Delawares from kathyinmo

[Zanna]

I made two brooder boxes out of totes - one for hen#57 and one for hen#63 [ the brood sisters]
They are in a 6'x10' dog run set up under my barn covered back porch area.
The totes are about 40" apart and have food/water hanging in between.
The only problem I have seen is when 57 comes out for refreshments she wants to also get
envolved in what #63 is doing in her nest.
Some times they are switching nests.
#63 seems to be the most persistent on getting the job done but 57 sits also.
Maybe 57 always wants the others nest - don't know

If the one broody gets upset when the other tries to nosy in on her nest that is probably when the eggs are getting broken. Can you divide the run in half down the middle either lengthways or crossways? Chicken wire or heavy bird netting or something like that, heck, even plywood for temporary? Just throwing ideas out there.........

 

[finnfur]

If the one broody gets upset when the other tries to nosy in on her nest that is probably when the eggs are getting broken. Can you divide the run in half down the middle either lengthways or crossways? Chicken wire or heavy bird netting or something like that, heck, even plywood for temporary? Just throwing ideas out there.........

seems 57 is spending lots more time off nest than 63 from observations today - going to be out of town Fri so will check again and make assessment .
Might just put her back in breeding pen and pic better eggs for under 63.
Eggs this weekend will go in bator and if 57 is still sitting on the wood eggs when the bator hatches we will stick the chicks in with her.
Kim and Zanna thanks for the input.

 

[crazyhen]

Well I set 8 del. eggs under my ameracuana hen three days ago. Today she kicked out two of them. I checked and they were not fertile. Now how did she know?

 

[ronott1]

Well I set 8 del. eggs under my ameracuana hen three days ago. Today she kicked out two of them. I checked and they were not fertile. Now how did she know?

They just know LOL!

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Well I set 8 del. eggs under my ameracuana hen three days ago. Today she kicked out two of them. I checked and they were not fertile. Now how did she know?

hahaha

 

[Zanna]

Three of the four hatched as I suspected. One of the three has a wide stripe of greyish fluff down both sides of its body........ When I was working with my own line, I would occasionally have one hatch out with brownish stripes of fluff on the head and on the body. They always coloured out correctly for Delawares. I seem to recall the late Bob Blosl commenting that he felt one of the reasons Delawares lost favor is that they did not breed true. Anyone have any comments??

My Uncle in law raised champion game cocks for over 30 years. He says that by F'5's any breeds offspring, assuming correct breeding choices were made, should be producing apples for apples. My question to him was sure, I can see type but colour too? He said Yup. Hmmmm.

Kim and anyone else that has hatched these F'5's, have you had any that were not all yellow at hatch? This one will be banded different and I will keep track of how it ends up.

Black Copper Marans hatch with a lot of white belly fluff and small amounts of white in other areas. The white fluff is replaced with black feathers when they come in. I have a recessive white gene in my line and some of the chicks from the BCM parents hatch white/yellow with a lot of grey fluff on their heads/topside. They turn completely white when their real feathers come in. I find this all fascinating!

 

[kathyinmo]

Delawares DO breed true. I have never heard that they don't.

Remember with mine - they are a project and will likely take a while to get to "perfection!" 5 generations when starting from scratch? Well, I dunno about that. Assuming correct breeding? Well, I am no expert - merely a novice.

All of my project chicks (since F2) have hatched out yellow. Plain yellow and nothing else. I have never had the "greyish fluff down both sides of its body," that you mentioned. I wonder how it will turn out. I am anxious to hear!

My first broody of the year is one of my Delaware girls. She is setting on New Hampshire eggs (because they were the only pure eggs I had).

I have some medical issues to tend to, but if all works out (I hope to find out next week), I would like to pen and hatch some of my Delawares before summer has come and gone. I hope you all keep hatching and sharing and keep this line going!

I am sending my New Hampshires to Nebraska, to decrease my population and work load. I will just keep my Delawares and Barred Rocks (and a few miscellaneous layers). I don't think I will be keeping alot.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Zanna, I will try to copy & paste a FB Show Poultry post about gray in Rock chicks. Maybe this is what you are seeing? I sometimes see a slight hue of gray in my chicks, in certain light. Similar to photo below. Not solid gray or stripes, though.

@kathyinmo I hope that your medical issues are nothing serious. You have been through enough.

"


Doug Akers
White Plymouth Rock LF chick hatched yesterday. It has the nice, smoky/gray color mixed in with the yellow. This indicates the silver gene, which makes a very "white" white and prevents brassiness (yellowing) in the sun.

 

[Zanna]

Delawares DO breed true. I have never heard that they don't.

Remember with mine - they are a project and will likely take a while to get to "perfection!" 5 generations when starting from scratch? Well, I dunno about that. Assuming correct breeding? Well, I am no expert - merely a novice.

All of my project chicks (since F2) have hatched out yellow. Plain yellow and nothing else. I have never had the "greyish fluff down both sides of its body," that you mentioned. I wonder how it will turn out. I am anxious to hear!

My first broody of the year is one of my Delaware girls. She is setting on New Hampshire eggs (because they were the only pure eggs I had).

I have some medical issues to tend to, but if all works out (I hope to find out next week), I would like to pen and hatch some of my Delawares before summer has come and gone. I hope you all keep hatching and sharing and keep this line going!

I am sending my New Hampshires to Nebraska, to decrease my population and work load. I will just keep my Delawares and Barred Rocks (and a few miscellaneous layers). I don't think I will be keeping alot.

Kathy, thanks much for your input and so happy to hear you are keeping the Delawares but sorry to hear you are letting the New Hamps go, they are lovely!

Hope all turns out ok with your medical issues, you will be in my thoughts.

Kim, thanks for that info, that is what my BCM's that are hatching from the recessive gene look like but not quite how this Del looks, it looks darker today, just put them in the brooder yesterday.

Here is a picture of the little one:

 

[ronott1]

Delawares DO breed true. I have never heard that they don't.

Remember with mine - they are a project and will likely take a while to get to "perfection!" 5 generations when starting from scratch? Well, I dunno about that. Assuming correct breeding? Well, I am no expert - merely a novice.

All of my project chicks (since F2) have hatched out yellow. Plain yellow and nothing else. I have never had the "greyish fluff down both sides of its body," that you mentioned. I wonder how it will turn out. I am anxious to hear!

My first broody of the year is one of my Delaware girls. She is setting on New Hampshire eggs (because they were the only pure eggs I had).

I have some medical issues to tend to, but if all works out (I hope to find out next week), I would like to pen and hatch some of my Delawares before summer has come and gone. I hope you all keep hatching and sharing and keep this line going!

I am sending my New Hampshires to Nebraska, to decrease my population and work load. I will just keep my Delawares and Barred Rocks (and a few miscellaneous layers). I don't think I will be keeping alot.

I am hatching the third set for @capayvalleychick today and none of them so far have been anything but yellow.

These are from this mornings hatch.