Do your Delaware hens lay well?

[madrona]

I'm planning to increase my flock by incubating some eggs next month. Currently my best layers are the Australorps, but just for the fun of it I want to add in another breed as well. In some of the breed charts, I see Delawares listed as really good egg producers, but I haven't talked to anyone who has them. If you have Delaware hens, please tell me how they're working out for you. Thanks!

 

[jenanneray]

my 3 year old delawares lay every other day.

 

[madrona]

jenanneray, thanks for your response... How does that frequency compare with your Australorps? And also, how does the size compare?

 

[speckledhen]

Fabulous layers, yes. Mine current Delawares are just over two years and lay jumbos.

 

[Inkheart]

Yes they lay very well and are great foragers and nice to be around - always inquisitive as to what you are doing

 

[aubreynoramarie]

my delaware is the only one who hasnt layed in months! im going to have to have a talk with her.

 

[greenSearcher]

I have my Delawares with the Naked Necks in the "Blue Coop" and I normally get 9 eggs from 10 hens everyday. The Delawares are NOT feed efficient, they eat voraciously and have since tiny chicks. "Food? Do I see food? Oh More FOOD! The feeder is EMPTY! Hold your feet still, I want to eat your toes." I will see how the NN/Del cross does. I find the NN lay as well, though the eggs are just large, they eat almost half of what the Delawares do and they handle 100 degree day better, and we are about to enter our 90 days in Hades weather.