Delawares from kathyinmo

[Beekissed]

Oops! He ain't gonna make SOP either....

 

[EggieRowe]

Yes please talk , talk, talk. I have one roo and two hens i have saved from this line and will let them breed. I know I can never match the rest of you but this will be fun to learn and do.

Indeed! I have only a few heritage Delies now, not from this line, but I'm learning a lot about this breed and about breeding in general here. I can't believe there is so little information on this breed. These are such beautiful, friendly birds!

One of the pullets I had saved had the green tint to the legs earlier but does not now, so I'm not sure if everyone has had that same result or if I'm imagining things. Is that even possible?

All of my chicks, except the runt, had either dingy (green?) looking legs or pale yellow for a long time. At 14 weeks they have all yellowed nicely and the runt's orange-ish legs have toned down a bit.

 

[DelDels]

Hello everyone. I have been away for a few days.

Thank You for the compliments Kathy. I just love these chickens!

Body type and size are the two major points to consider when culling any heritage breed. I also watch out for disposition. I had really mean Delaware roosters in the past. It has been so nice to work with the F2s and now F4s from Kathy as they are superior in that area.

I have a nice selection to choose from so I can cull some for color. I have a cockerel and a pullet that have some tan on them and they will go. They are both columbian marked and have lovely tails and type. I think they are very pretty too but alas, we are not breeding for pretty.

I also have one well marked pullet who will be culled for narrowness. I really hate that type and would keep a columbian marked pullet ahead of narrow or shallow bodied birds. That is just how I see it, others may have their own views.

With that said, the culls from this group are better and have more breeding potential than the Delawares I used to have.

Bea

 

[DelDels]

Today I processed 4 cockerels. They are 18 weeks old tomorrow. I thought some would be interested in the results:
#1 5.75 lb. whole
3.5 lb. dressed

#2 4.5 lb. whole
2.5 lb dressed

#3 5.0 whole
3.1 dressed

#4 4.6 lb. whole
2.65 dressed

The dressed weight is lower than normal because I spatchcocked them. So they had no spine, tail, neck or giblets in the dressed weight. The two smallest ones were the smallest ones of the bunch. I keep the four best to grow out. They all had bright yellow legs and golden yellow skin making them much more colorful than Dels I had processed in the past. All in all, they make an appealing table bird.

 

[EggieRowe]

Today I processed 4 cockerels. They are 18 weeks old tomorrow. I thought some would be interested in the results:
#1 5.75 lb. whole
3.5 lb. dressed

#2 4.5 lb. whole
2.5 lb dressed

#3 5.0 whole
3.1 dressed

#4 4.6 lb. whole
2.65 dressed

The dressed weight is lower than normal because I spatchcocked them. So they had no spine, tail, neck or giblets in the dressed weight. The two smallest ones were the smallest ones of the bunch. I keep the four best to grow out. They all had bright yellow legs and golden yellow skin making them much more colorful than Dels I had processed in the past. All in all, they make an appealing table bird.

I've always roasted my whole birds, chickens and turkeys, without the spine but never new it had a name! Is your whole weight after bleeding? (Though I guess blood isn't going to account for a significant amount of weight anyway.)

 

[DelDels]

Yes, the whole weight was taken after they had been bled. I love broiling them at this size. They are tasty and tender.

 

[finnfur]

Today I processed 4 cockerels. They are 18 weeks old tomorrow. I thought some would be interested in the results:
#1 5.75 lb. whole
3.5 lb. dressed

#2 4.5 lb. whole
2.5 lb dressed

#3 5.0 whole
3.1 dressed

#4 4.6 lb. whole
2.65 dressed

The dressed weight is lower than normal because I spatchcocked them. So they had no spine, tail, neck or giblets in the dressed weight. The two smallest ones were the smallest ones of the bunch. I keep the four best to grow out. They all had bright yellow legs and golden yellow skin making them much more colorful than Dels I had processed in the past. All in all, they make an appealing table bird.

Thanks - that gives me something to compare with when I do assessment at 18 weeks next week . Did you weight the keepers also ? We started spatchcocking on our last batch
and it sure makes the cleaning process go easier with a pair of poultry shears. Takes less freezer space too !

 

[crazyhen]

Sorry I was going to ask a question now I saw the answer.

 

[kathyinmo]

Sorry I was going to ask a question now I saw the answer.

A spatchcock, otherwise known as "spattlecock", is poultry or game that has been prepared for roasting or grilling by removing the backbone, and sometimes the sternum of the bird and flattening it out before cooking. The preparation of a bird in such a manner for cooking may also be known as butterflying the bird. The term "spatchcock" is used when the backbone is removed, whether or not the sternum is removed. Removing the sternum allows the bird to be flattened more fully.

"Spatchcock" is also the traditional word for a juvenile chicken (in French, a "poussin"). Poussins or Spatchcocks were generally butterflied in preparation for faster cooking, hence in modern English the word has come to refer to both the bird and the manner in which it was traditionally prepared.

 

[crazyhen]

Thanks Kathy,
By the way did you get my email??