I don't know,maybe white with yellow on it's shoulder?

 

[seriousbill]

Quote:
1. You do not have to breed a Delaware rooster to a red hen to get the Delaware look. Delaware roosters bred to red hens will produce chicks that look more like their father, sure, but they may have red smut and incorrect body type, etc. Delawares are a pure breed and have been since the 1940's. If you want Delawares that truly look like Delawares, I'd advise you to stick to pure breeding.

Aside from this, there are a few reasons some might want to breed a Delaware to a Red. The main one would be to get sex-link chicks. For this, though, you have to breed a Delaware hen to a red rooster.

2. I can't say for sure why that particular Del x Leghorn cross would produce black spots, but this sort of thing is common when you mix breeds.

3. Delaware male over Buff Orp hen will likely produce smutty looking Delawares with white legs. The male offspring will carry the gene for gold, and it'll probably show.

Hope this helps.

 

[csibb]

Thank You very much for all the info!
I'm very greatful that my Delawares will look like they should, That makes my day!!

 

[tadkerson]

The black spots on white down are typical of a chick that only carries one dominant white gene. Depending on the genetic make up of the bird, chicks with the black spots usually are white with some black in their feathers.

Male delaware on a female BO will produce a BO like bird. The females will be almost white with some black in the wings and tail feathers. The males will be the same but will show some cream to buff in the pyle zone as they get older.


Tim