Delawares from kathyinmo

[1zooman12]

With respect to your instructions, it's dunderhead time again. I have very little if any idea about that which you are instructing. Again, as a forum neophyte, I need to be held by the digital hand and led poco un poco through the steps and choices. In other words, "Huh?"
Thanks,
Neal, the Zooman

 

[crazyhen]

I am not kathy,
I do know she was after a broader hen with an open v tail. It more closely matched the SOP. I am not a breeder for sure. But the ones I got from Kathy do have the v tail and are broader across the back than the ones I had from a hatchery. The roo I kept however had a bunchy tail until he had his last molt. The disposition of all the birds I got from her is gentle if a bit shy. The coloring has more of the black smut than the hatchery birds but the width of their backs and breast more than makes up for it. So far they are not super layers , that was never the intent of the original birds. They were for eating. They were replaced by the cornish crosses. I hhope I have not led anyone wrong. I am just a novice myself.

 

[finnfur]

Questions for people working with Kathy's line ...

How are things shaping up from the Spring hatch? How are they maturing compared to the chicks Kathy shipped to you? Do you have some photos to share/general comments? Do you see any improvements with the F5s? Any backwards movements? Do you think you selected the "right" birds to breed from the batch Kathy sent you?

Are you planning on hatching any of Kathy's line in September?

I just did a 14 week weight in on F5s to compare with same time period on F4.
Haven't had time to sort it out yet - So like they say on the news " Details at 11"
or ASAP I will get it posted.
I had a high ratio of pullets on this hatch group - I usually get 65% male and its reverse this hatch - I have no idea why .

 

[finnfur]

I am not kathy,
I do know she was after a broader hen with an open v tail. It more closely matched the SOP. I am not a breeder for sure. But the ones I got from Kathy do have the v tail and are broader across the back than the ones I had from a hatchery. The roo I kept however had a bunchy tail until he had his last molt. The disposition of all the birds I got from her is gentle if a bit shy. The coloring has more of the black smut than the hatchery birds but the width of their backs and breast more than makes up for it. So far they are not super layers , that was never the intent of the original birds. They were for eating. They were replaced by the cornish crosses. I hhope I have not led anyone wrong. I am just a novice myself.

I am finding same on eggs- if I had to guess i would say they lay about every other day on average - so thats not great in the egg production category but its Ok because they make up for it in frame and they are very dual purpose - IMHO
We don't sell eggs and give away excess so the eggs are not a big deal because we get plenty- they are good on the table though.

 

[rancher hicks]

I am finding same on eggs- if I had to guess i would say they lay about every other day on average - so thats not great in the egg production category but its Ok because they make up for it in frame and they are very dual purpose - IMHO
We don't sell eggs and give away excess so the eggs are not a big deal because we get plenty- they are good on the table though.

A dual purpose bird wouldn't lay every day anyhow would they? I'd think every other day would be a lot too, right? Does the SOP say how often they should lay?

If I could get my Dels as big as my CR's then I'd be happy. Especially if they laid as often as mine do now. 4 out of 7 days would be good imho. That's but 208 eggs per year. Well perhaps 220 ?

Now I've come across the Blue Delaware ? or Blue hen of Delaware? or the Delaware Blue hen? Anyone else heard or seen this bird?

I still haven't heard from Kathy. Anyone know if she's okay?

 

[newmanmichael]

A dual purpose bird wouldn't lay every day anyhow would they? I'd think every other day would be a lot too, right? Does the SOP say how often they should lay?

If I could get my Dels as big as my CR's then I'd be happy. Especially if they laid as often as mine do now. 4 out of 7 days would be good imho. That's but 208 eggs per year. Well perhaps 220 ?

Now I've come across the Blue Delaware ? or Blue hen of Delaware? or the Delaware Blue hen? Anyone else heard or seen this bird?

I still haven't heard from Kathy. Anyone know if she's okay?

From my understanding the Blue Delaware is a completely different breed and doesn't have anything to do with our Delaware breed. It's more of a game cock. Here's a link to wikipedia with some information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_Blue_Hen

As far as production goes I'd like to breed towards a big framed cock for meat and a hen that is a good layer, especially in the winter. I wouldn't expect them to lay eggs like a commercial leghorn but I would hope for 200+ eggs a year. That being said, I've never tracked my current flock and perhaps I should but boy would that be quite an undertaking! The SOP only says "a dual purpose fowl with well developed egg and meat characteristics." The only time the SOP defines numbers is for weights, tail angle and number of points on a comb. It would be nice to know the original goal of this breed.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

One of my 2 Delaware pullets/hens started laying quite a bit before the other. The first started laying mid December. I got 4 eggs a week from her every week. Then about 7 weeks later the other started laying and I started getting 9 or 10 eggs per week pretty steadily unt I quit counting. One week I got 12 eggs, one week I only got 7.

I'm not counting a Delaware eggs right now ... too many foster broodies laying eggs in the breeding pen.

 

[rancher hicks]

From my understanding the Blue Delaware is a completely different breed and doesn't have anything to do with our Delaware breed. It's more of a game cock. Here's a link to wikipedia with some information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delaware_Blue_Hen

As far as production goes I'd like to breed towards a big framed cock for meat and a hen that is a good layer, especially in the winter. I wouldn't expect them to lay eggs like a commercial leghorn but I would hope for 200+ eggs a year. That being said, I've never tracked my current flock and perhaps I should but boy would that be quite an undertaking! The SOP only says "a dual purpose fowl with well developed egg and meat characteristics." The only time the SOP defines numbers is for weights, tail angle and number of points on a comb. It would be nice to know the original goal of this breed.

I did see the Wiki site and it was in my looking for laying rates that I came across the Blue Delaware.

I rather subjective, and when you consider that the Cornish cross had not been developed yet? I only have six laying hens right now and they do okay, I suppose. Young ones won't lay til spring I suppose and then I'll have two flocks of Dels. Half will be Kathy's line. I do need to keep better records though.

I did or do band them but the bands fall off quite easily or they break. Come spring if all goes well I'll be hatching or at least setting 35 eggs. Broodies will get Dels too. Broodies do better with my Maran eggs so they get them mostly.

 

[DoubleMM]

Help please...

I have one Delaware, about 12 weeks, She looks big size wise but she's really skinny. I don't think worms, none of her clutch mates are skinny.

Delawares are large birds, do the develop like Jersey Giants, skeletal cage then they fill out?

 

[1zooman12]

Can somebody who knows what he is doing help me with respect to what exactly do I do next? I'm lost.
Neal, the Zooman