Delaware x Barred Rock Chicks--Indy, Rex and Ira's Progress Thread

[rancher hicks]

George has always been taller than Nick, and the BR roo I had was a good size. Though all the BR's were impressive to visitors. How do they feel meat wise. My Dels are not so good but the BR's are. As layers the Dels are my best, the BR's not as good as I'd like. A cross might just be what they need.

 

[speckledhen]

I think maybe a cross would be something good for you to try, Tim. My Stukel BR hens, especially the mother of these three males, is massive. Isaac is broad, certainly, but he's slightly more leggy than he should be, so I'd say that is where Indy got his height. Rex is super broad, just shorter. It's hard to say what they'll be at a year old because they're very young. The Stukel lines take ages to fill out so there is that influence, but Rex is quite stocky. I have not weighed any of them because I just don't have a great way to do that-my old bath scales won't register 10 lb, so you can't do the "pick them up, weigh yourself, step off then weigh yourself, subtract the difference" method. I've found that the Dellies are heavier than they appear, denser, I guess you'd say.

I can tell you that Indy and Rex are more filled out at their age than Rex, the Stukel male I had, was. He was still filling out after he went to live with Scott. I agree that the Delawares beat this line of Rocks in laying ability. Now, my hatchery descended Rocks are slightly better layers than the old line ones. But, I've had them for almost 8 years whereas I've only had the old line Rocks for about 3 years, so hard to compare over the long haul. My 7 year old BR hens are currently laying, though in spurts and about 3-4 eggs per week at their advance age. Not too shabby for old ladies, eh?

 

[speckledhen]

Well, Rexie-Poo's days may be numbered. He is still stalking my shoes, was doing it tonight, in fact, but saw I had a pooper scooper in my hand and thought better of it. Then, later, when DH was in the coop moving Deacon to a roost in another room after Indy went after his little brother, Rex charged him and was "disciplined". I've never seen a son of Isaac's that was ramping up aggression at this age, only the occasional boundary testing bites that you can nip in the bud when they are young, pardon the pun. But, when you cross two lines, though stellar they both may be, you never know what that combination will do. And nothing is 100% foolproof anyway. I recall a BR chick out of my beloved late Hawkeye who was never right from the beginning, skittish and odd. He was never aggressive while here, but after I rehomed him, he did turn out to be very aggressive, unlike most of Hawkeye's other sons. You just never really know. You keep the best and breed from them, temperament-wise, and cull the rest.

So, if Rex cannot contain himself, he may end up in the stew pot unless someone wants to take a chance on him in a different environment. He's stocky and handsome and knows how to free range with the best of them, but I cannot risk any rooster hitting me from behind and possibly making me lose my footing on our rocky mountain property, not with the metal hardware I'm already sporting in one ankle and having bones issues starting up. Another broken bone could change my life in ways I really would rather not think about. Rex has not flogged me yet, but I feel it's coming and when it does, he will be removed from the flock, one way or another.

Ira is much smaller than Rex, very skittish because of his situation in the flock, but so far not aggressive. If he ever settles down, he may be, but for some reason, I don't think he will. Indy bit Tom's finger once, but to be fair, DH was pointing it at him and telling him to get up the roost and leave his brother alone, lol. He has never so much as nipped me and when he did it to DH, he ran for his life, like he just knew he was in deep poop. I test him from time to time, petting him, walking around him in the pen, and so far, at 23 weeks old, no aggression from Indy. No matter how fabulous that boy looks, if he decides to get stupid, he is also expendable. In fact, honestly, I'm thinking maybe I really should just keep two roosters as Isaac's second and thirds. And it may be NONE of these except Deacon. I'm considering Deacon and maybe Gabriel, who looks very much like a pure Delaware other than a couple of red feathers that aren't noticeable yet.

Deacon is a sweetheart, though his body type isn't what I envisioned for the flock. Still, there is an upside to that--he won't be too heavy for the hens. And I have two younger sons of Isaac coming along. One looks like a Delaware and the other is a Delawegger, so pea comb and beard/muffs. I say all this to point out that I have too many roosters around here for the main flock to put up with the antics of a stupid rooster.

This is Deacon today-he's out of Tiny, we believe.






