Eggs and blue orps.

[crazyhen]

Do the blue orps lay as well and as large an egg as the buff orps do? I know I want the Delawares from Speckled hen but now I am thinking practical thoughts( I can't believe this mood). If they don't ,I might just stick with the 3 breeds and have all females except a delaware roo. I'd like to help keep the older delawares strain going.
Later when I get my coop really going I could maybe get some prettys to go with my others. I have 2 brahma and 6 buff. orps. now. No eggs they are all to young.
Hummmm... maybe another coop just for pretties later. Whew!!! thought I might be sick for awhile there! Jean

 

[speckledhen]

I can say that mine were pretty good layers, or were when they werent molting. Even now when Skye has no feathers around her middle from an extended molt, she lays three eggs a week. Before the molt, she was laying five, sometimes six, but usually five. I dont think they are quite as good layers as the Buff Orpingtons, but not bad. My best layers are Barred Rocks, generally, right up there with RIRs.

 

[crazyhen]

Speckledhen, How about the delawares? I thought they were suppose to lay more than the orps. Also larger eggs? Jean

 

[shelleyb1969]

I'm just starting with Delawares, so I'd like to know about their egg laying as well. I need more Dellies!

 

[speckledhen]

Mine have not begun laying yet, but helmstead's Delaware hen was an excellent layer of jumbo eggs. I'll let you know when my Kira and Cassidy start in a few weeks. They are a really lovely shade of peachy tan, very smooth; at least, both batches of the Dels I hatched were. They are better layers, or so I've heard, than the Orpingtons. Certainly, better than the blue Orps, I'd think.

I should qualify that statement with the fact that hatchery strains of Delawares may be different than heritage strains. Kate's (helmstead) were from McMurray hatchery. Mine are from some exhibition/heritage lines, so we'll see soon.

 

[crazyhen]

Did I misunderstand that you said your Del. chickens are a peach tan in color. I thought they had a columbian pattern of white and black . Or were you talking about your eggs . Jean

 

[herechickchick]

Quote:
Cyn is talking about the egg color not the plumage color.

 

[speckledhen]

Sorry, guess I should have read that back to myself, LOL. Yes, I meant the egg color.

 

[crazyhen]

Hi again,
I definitely want at least 4 of the Delewares. If I am lucky I will have at least one roo and maybe a hen or two. If I have extra roos's do you know if anyone might want them. Jean