Delawares from kathyinmo

[fowlman01]

I had occasion to communicate with Walt Leonard yesterday, so I sent him a photo I just took of Mr. Fatty. Walt said Mr. Fatty is a good choice for a breeder. To which I can only reply "Phew!" as I've already got eggs he's fertilized under a broody.

Mr. Fatty from yesterday, looking slightly less like a beach ball than he sometimes does ...



And Mr. Fatty from yesterday looking just like a steam roller ...

Ideally you would want a longer back and not so much of a rise in angle, but he is a good sound breeding bird. Try to mate him to the longest backed and most horizontal back females you can.

Walt

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Ideally you would want a longer back and not so much of a rise in angle, but he is a good sound breeding bird. Try to mate him to the longest backed and most horizontal back females you can.

Walt

My females do tend toward longer, flatter backs. Actually, so do my other cockerels. I'm hoping Mr. Fatty corrects that in his batch of chicks. And I hope the chicks aren't too "fancy" with streamers and fluff and extra black but keep some width and depth.

Too bad they don't build to suit.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Here is the cockerel I'll donate to the youth poultry event as a fundraiser. He has a much longer back and better color. But his proportions are weird. His head looks a little small and his tail is a bit odd and I don't like his wing carriage as much as Mr. Fatty's and he isn't as wide or deep. Also, his comb isn't as nice. But I think he should give someone a decent start. I still haven't picked the pullets to send with him.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Then there is this guy who is the inbetween bird. He is super wide and plenty deep with a longer back so he doesn't roll. He has a fine head and comb and better color than most in my flock. My one issue with him is that he postures so it looks like his wings fold funny a lot of the time. The wings CAN fold right, so I'm hoping to send him to another breeder who has better pullets than I have.

Of course I still have the sire of these three cockerels.

 

[rancher hicks]

4 and 6 on the hatch so far. 4 Delaware 6 EE's. Hope a few more hatch by tomorrow or thursday. So far about a 50% hatch.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

4 and 6 on the hatch so far. 4 Delaware 6 EE's. Hope a few more hatch by tomorrow or thursday. So far about a 50% hatch.

Well that's a good start.

 

[fowlman01]

Then there is this guy who is the inbetween bird. He is super wide and plenty deep with a longer back so he doesn't roll. He has a fine head and comb and better color than most in my flock. My one issue with him is that he postures so it looks like his wings fold funny a lot of the time. The wings CAN fold right, so I'm hoping to send him to another breeder who has better pullets than I have.

Of course I still have the sire of these three cockerels.

The male in this picture looks shallow to me. There is very little lower chest in this picture.

Walt

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

The male in this picture looks shallow to me. There is very little lower chest in this picture.

Walt

Yes ... it does look like that.

His posture really confuses me. When handled, his chest feels about mid-way between the completely round cockerel (Mr. Fatty) and the third cockerel (the awkward bird with the longer back). In person when he's moving around I *think* he is the second widest and roundest cockerel I hatched last year. Though I'm new to breeding so need more practice feeling the birds.

I was thinking of trying to photograph them with a measuring tape, so I can objectively see how wide they are, and how long the radius is from the spot where their neck meets their back and the furthest curve of their chest. There is one other cockerel I got excited about because he seems to have the roundest underline where his chest feathers and bum fluff are a continuous curve clear to his wattles, but he doesn't feel as deep and solid in my hands, so when I took another look I noticed the point where his neck meets his back is lower than on some other birds, so that radius line isn't as long.

I was telling someone I wish I could Mr. Potatohead them all ... take parts from a bunch of different birds and make a few better birds for breeders.

It is interesting to see the shape of the birds change now that it is spring. They all seem to posture in slightly different ways. Most seem to be carrying their tails higher and wider (males and females of all ages), and some of the males hold their wings out or down, some of the males stretch up and crow a lot more. The females seem to tip forward more; some of the females are just trying to hide. Mr. Fatty makes himself super round, he's more likely to hold his wings a bit away from his body than hold them down, and puff out his chest. The cockerel in the photo we're discussing now makes himself taller and lowers his wings. Drives me nuts!

And my pullets are a mess ... Le sigh.

 

[Mr King]

Can anyone from this thread sell me some delaware eggs or chicks Kathyinmo line? Please.!

 

[Zanna]

First Kathy line Del. hatched of the season. 6 eggs set, all from one hen and only one made it to the hatcher. This one and all from the next hatch in a week will be F'5's, PapaDel F'4 x my three original F'4 Hens. 3rd and 4th hatches (now in the incubator) will have some F'6's, PapaDel x pullet daughters of F'4 Hens. Yesterday, for the first time, I collected four eggs for four out of the pullet pen. Hatch 6 should be a big one

An order for 220 mixed breeds of chicks just came in. Going to have to fire up the new hatcher and my 2nd hovabator so I can keep my hatches separate. The order will pay for the new hatcher and I will deliver the chicks the day they hatch so pretty easy. Better not post any pics. of my apartment in another week Doing my happy dance!!!