Delawares from kathyinmo

[LeslieDJoyce]

I sell all my eggs from my 30 hens. Never have enough for everybody every week. I don't MAKE money doing it, but it helps with feed cost. Anything I think is better than nothing. I make some money when I start to breed. Eggs are just a buy product of the breeding hens most of the year. Plus I can't eat that many eggs.

People think there going to get in the chicken business and make all this money. NOT!! Chickens really are an expensive hobby. Unless you have 100's or 1,000's of them.

I've been in farming too long to believe there is real money in it. Just this thing we euphemistically call "cash flow."

And I knew it would be work.

My first partner, though, I think he had certain misunderstandings about the responsibility involved and the expense. He wanted a lot of birds, all varieties, and I think he honestly believed feed-store birds would be show/breeder quality.

Le sigh. I'm transitioning away from that mess.

I wanted colorful eggs, but I wanted to be a little more careful about breed selection and I only wanted a few birds so the work wouldn't become overwhelming and so they'd have decent forage without intruding much into the rest of the farm. Essentially I wanted to start out where I am starting now ... by trying to help restore a breed and feed them exceptionally well with unlimited access to high-quality forage so they would be as healthy as possible and the eggs would be especially nutritious. I'm especially excited about working with the Dels because they're dual purpose and I will really appreciate the meat.

It's also nice that Delawares are so pretty. I'm just girly enough to appreciate pretty things.

 

[newmanmichael]

I'm considering an order of Dels from Whitmore. Would anyone care to give me some input? PM if you must. I lost my original rooster this year but do have George from Speckledhen and a youngster to work with.

The plan is to set up two flocks and cull based on weights.

Gotta run the queen is home

Sent you a PM about my Whtimore Delawares

 

[capayvalleychick]

This is my roo from Kathy, Thank you Kathy. I love him so far. He does have a little bleed through but at first I thought it was the clay here

. He is so broad and is larger than the white orp that I got from someone else on here that sells line bred stock.

I love his head. The broad heads on the Dels in this strain remind me of eagles.

 

[crazyhen]

My roo was born in April. So I think he is coming along nicely. KATHY what should I bred him with? I have two hens but they are the same set.

 

[rancher hicks]

I've been in farming too long to believe there is real money in it. Just this thing we euphemistically call "cash flow."

And I knew it would be work.

My first partner, though, I think he had certain misunderstandings about the responsibility involved and the expense. He wanted a lot of birds, all varieties, and I think he honestly believed feed-store birds would be show/breeder quality.

Le sigh. I'm transitioning away from that mess.

I wanted colorful eggs, but I wanted to be a little more careful about breed selection and I only wanted a few birds so the work wouldn't become overwhelming and so they'd have decent forage without intruding much into the rest of the farm. Essentially I wanted to start out where I am starting now ... by trying to help restore a breed and feed them exceptionally well with unlimited access to high-quality forage so they would be as healthy as possible and the eggs would be especially nutritious. I'm especially excited about working with the Dels because they're dual purpose and I will really appreciate the meat.

It's also nice that Delawares are so pretty. I'm just girly enough to appreciate pretty things.

I like to keep a flock of a mix of breeds for the eye, but also flocks of single breeds for improvement of the breeds.

Certainly show birds are nice but it's the utility I'm looking for. I'm pretty sure the commercial birds of the past were not all carbon copies. I have read to breed for type first and that's my intent.

 

[crazyhen]

I am looking for two things with mine. Eggs and if they come close to sop. They do not have to be perfect. If I get to many I will eat some or give them away. I love to start others on a path of being a chickaholic

. I do keep a group of hens that seem to have to much personality to let go even if they are not the best in layers. They give me lots of pleasure when they come to me and I love the interaction. I have a few oldies just because.....

 

[capayvalleychick]

Certainly show birds are nice but it's the utility I'm looking for. I'm pretty sure the commercial birds of the past were not all carbon copies. I have read to breed for type first and that's my intent.

The Standard for the heritage dual purpose breeds - like the Delaware were written for utility. The Standards for these old breeds were written at a time when they were being used as utility fowl.

To quote from the SOP on economic qualities of the Delaware: " A dual purpose fowl with well developed egg and meat characteristics." Pages 21-22 depict characteristics of productiveness for all standard bred fowl.

So, in the case of standard bred dual purpose heritage breeds, breeding a show bird to standard IS breeding for utility.

They aren't going to beat the modern day commercial birds for production. Their utility is equal to that of the era in which they were established. If you want to make money off chickens, you are probably better off raising modern commercial breeds. If history and beauty and health is important to you, raising a heritage, standard bred, dual purpose breed will supply your family with enough meat and eggs to satisfy.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I am looking for two things with mine. Eggs and if they come close to sop. They do not have to be perfect. If I get to many I will eat some or give them away. I love to start others on a path of being a chickaholic

. I do keep a group of hens that seem to have to much personality to let go even if they are not the best in layers. They give me lots of pleasure when they come to me and I love the interaction. I have a few oldies just because.....

It seems all of my "favorites" are the most useless birds. The special-needs girls. We bond while I'm fussing over them -- I should probably be tougher and cull anyone who needs my help to get along, but I put it off because I'm not doing serious breeding with those birds. I also have one rooster who can't blend with the flock because he's small but wants to fight everyone. He day ranges outside the pastures, challenging everyone through the fencing. He is now in charge of my habitual escape-artist hens and he cracks me up every time I see him. He tries to school the dog while we play frisbee. Hysterical. But only as long as he's nice to people.

 

[rancher hicks]

The Standard for the heritage dual purpose breeds - like the Delaware were written for utility. The Standards for these old breeds were written at a time when they were being used as utility fowl.

To quote from the SOP on economic qualities of the Delaware: " A dual purpose fowl with well developed egg and meat characteristics." Pages 21-22 depict characteristics of productiveness for all standard bred fowl.

So, in the case of standard bred dual purpose heritage breeds, breeding a show bird to standard IS breeding for utility.

They aren't going to beat the modern day commercial birds for production. Their utility is equal to that of the era in which they were established. If you want to make money off chickens, you are probably better off raising modern commercial breeds. If history and beauty and health is important to you, raising a heritage, standard bred, dual purpose breed will supply your family with enough meat and eggs to satisfy.

I believe it was previously stated that the weighing of birds is not considered in showing. At least not in this neck of the woods. Here's two from a show here. The roosters comb clearly suffered from frost bite as all his points were well rounded.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

I've been in farming too long to believe there is real money in it. Just this thing we euphemistically call "cash flow."

And I knew it would be work.

My first partner, though, I think he had certain misunderstandings about the responsibility involved and the expense. He wanted a lot of birds, all varieties, and I think he honestly believed feed-store birds would be show/breeder quality.

Le sigh. I'm transitioning away from that mess.

I wanted colorful eggs, but I wanted to be a little more careful about breed selection and I only wanted a few birds so the work wouldn't become overwhelming and so they'd have decent forage without intruding much into the rest of the farm. Essentially I wanted to start out where I am starting now ... by trying to help restore a breed and feed them exceptionally well with unlimited access to high-quality forage so they would be as healthy as possible and the eggs would be especially nutritious. I'm especially excited about working with the Dels because they're dual purpose and I will really appreciate the meat.

It's also nice that Delawares are so pretty. I'm just girly enough to appreciate pretty things.