Delawares Humming Along/ Due Feb 25th / Hatch Complete

[jensaisquoi]

Ohhhh, looking at your Dellies' pics makes me want to cry...I have some eggs right now from mine who just died (almost a month ago) in a really horrible coop fire and I sort of leaped into the hatching project with a borrowed bator and a bunch of internetting...

So I have a pretty obsessive and overly emotional attachment to this pretty random outcome--my question for you is ...Is it possible (cross fingers) that since my girls were such late bloomers (as was my rooster--we thought we had 6 hens 'till his comb started growing and he started mounting the girls and crowing! so gentle and sweet, though...) Ok sorry ...Idea being if they are later to mature could they possibly take a little longer to hatch? I candled at 8 and 14 and saw development but i'm on like day 24 now and pretty much giving up.

I will go to Murdoch's and get chicks here in a few weeks but I wanted to at least go for it with these. Is that an okay source for these wonderful birds or should I investigate other hatcheries? They use Murray McMurray...

thanks...
jen

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
Jen, I'm so sorry about your birds. That's awful! I dont care for most of McMurrays Delawares. In fact, the only hatchery I've heard of that has pretty good stock is Sandhill Preservation. I tried Dels before that were from McMurray stock and I was very disappointed in them...Kate (helmstead) can tell you the same thing about their bad temperament. I'm not saying they are all like that, but for awhile, someone was breeding a nasty strain of them. I sold them as youngsters and was reluctant to try again, till a breeder friend convinced me that these would be different. Hatcheries have also crossed in Columbian Rocks in some cases, which messes up the color patterns.

If you are on Day 24 of a hatch, that's pretty much the end of the road in my opinion. Late maturing has nothing to do with late hatching, if that's what you were asking.

 

[jensaisquoi]

Thanks for the feedback--I'll look them up! Yeah mine were totally sweet and super steady layers, even in Montana winter...so I definitely don't want to replace them with anything inferior.

Onward!

Best,

Jen

 

[jensaisquoi]

Geeze they are sold out of Delawares till August!
wow I'd better check it out..

 

[speckledhen]

One of these days, I'll be able to supply eggs to people interested in preserving this breed. At least, that's the plan!

 

[silkieluver_07]

Cyn, I'm sending good hatching vibes your way!! I have 42 eggs that are due on the 25th also! Some EE, rosecomb, silkie, and a lot of BO. We can be hatching buddies!

 

[speckledhen]

Right back atcha, Hannah! I sure want this one to work. Had a fertility issue with the Blue Orp eggs in with them, so butt-fluff trims coming right up!
Here is a pic of my Kira. Asked DH to take a pic or two of her and here is what we got. Sort of wish they'd been outside, but broken down beggars cant be choosers and he did cheerfully.

 

[Buster]

She's beautiful Cyn!

 

[silkieluver_07]

Quote:
Kira is beautiful! I better not let my mother see these, she'll want Dellies!

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks, I also think she's lovely. Her body type and white color is excellent. Her comb is not perfect, but with the right mate, she'll produce some great babies. Her hackle markings are good, though as her breeder says, they could be a tad darker. She is a fabulous layer, I can tell you. We are well pleased with her temperament, too.