Delawares from kathyinmo

[desertmarcy]

Well I finally gave up trying to sell my Delawares. I sold a few pullets to people for layers, but just couldn't hold on to them any longer. I sold the whole lot to a guy for meat birds. Didn't get enough to pay for the feed that went into them, but at least I am not feeding them anymore. I still have my 3 hens for layers, but will sell those to if anybody wants them. I tried to remove my ad from my signature line, but no luck! There must be a glitch in the system.

Good luck to all of you still working with this line.

 

[rancher hicks]

Well I finally gave up trying to sell my Delawares. I sold a few pullets to people for layers, but just couldn't hold on to them any longer. I sold the whole lot to a guy for meat birds. Didn't get enough to pay for the feed that went into them, but at least I am not feeding them anymore. I still have my 3 hens for layers, but will sell those to if anybody wants them. I tried to remove my ad from my signature line, but no luck! There must be a glitch in the system.

Good luck to all of you still working with this line.

I must have missed it. What happened? Why didn't you want them anymore?

 

[desertmarcy]

I must have missed it. What happened? Why didn't you want them anymore?

Short answer? Not enough space, time and energy to work with them. Long answers, I have been trying to work with too many breeds and it is kind of driving me nuts. I already parted with 2 breeds and now the Delawares and no longer have a male New Hampshire, so will probably quit them as well. That still leaves me Rhode Island Red, Barred Rock, Black Copper Marans, Blue Copper Marans, and BBS Ameraucanas. Even those are probably too much for one person. It became obvious to me that these Delawares were going to require way more work and space than I could devote to them. Plus they weren't what I expect in a Delaware. Mine were not big enough and they were slow feathering. I already have one slow feathering breed to deal with and didn't want another. Plus, I was using the Delawares to make red sexlinked chicks for the city folk here who can't have roosters. The red sexlinks out of this Delaware line also turned out to be slow feathering, I didn't like that. Guess those are enough reasons.

 

[finnfur]

Well I finally gave up trying to sell my Delawares. I sold a few pullets to people for layers, but just couldn't hold on to them any longer. I sold the whole lot to a guy for meat birds. Didn't get enough to pay for the feed that went into them, but at least I am not feeding them anymore. I still have my 3 hens for layers, but will sell those to if anybody wants them. I tried to remove my ad from my signature line, but no luck! There must be a glitch in the system.

Good luck to all of you still working with this line.

We good luck with you other lines and please stop back and join us we enjoyed your informative posts
We are starting to talk Turkey here if we add anything else so may look you up for some eggs - but that will be a year away or more because like you we feel overwhelmed lol

 

[rancher hicks]

Short answer? Not enough space, time and energy to work with them. Long answers, I have been trying to work with too many breeds and it is kind of driving me nuts. I already parted with 2 breeds and now the Delawares and no longer have a male New Hampshire, so will probably quit them as well. That still leaves me Rhode Island Red, Barred Rock, Black Copper Marans, Blue Copper Marans, and BBS Ameraucanas. Even those are probably too much for one person. It became obvious to me that these Delawares were going to require way more work and space than I could devote to them. Plus they weren't what I expect in a Delaware. Mine were not big enough and they were slow feathering. I already have one slow feathering breed to deal with and didn't want another. Plus, I was using the Delawares to make red sexlinked chicks for the city folk here who can't have roosters. The red sexlinks out of this Delaware line also turned out to be slow feathering, I didn't like that. Guess those are enough reasons.

Those are plenty of reasons. I do understand the Size thing with them as I didn't hatch and keep enough roosters for myself. My Dels do feather out quick enough. I have learned I need to hatch out more chicks to have plenty to choose from.

I have Birchen Marans and they're not easy.

EE's with Ameraucana and Auraucana roos for blood line.

I also have CR's which I like for size. I can understand why Dels where crossed to them.

I gave up Lav orps. And I do have some BR hens but no roos to breed them. Again I did not hatch and keep enough for my self.

