Delawares from kathyinmo

[Beekissed]

Bee - Mine are same ship date as yours - I got the leftovers LOL - Not complaining , I'm happy !
You better start checking the woods

Will do...been checking vents and they look a little looser but not so much that it causes me to think they are in lay. Will go one better and do an examination tonight...internally. That takes all the guess work out of it.

I'm a nurse and that's how we roll....

 

[catdaddyfro]

X2! Especially that tail.

Originally Posted by Beekissed I got mine 4/25 and haven't seen a notion of laying from them either, nor any sex interest from the rooster, so I don't know that they are even close. I'm used to hatchery birds, so going past the 6 mo. mark is a rarity for me for POL...I'm going to have to adjust to heritage stock differences, I'm thinking.

Walt's experience with Kathy's NH was that the first generation was slow maturing, yet the second generation was much faster and better overall. I'm hoping that the same may hold true with these Dels.

that is an environment situation goes to show how things get acclimated to an area an too as Walt has stated in the past the climate conditions he is in all year is an extremely good/ideal area to raise poultry in, amongst numerous other types of livestock. and to after 50 something years under his belt he can go out pick out stuff(esp. breeders) you or I might miss or never even see too

Jeff

 

[Beekissed]

Checked pullets for any sign of an egg in the chute...no one had an egg. They are starting into their 7 mo. of life, so we'll see how it goes for them. Two Dels and two WRs, all four seem to be maturing equally apace. Wish I could get the lazy Dels to get out of the nest box at night...two of them will crowd in the same nest and sleep there, as big as they are! I've usually had young birds broke of that long, long ago but these birds are the most persistent I've ever had. I'd hate to block off the boxes altogether because I'm too durn lazy to go open nest boxes every morning at sunrise...but these birds are something else. Plenty of roost room..tons of it..and the WRs are roosting well and have been for months, but these Dels just don't wanna.

 

[desertmarcy]

I butchered one of the two cockerels I had today. He dressed out at only 3 lb 11 oz (including giblets) at 6 months old. The other one is only a few oz bigger (live weight) than that one was. I think that is pitifully small. Are other people having similar experiences with the weights on the cockerels?

 

[Beekissed]

I don't think that's too bad for a DP roo of that age. I just processed some full grown DP roos that processed out at 3lbs and 3.5 lbs dressed wt.(no gibs).

 

[finnfur]

I dont have any dressed weights yet - I am still narrowing selection for #2 Cock.
We did live weights yesterday [ 29 weeks ] to help with that selection but still haven't made the #2 choice .
Live weights; in Pounds/oz
B64[#1Cock], 7/9 -B53, 6/15 - B55 , 5/7 - B60 , 6/1 - B62 , 7/1 - B54 ,6/4 - B52 , 6/8 - B59 [REX] , 7/1 -B58 , 6/14 -

B60 has nice shape and feel and good color and was my mental selection for #2 till the weight in but is one of the lightest - Some of the other heavier have Ok shape but a lot of Columbian shackles and black non-barred tails. probably not a good thing to be breeding to the next generation .
Got to make some selections soon as they starting to chase and spar each other wearing good eating weight off them LOL

Bee
Mine don't want to roost either even though there is room . I have seen them try to squeeze two in a nest to roost but my nest are commercial type metal and two small. No broken or eaten eggs since I installed them though. A first they would crowd group in the weeds outside coop and first four nights had to
carry them in . Then they would huddle on floor . Now they roost on edge of or in nests LOL . I have to remove droppings from certain nests daily.
I was attributing it to them being the young six in the flock of 20 but maybe not.

 

[crazyhen]

Mine from Kathy are just now roosting. I built a new nest with the top a tray and roost. They are there. They did not want to challenge the other hens for a spot I guess. Now they are there every nite. I sure am glad as the floor will stay a lot cleanner now. I have only one roo left. I have not weighed him yet but he is large and well marked. The two hens I had kept, one is a bit small and the other has a lot of columbian markings but a nice shape. ( my brother has the others. I will see his on the first of dec. I hope and can pick his best hens as he does not breed at all.) I like to have a roo so I will have some olive eggers but with these I think I want to maybe breed them. This would be my first if they ever start to lay. They investigate and scratch in the nest now but no eggs yet.

 

[Beekissed]

I dont have any dressed weights yet - I am still narrowing selection for #2 Cock.
We did live weights yesterday [ 29 weeks ] to help with that selection but still haven't made the #2 choice .
Live weights; in Pounds/oz
B64[#1Cock], 7/9 -B53, 6/15 - B55 , 5/7 - B60 , 6/1 - B62 , 7/1 - B54 ,6/4 - B52 , 6/8 - B59 [REX] , 7/1 -B58 , 6/14 -

B60 has nice shape and feel and good color and was my mental selection for #2 till the weight in but is one of the lightest - Some of the other heavier have Ok shape but a lot of Columbian shackles and black non-barred tails. probably not a good thing to be breeding to the next generation .
Got to make some selections soon as they starting to chase and spar each other wearing good eating weight off them LOL

Bee
Mine don't want to roost either even though there is room . I have seen them try to squeeze two in a nest to roost but my nest are commercial type metal and two small. No broken or eaten eggs since I installed them though. A first they would crowd group in the weeds outside coop and first four nights had to
carry them in . Then they would huddle on floor . Now they roost on edge of or in nests LOL . I have to remove droppings from certain nests daily.
I was attributing it to them being the young six in the flock of 20 but maybe not.

I was really surprised to note this of the Dels, especially since they seemed quite food aggressive when they were young and would crowd out the bigger birds at the feeder even as chicks...no fear. But, as they grew they became quite docile and won't even approach the feeder until all the older birds are done eating, won't fight for roosting rights and are easily run off any food by a much younger flock member...I never dreamed they would be that gentle natured after watching them as chicks.

I have to go up every night and expel them from one of the nests as they will sit there and poop a ton all night. No excuse for it, really, as I have four separate roosting spots at different levels in the coop, several spots where they won't even encounter an older flock member at all and the roosts are easy to obtain and roost upon. These roosts are set up for geriatric birds, so I know they are comfortable for the youngsters being wide, cushiony and with good traction.

 

[capayvalleychick]

We did live weights yesterday [ 29 weeks ] to help with that selection but still haven't made the #2 choice .
Live weights; in Pounds/oz
B64[#1Cock], 7/9 -B53, 6/15 - B55 , 5/7 - B60 , 6/1 - B62 , 7/1 - B54 ,6/4 - B52 , 6/8 - B59 [REX] , 7/1 -B58 , 6/14 -

Looks like at least one - or more - may soon meet standard weight.

 

[finnfur]

Looks like at least one - or more - may soon meet standard weight.

Well B64 is there . Everybody else that looks good is in low/mid 6 range . The rest have feather problems . Rex has good weight but he won't see Cock age LOL - They still growing and filling out.