Delawares from kathyinmo

[capayvalleychick]

Quote: Submit a fecal sample to a lab or vet. Gather it from each of your breeders. That's the only way to tell exactly what parasites you are dealing with and how to treat them effectively.

If you have a microscope, you can do the test yourself.

There is one wormer (fenbendazole?) that can damage new feathers during molt. Look that up to be sure.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Submit a fecal sample to a lab or vet. Gather it from each of your breeders. That's the only way to tell exactly what parasites you are dealing with and how to treat them effectively.

If you have a microscope, you can do the test yourself.

There is one wormer (fenbendazole?) that can damage new feathers during molt. Look that up to be sure.

In that case, I should wait until after Destiny Day so I'll know which, if any, of the F5s I'll be breeding.

I don't think I'll be re-breeding either of the two F4 females as both have buff barring after the molt. The male still looks fine color-wise.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

[Very old post from Zanna]

Ha! I was just reviewing photos from this thread, and spotted this "teenager." I'd recognize that comb anywhere. I'm fairly certain this is the guy Zanna shared with me (lucky me!)

He got a lot more white overall, got nicely wide but not super big, still has a bit of a slope to the bottom curve of his chest, and has some black in his tail. He is a fairly gentle soul, and a good dad. He sometimes shows a tiny bit of yellowing in hackles or saddle but isn't color-shifting toward brown now like the females did.

It is interesting to compare the way he looked then to his sons.

 

[rancher hicks]

Getting ready to make the selections on F5 pullets I have been entering leg band #s of potentials on my iPhone during feeding this last week.
Had six selected from this distant observation. So Mon AM I entered the coop to extract breeders and move them to the coop with the #2 Cock.
There is a different perspective when you get up close and hands on. After the final check only two of the 6 on the list got moved.
Selecting 5 F4s and 1 F4 I went back and compared my weigh in notes from 17 weeks.
Four of the selected F4s were at the top of the weigh in - the other one was just below mid but was a great white color ant tight wings.
Don't know if that means anything but its a observation .
The best looking body type F4 pullet has the wing a ding thing -Seems like the bad wing always shows on the large birds

On the comment about type versus size I will quote Walt" You never know he might have big genes-try it"

No body I know of - but my carry forward breeders are 5 F5s and one F4 - so it may take awhile to get the new girls laying big enough eggs.
Hope every body recovers at house.

Well if you have a list put me on it. I've got one young hen that I think is promising. I'll post a pic when I can. If things get better I'll be hatching in Feb.

 

[kaiwan]

I've done this cross. I did it for the reasons you've mentioned. My NH hen had a fuller bowl shape to her chest than my Del females. The only negative I've noted in the first generation might be some additional brassiness in the males, which is probably the biggest risk given that Delaware males tend to have brassiness problems anyway.

 

[gjensen]

Initially, the Delaware was intended to be a male line that was crossed onto the NH females. The cross was called Indian Rivers. The offspring will inherit the Delaware color pattern, with bleed through.

 

[kaiwan]

Initially, the Delaware was intended to be a male line that was crossed onto the NH females. The cross was called Indian Rivers. The offspring will inherit the Delaware color pattern, with bleed through.

I also noticed the males matured quicker than the straight Delaware males. However, after 8 months of age, their weight leveled off more than I was anticipating.

 

[DuckBoy]

I've done this cross.  I did it for the reasons you've mentioned.  My NH hen had a fuller bowl shape to her chest than my Del females.  The only negative I've noted in the first generation might be some additional brassiness in the males, which is probably the biggest risk given that Delaware males tend to have brassiness problems anyway.

can you breed them back together or back to dels

 

[gjensen]

There would be some hybrid vigor initially, and better gains. The adults could have an improvement in size, depending on the genetics of the parents. Typically, I would expect them to have similar weights as their parents, or intermediate between the two. The later being if one side is appreciably larger than the other.

The problems come with color etc. The bleed through and brassiness would be extraordinarily difficult to breed out breeding silver to silver. A better cross for improvements would be to an oversized Standard bred Barred Rock. Most Standard bred Rocks would be oversized. You would not get Delaware colored birds from the initial cross, but you could crossing the offspring.

 

[rancher hicks]

Anyone know anyone with Bantam Dels.

I've got a couple of non frizzle roos in the Del pattern. Mother was a bantam frizzle either barred or in the del pattern. I've got a couple of frizzle in the Del pattern too.

Not great mind you but the thought has crossed my mind.