I've learned much in the last year, I just hope not to late. One thing is to have more coops for growing them out BEFORE parting with any chicks.

DW is not working and some days I get tired. Mostly because I don't make enough money off my chickens. It's really my location. There are lots of folks keeping chickens here abouts. If I could make half of what it costs to keep them I'd keep more.

Too I'm not a spring chicken myself. At what age do we decide to wind down?

Some one had Mottled Amer eggs for sale, those are my favorites. I just can't afford the eggs.

 

[marnette]

I am so lucky to have received some 5th generations, Where can I find more information on what I should be looking for as far as standards in the birds? Thanks in advance.

 

[desertmarcy]

Those are plenty of reasons. I do understand the Size thing with them as I didn't hatch and keep enough roosters for myself. My Dels do feather out quick enough. I have learned I need to hatch out more chicks to have plenty to choose from.

I have Birchen Marans and they're not easy.

EE's with Ameraucana and Auraucana roos for blood line.

I also have CR's which I like for size. I can understand why Dels where crossed to them.

I gave up Lav orps. And I do have some BR hens but no roos to breed them. Again I did not hatch and keep enough for my self.

I've learned much in the last year, I just hope not to late. One thing is to have more coops for growing them out BEFORE parting with any chicks.

DW is not working and some days I get tired. Mostly because I don't make enough money off my chickens. It's really my location. There are lots of folks keeping chickens here abouts. If I could make half of what it costs to keep them I'd keep more.

Too I'm not a spring chicken myself. At what age do we decide to wind down?

Some one had Mottled Amer eggs for sale, those are my favorites. I just can't afford the eggs.

It is never too late to learn! I often ask myself that same question, about what age do we wind down? Just depends on your goals, I guess. It is important to stay active, and raising poultry will definitely make you stay active! I do want to get back to camping and hiking and have not been able to do that with all the birds I have. And my DP turns 70 this year. He is still in good health, but if anything happened to him, I would have to cut way back since there is too much involved in just running our property, I could not do it by myself.

I would not get suckered into the lastest fad color (ie Mottled Amer). Plenty of established breeds with colors already in the APA SOP that need work and dedicated breeders.

 

[rancher hicks]

It is never too late to learn! I often ask myself that same question, about what age do we wind down? Just depends on your goals, I guess. It is important to stay active, and raising poultry will definitely make you stay active! I do want to get back to camping and hiking and have not been able to do that with all the birds I have. And my DP turns 70 this year. He is still in good health, but if anything happened to him, I would have to cut way back since there is too much involved in just running our property, I could not do it by myself.

I would not get suckered into the lastest fad color (ie Mottled Amer). Plenty of established breeds with colors already in the APA SOP that need work and dedicated breeders.

Well when DW was first diagnosed and of course not working I panicked and got rid of some hens I wish I'd kept. Then of course the hens all went broody so there are chicks plenty, not to mention the ones I hatched from shipped eggs.
So don't panic. My Daughter and Son in Law have been helping us financially, but I do get tired. I won't leave her alone, though I've had to on occasion. I've finally gotten to let her drive some. I tend to fawn over her to much, she says.

And you are right about established/endangered breeds. Which is why I keep my Dels., CR's and the Birchens are not common. Most of the EE chicks will go. There are about four I'd like to keep if they're hens. I do think I'll consolidate if I can. Bigger and less coops would be easier than more and smaller coops. The EE's can be in with the others and not a problem. Colored eggs are easy to tell who laid them.

 

[finnfur]

I am so lucky to have received some 5th and 6th generations, Where can I find more information on what I should be looking for as far as standards in the birds? Thanks in advance.

There is a Delaware thread on SOP here
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/882979/breeding-delawares-to-the-standard-of-perfection
That should give you the info you need and where you get it from
There is also a Del club reforming - linked below

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Does anyone know how many people are still continuing to work with this line of birds?