Epic search for real Delawares

[FortCluck]

I have 1 Deleware that I got at a local farm that orders from a hatchery. She's a very nice chicken and almost ready to lay. I was thinking about incubating her eggs in the spring because our rooster is a jersey giant and keeping the chicks we want then the rest would be used for meat chickens or we would sell them. I had never seen the Deleware breed for sale at the farm until this spring, but they're definitely a good dual purpose breed.

 

[FortCluck]

Here's mine... We call her Mama Chicken because she wants to be the mother of everything. She watches our ducklings all day long and makes sure they're safe.

 

[aliciaplus3]

Oh wow I love his waddles! They're so red! My tiny Jack loves it when I rub his comb and waddles, it really calms him. I can see big boy has some really beautiful weight but, and now understand I'm anal and a real crabapple so boulder of salt with this fo sho, it's a bummer his tail feathers aren't.... Prettier? Dang man that sounds terrible, I can't eat tail feathers!!
My only delaware is half his size, man good job that sounds like a solid plan and I hope to get to where you're at someday soon. I really have to work to reconcile my wants with my needs, I'm not in a place where I can afford to fixate on plumage- fellow dellows jump in at any time and redirect if I get nit picky!
Yes I'm so excited to start cleaning up whatever I can have the privilege to start with. Ive been reading back since being turned onto this post and felt my current coop layout plans were too small to really have a good gauge on the abilities I'm looking for so it was back to the drawing board! I'm so glad I have a little land now, I think this breed shows so much potential and really deserves love and preservation, but you need so much space!! I'm about to start haunting a few coop design threads- Ive got a couple of deep litter tractor designs bangin around in my noggin that seem more whims and silliness than utility, but I LOVE the low maintenance my deep litter brings. How much forage/running space would you say really keep your birds happy? Big beautiful table birds need room to roam and live bugs to eat to really have the best chance I think.
Dude that's so cool about the wooden egg, one of my leghorns is broody on ceramic eggs and man are those things expensive! I was hoping for some Delaware eggs this season for her but I'm not sure if want to trust her with such important birds... But then again mothers teach best and babies raised with a mom have the best chance as long as she's a good mom. Maybe I'll get eggs and hatch them and slip them to her during the night.
Suggestions on timing? As soon as hatched? Yes she really is broody and hasn't left the nest for two weeks now except to eat and drink. I haven't separated her yet but as soon as I get eggs I'll isolate to give her time to settle down.

as far as big boys feathers being beautiful, well I usually run 2 roosters and 25 or so hens per pen, between that and him being a year old and molting.... yeah he will probably be prettier once his new feathers come in.
On the broody note a good broody is worth her weight in gold But a so so one is useless and a bad one is just a pain... just my opinion.
I once had a broody that would sit on anything and if given eggs did very well right up till hatch... then poof no chicks, no shell just gone and she would steal more eggs.... dealt with that all summer last year. After the 2nd time of getting to the last few days I pulled the eggs and stuck em in the incubator and they hatched fine, she wouldn't accept them or raise them so I raised em in the brooder. Finally decided she was just an incubator not a mother... silly girl.

 

[PirateGirl]

Here's mine... We call her Mama Chicken because she wants to be the mother of everything. She watches our ducklings all day long and makes sure they're safe. View attachment 1906589

I used my Delaware to hatch my ducklings!

 

[PirateGirl]

 

[FortCluck]

View attachment 1906679

Maybe mine will go broody next spring and she can hatch my ducklings and chicks

 

[Katonk]

Oh man I hope I'm blessed with a true broody momma, but I'm checking out the diy incubators just in case.

 

[FortCluck]

Oh man I hope I'm blessed with a true broody momma, but I'm checking out the diy incubators just in case.

I'm buying an incubator because I want to watch the whole process at least once.

 

[Acre4Me]

Search NPIP for breeders near you.

http://www.poultryimprovement.org/statesContent.cfm

When you click on a state, it will open up a document. You will use stock codes to search within the document (use the "Find" function on your computer - usually in a drop down menu such as under the "Edit" menu, and type in the code you are interested in and it will find all instances of that code in the doc). Then you will find NPIP places that have that breed. Stock codes are listed on the left side of the above link.

The codes you are interested in are as follows:

" T " refers to Meat Production Stocks

" R " refers to Other large breeds and varieties

For example, in Ohio where I live, I found 26 instances of R17. Some of these were codes that were more than R17, such as R171...but still found several Delaware R17. But, I was unable to find T44 in Ohio. When I looked up R17 in Texas and Oklahoma, I did find matches. Hopefully this helps you in your search.

 

[Katonk]

Search NPIP for breeders near you.

http://www.poultryimprovement.org/statesContent.cfm

When you click on a state, it will open up a document. You will use stock codes to search within the document (use the "Find" function on your computer - usually in a drop down menu such as under the "Edit" menu, and type in the code you are interested in and it will find all instances of that code in the doc). Then you will find NPIP places that have that breed. Stock codes are listed on the left side of the above link.

The codes you are interested in are as follows:

" T " refers to Meat Production Stocks
View attachment 1911360

" R " refers to Other large breeds and varieties
View attachment 1911361


For example, in Ohio where I live, I found 26 instances of R17. Some of these were codes that were more than R17, such as R171...but still found several Delaware R17. But, I was unable to find T44 in Ohio. When I looked up R17 in Texas and Oklahoma, I did find matches. Hopefully this helps you in your search.

Good Lord. Talk about keys to the kingdom. Thank you!!!