Delawares from kathyinmo

[capayvalleychick]

This is one thing I've been wondering about since my cockerel had a lot of excess barring and so far, all the young cockerels do, too.
Do you think this line will need to be outcrossed to get them to the SOP?

Originally Posted by capayvalleychick


I would try #2 with the lightest hens - just a guess !

Tom, that's my only option at this point.

desertmarcy, I'd really like to have this discussion with someone who has some knowledge in that area. There is someone I'd like to ask. he's usually on other forums but sometimes posts on the Blue Rock thread. His BYC name is emenheiser. Why don't you ask him?

 

[finnfur]

Fried F4 - love that. Looks like you eat well at your house. Being a Cali girl, I never learned how to fry chicken.

Well ! You know what the Beach Boys say about Californian Girls . I guess they don't need to know how to fry chicken

We usually only fry in summer . Sharon has a outside camp cooker with monster cast fry pan. Its under the detached garage porch.
Its her canning , kill and process area. The entire garage is her pantry for canned food etc.

 

[LindaB220]

Originally Posted by capayvalleychick



My best male had lots of barring. All his male offspring have the same pattern of barring on their backs. I'm hoping that it lessens with the molt. It will be difficult to improve upon color if they all have the same amount of excess barring.

My #2 cock has slightly less barring. I made the mistake of hatching a large number only from #1. Now that I started breeding to #2, the weather turned very hot. They stopped laying and my incubator won't work in a 90 degree room.
Can you recommend an incubator that functions properly in an environment without climate control?
I had 3 Dels go broody, one successful. Hoping for a few eggs from the #2 male pairings and another broody who will raise them.



I would try #2 with the lightest hens - just a guess !

Dont understand why a incubator won't work at 90 degree because your control temp is higher than that. ?

I have a Foam-a-bator available

Whew! these hot temps must be hard on the broody hens .

The first day I had my incubator I had it in the storeroom. Not insulated so even with A/C it was 100. My incubator kept going well over 100, up to 110 once. So I brought in the house. Hatched 11 out of 14. Not Delawares but blue egg layers. I'm waiting until later to get more. La temp is too hot.

 

[desertmarcy]

The heat here is really getting me down. I have too many birds to get away and too many to reasonably ask a farm sitter to care for.
Too many breeds, too much work. I'm parting with the Delawares. They are not my favorite breed, if they were, I'd spend the time it will take to work with these and help get them to the SOP. But I just can't do it. I have 25 youngsters from this year's hatching, hatched between 3/16 and 4/20, about evenly split for sex. All wing banded from the two hens I used. Chances of finding someone local enough to take these off my hands is probably slim, but I'm posting here just in case. I wouldn't ask much for the lot, just something to compensate for some of the feed. I am really tired of not being able to go anywhere. I am retired and supposed to be having fun

 

[desertmarcy]

I just put an ad up for them https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/901165/delawares-from-kathyinmo-recreated-line

 

[finnfur]

The heat here is really getting me down. I have too many birds to get away and too many to reasonably ask a farm sitter to care for.
Too many breeds, too much work. I'm parting with the Delawares. They are not my favorite breed, if they were, I'd spend the time it will take to work with these and help get them to the SOP. But I just can't do it. I have 25 youngsters from this year's hatching, hatched between 3/16 and 4/20, about evenly split for sex. All wing banded from the two hens I used. Chances of finding someone local enough to take these off my hands is probably slim, but I'm posting here just in case. I wouldn't ask much for the lot, just something to compensate for some of the feed. I am really tired of not being able to go anywhere. I am retired and supposed to be having fun

Well - am sorry to hear that because I enjoyed your participation with good information. But , I understand the "Retired" . I am "Semi-Retired" and working harder now than when I worked full time . LOL
So Enjoy - Life is to short.

 

[newmanmichael]

The heat here is really getting me down. I have too many birds to get away and too many to reasonably ask a farm sitter to care for.
Too many breeds, too much work. I'm parting with the Delawares. They are not my favorite breed, if they were, I'd spend the time it will take to work with these and help get them to the SOP. But I just can't do it. I have 25 youngsters from this year's hatching, hatched between 3/16 and 4/20, about evenly split for sex. All wing banded from the two hens I used. Chances of finding someone local enough to take these off my hands is probably slim, but I'm posting here just in case. I wouldn't ask much for the lot, just something to compensate for some of the feed. I am really tired of not being able to go anywhere. I am retired and supposed to be having fun

Sorry to hear this but I understand. Wish I lived closer and could take them off your hands.

 

[capayvalleychick]

The heat here is really getting me down. I have too many birds to get away and too many to reasonably ask a farm sitter to care for.
Too many breeds, too much work. I'm parting with the Delawares. They are not my favorite breed, if they were, I'd spend the time it will take to work with these and help get them to the SOP. But I just can't do it. I have 25 youngsters from this year's hatching, hatched between 3/16 and 4/20, about evenly split for sex. All wing banded from the two hens I used. Chances of finding someone local enough to take these off my hands is probably slim, but I'm posting here just in case. I wouldn't ask much for the lot, just something to compensate for some of the feed. I am really tired of not being able to go anywhere. I am retired and supposed to be having fun

I'm feeling exactly the same way, from the heat and the work and not being able to get away for more than a few hours. Split shift every single day. But, I don't want to get rid of my animals.
I hope that you can find someone who wants the Dels and I hope you find a worker to help out.

 

[desertmarcy]

I'm feeling exactly the same way, from the heat and the work and not being able to get away for more than a few hours. Split shift every single day. But, I don't want to get rid of my animals.
I hope that you can find someone who wants the Dels and I hope you find a worker to help out.

Thanks, I'm in that exact same situation and have been for years. I go through this mental dilemma--birds versus travel--really gets me the most at night when I'm trying to sleep

During the day, I just do the work and generally don't dwell on it, but yesterday was bad and I threatened to start butchering birds and just bury them in the compost! Unfortunately, my partner really could care less if I did that, but really?? I was brought up by parents who went through the Depression, and to waste like that just makes me ill thinking about it.

I can probably sell the Delaware pullets as layers if I'm willing to hang on to them long enough, then just butcher the cockerels. They look big, but it is all fluff right now, so not much meat. I don't mind having a few of these around, they kind of offset all my other birds since they are the only white ones I have. But working with them the way that's needed to get them to SOP? No, I have to put some limits and my birds have gotten way out of control in my life.

I don't know the city in CA where you live, how hot it is there. People have a hard time imagining the heat of the desert in June-July. It is like a blast furnace and unrelenting sun. We used to go camping and hiking all over the US before my bird addiction took hold. I still had birds, but just not this many. My goal is to get down to a reasonable enough number that it wouldn't be so daunting to someone farm caretaking. I believe by the time that happens, the worst of the season will have passed, though. It is really hard to find the right person who you can trust with your birds AND your house keys---and who wants to do it.

 

[desertmarcy]

Gosh, did I kill this thread

? Still no interest in my Delawares! I really do not think there are that many serious chicken breeders in my neck of the woods. And a lot of them that are, keep bantams.