Delawares from kathyinmo

[Zanna]

One of my Delaware pullets is laying now.

Remember, most of you have chicks from late hatches. Chickens require 14 hours of daylight to lay, and we are not getting that. I believe this delay in laying is due to daylight, not due to slow development. Just my opinion, and I may be wrong. The birds they were created from were very much to the extreme - Rocks being slow and Hamps being fast. What we get could be anything!

On a good note - I noticed one of my cockerels looking rather nice the other day. I am hoping he will be good enough to be a breeder, since the coyotes ate my first 2 choices.

Hi Kathy, thanks so much for stopping in!!! Would you post a few pics. of some of your F'4's when you can?

 

[Zanna]

I posted this on the Heritage thread also - I think #1 has the better body type but #2 better markings .
This what we looking for ? If I ever get one like this I am going to call him "Superboy"
But don't think I'll live that long. LOL

Yes, my first one is more of the picture I had in mind but he is also maturing the fastest, another factor. The 2nd cockeral I believe will still fill out a great deal and i like him for many reasons as well. I have one other boy who is much bigger/heavier but he still looks so awkward/gangly. I realize that we may not know fully on type with these boys till they are a year or more. They may very well get close to Superboy

 

[kathyinmo]

Here are two of the cockerals looking much more mature..........

I love the type on that first one. He looks just like his daddy (who was overweight)! Yes, he is over-colored, but I like him!

Out of curiosity: What is the typical "breeding season" for "early" vs. "late" chicks?

If possible, it is nice to hatch in Jan, Feb, March. It is not always possible to get eggs that early though, unless you use lights (which I never have done).

Quote: Well, that is a nice compliment. Walt says he is a nice guy, but for some reason he rubs me the wrong way. (I am sure I am wrong, because I trust Walt.) I just don't like it when (it seems to me) people want to make everything into a massive marketing tool and money maker. To me, having chickens is enjoyable and I do also enjoy a little challenge, which I get with breeding. I do not show, but I enjoy breeding for those who do show! I also do not make money from my chickens. I have never been out of the red with raising chickens, and I never will be.

Hi Kathy, thanks so much for stopping in!!! Would you post a few pics. of some of your F'4's when you can?

I will try to get some pictures tomorrow.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Do these not look almost the same!

 

[finnfur]

Do these not look almost the same!

Its tough to judge chickens with pictures - He appears to lack the well developed bowl front chest - Keep in mind the pic comparison is a 1+ year
Cock and yours may not have reached maturity yet. Some of the Cocerels I had from Weekiva looked similar

 

[NestingHillsSC]

True. He is not even 7 months yet. I just had a APA Judge come to the house this morning. Really to see my Heritage Reds, but what caught his eye were the Delaware cockerels. He said they were very nice. Actually he said he really liked the fullness of the breast. Sometimes it's the angle of the pictures that don't do them justice. The only bad thing he said were the yellow on the cockerels. Hens don't have it. He said to get a few breeder White Rock hens and cross them to put more recessive white genes in them.

But I do see what you mean with the curve on the older pic with the breast coming all the way between his legs. Breeding is a never ending job isn't. Once you think you have it, it starts to go the other way. That's why breeding to the SOP is fun and a challenge.

 

[rancher hicks]

I love the type on that first one. He looks just like his daddy (who was overweight)! Yes, he is over-colored, but I like him!



If possible, it is nice to hatch in Jan, Feb, March. It is not always possible to get eggs that early though, unless you use lights (which I never have done).

Well, that is a nice compliment. Walt says he is a nice guy, but for some reason he rubs me the wrong way. (I am sure I am wrong, because I trust Walt.) I just don't like it when (it seems to me) people want to make everything into a massive marketing tool and money maker. To me, having chickens is enjoyable and I do also enjoy a little challenge, which I get with breeding. I do not show, but I enjoy breeding for those who do show! I also do not make money from my chickens. I have never been out of the red with raising chickens, and I never will be.



I will try to get some pictures tomorrow.

I have read in the Practical Poultry magazine, UK, that there is concern for breeding for color over type and utility. The Delaware is not a easy to find over there, but also concerns with the Buff Orps and other breeds. That they are not meeting the standard for which they were originally bred with regards to egg and meat production.

I would prefer a utility Delaware over a pretty one I think. Which brings me to some questions.

Is/are there any pictures of the Delaware that was bred for commercial purposes. Before it was ousted by the Cornish X ?

Also how does one go about weighing a chicken?

 

[catdaddyfro]

True. He is not even 7 months yet. I just had a APA Judge come to the house this morning. Really to see my Heritage Reds, but what caught his eye were the Delaware cockerels. He said they were very nice. Actually he said he really liked the fullness of the breast. Sometimes it's the angle of the pictures that don't do them justice. The only bad thing he said were the yellow on the cockerels. Hens don't have it. He said to get a few breeder White Rock hens and cross them to put more recessive white genes in them.

But I do see what you mean with the curve on the older pic with the breast coming all the way between his legs. Breeding is a never ending job isn't. Once you think you have it, it starts to go the other way. That's why breeding to the SOP is fun and a challenge.

Recessive white is what lets the autosomal red(brassiness) bleed though I don't understand the logic there + rocks are the wrong body type for Dels sounds one step forward two steps backwards to me, J/S

Silver is dominant to gold(brassiness) If I was going to outcross it would be to a columbian something another then one would have to breed back to type then.
Jeff

 

[NestingHillsSC]

So the columbian would be better?? Would that put too much of the columbian color in the hackles?? I porbably could use a bit more color. But I don't want to much.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Well, that is a nice compliment. Walt says he is a nice guy, but for some reason he rubs me the wrong way. (I am sure I am wrong, because I trust Walt.) I just don't like it when (it seems to me) people want to make everything into a massive marketing tool and money maker. To me, having chickens is enjoyable and I do also enjoy a little challenge, which I get with breeding.

I agree with you. That is exactly my problem with him and I even told him so, when I met him. I pointed out that many people, like myself, who choose to breed these older breeds don't make money off them, so can't afford his *flock certification*.

True. He is not even 7 months yet. I just had a APA Judge come to the house this morning. Really to see my Heritage Reds, but what caught his eye were the Delaware cockerels. He said they were very nice. Actually he said he really liked the fullness of the breast. Sometimes it's the angle of the pictures that don't do them justice. The only bad thing he said were the yellow on the cockerels. Hens don't have it. He said to get a few breeder White Rock hens and cross them to put more recessive white genes in them.

But I do see what you mean with the curve on the older pic with the breast coming all the way between his legs. Breeding is a never ending job isn't. Once you think you have it, it starts to go the other way. That's why breeding to the SOP is fun and a challenge.

Which judge? Do you have any males without the brassiness that you could use for breeding? If you can find Scott B. who raises Columbian Rocks, (Yardfull of Rocks?) he can tell you about his experience ridding his birds of brassiness.

Also how does one go about weighing a chicken?

I've been told that you can get a good scale off Ebay. Put the chicken in a box to weigh it. I've used an infant scale. Sometimes have to rubber band the legs if the bird won't stand on the scale.