And Indy's face. Dang, he looks just like his late Uncle Rex in his eyes.

 

[speckledhen]

Rex behaved better today. Maybe he's learning. BUT, I'm fearing that Indy may actually be too large for my mixed flock, some of which are smaller bodied hens. Only the Stukel Rocks and the Delawares are truly large enough for him and the Dels are going on 5 years old and may not be around that much longer. So, I'm considering letting him go as well as Rex and Ira and for now, just keeping Deacon around since he's very mild mannered. I know, you think I'm crazy, but I'm not breeding. Maybe someone can take Indy to up the size on their BRs.

 

[nicalandia]

I would take those birds off your hands if I had the chance... Too bad I am in Nicaragua

 

[speckledhen]

Yup, a bit far to come pick them up, eh, Marvin?

Took these today of the boys, first Rex-I like his size and tail angle isn't bad. Indy was guarding one pullet back in the trees, keeping her from Rex.



Indy, who can eat out of a feeding hanging over 3 feet in the air when no one else can. I have to hang it higher to keep him out of it.




This is Ira, just a few days younger than Rex, but still smaller. He is trying to catch up in size but he may not. He had a different start in life, penned with the bantams and only free ranging later on, unlike Indy and Rex.



And Deacon:








And the two younger Delaware crosses, neither BR. One a DelaWyanCauna and the other a Delawegger. I'm rehoming at least one of these, buyer's pick. The Dellie/EE cross has a true pea comb so may carry the blue egg gene. Some don't have that nice of a pea comb like Scout does.

 

[speckledhen]

Indy has the first notch on his belt as my new up and coming flock leader. He just thwarted a fox attack. I was inside at my computer while they free ranged when I heard his booming deep alarm calls. He sounded extremely disturbed so I ran outside onto the deck to see what was wrong. He and younger brother, Ira, were standing on the bank in front of a row of Leyland Cypress trees inside our fence, which abuts the power line easement road. On that road was a gray fox. Even seeing us, he didn't immediately vamoose into the woods across the road, like he was weighing his options. I saw Isaac trucking across the yard, taking one group of hens to the coop, but Indy and Ira stood their ground with the small entourage they were guarding until DH got out there with his rifle. Then, on command to "Run home, Indy! Take the girls home!", he and Ira and the girls who had been hanging with them all ran up the hill and across the property to the main pen.

This is the first time ever I've seen a fox actually checking out my chickens. I've seen the signs of them, even seen the den, seen the kits, but never seen a fox checking out the walking dinner plates. We even have a local mountain lion-have the tracks next to my bantam pen, but they are much less of a threat to my birds than a fox.

I don't know what would have happened if the fox had cleared the fence going after one of the birds, easy enough task for an agile gray fox. Indy has no spurs yet, only his big body mass and his beak, but he was standing his ground, as was Ira, who is much, much smaller. Rex and Deacon were over on the other side of the property near the coops being hormonal at the time so I wonder what they would have done.

This is why they are here. Good boys!

The man of the hour:


This is his molting mother, Ida, who stood up to her flirting son with flaring hackles and Big Ida Attitude.







More pics from this afternoon, including brother Rex and daddy Isaac.











.

 

[wekiva bird]

Keep the photo coming !!!

 

[speckledhen]

Today's photo session was prompted by the fox incident, of course, but it does show how much the boys have filled out.

Here are their two little 10 week old half brothers, Gabriel and Scout. Scout is the pea combed bearded one. Different mothers, of course.







Adorable sister, Serena, who looks like a pure Delaware pullet. She's a doll, like her mama, Rita. She and Gabriel are full siblings.



The daddy of them all, my big man, Ike. Can't ask for a better tempered rooster. So far, Indy has been a really good boy. Rex was feeling his oats, but I think he's learning not to bite and who is in charge around here. Gabriel, on the other hand, at 10 weeks, is a typical Delaware, always using that beak to grab stuff, including skin, so we are having some "aversion therapy" sessions with him right now, always necessary with Dellie kids.






More of Indy, who has discovered the wraparound porch now.









And Rex, the stalker.

 

[wekiva bird]

I see they like to get on your porch too!