getting to a delaware

[kaiwan]

I've enjoyed the "discussion" here. It's been very good.
I have a Del roo that I like, but he seems a bit small. I also have a NH hen that has nice size and body type, nice open teepee tail, etc. Can I work him over her and then him over his best daughters to improve my Dels in a few generations? Or the best son out of this cross over my Del hens?

Thanks!

 

[SJ]

Kiawan do you already have Delaware hens?

 

[kaiwan]

I have three Del. hens. They're all sisters and all have pinched tails.

 

[nicalandia]

I've enjoyed the "discussion" here. It's been very good.
I have a Del roo that I like, but he seems a bit small. I also have a NH hen that has nice size and body type, nice open teepee tail, etc. Can I work him over her and then him over his best daughters to improve my Dels in a few generations? Or the best son out of this cross over my Del hens?

Thanks!

you can cross your best Delaware Male to your good NH and produce good quality "Delaware" hens right from the bat...

but why? if the NH are red and none barred?....

well thanks to two Sex linked genes, the barring gene(on the delaware rooster) and the Silver gene(on the Delaware rooster).. both birds carry Columbian...so the cross of your Delaware male with the NH hens would give you eWh/eWh(wheaten which both breeds carry) Co/Co(Columbian which both breeds carry) the Females will get their barring gene from dad B/-. and their Silver gene from dad(which look white on a columbian restricted bird)... and the good size and body type of mother..


keep the males if you like how they look. they would look "Golden" columbian. if you like how they look just cross them to the good sized delaware hens you just obtained...EASY work

 

[kaiwan]

Thanks Nic. I was thinking it shouldn't be too hard, similar to crossing a Rhodebar over a RIR to improve desired characteristics in one's Rhodebar line.

 

[nicalandia]

Thanks Nic. I was thinking it shouldn't be too hard, similar to crossing a Rhodebar over a RIR to improve desired characteristics in one's Rhodebar line.

Actually is Way easier to do Delaware Roo x NH hens. because you will have INSTA Delaware hens, true breeding and all. but with the Rhodebar x RIR you only have the look, not the true breeding trait of the rhodebar

 

[SJ]

5 of my DelawareX hens. The three on the left are half NHRs and the two on the right are half BOs.

If your just tryin to improve the look of your birds(ie. the Dels tails) and you just want some Delaware looking hens around then go ahead and cross your NHR and Delawares. Heck if all you want is some Delaware looking girls cross that Delaware roo of yours over any most any yellow, gold, red, hen you have. Then pick the best hens moving forward and breed back to a pure Delaware male.
I did just that and it was worth it. I put a Del over everything I had. Buff orpingtons, RIRs, NHRs, and SLWs, It gave me bigger boys for meat and great laying hens. I did get some leakage of red in one hen "Freckles" where Delawares roos have barring. If anyone can tell me why I am all ears.
I went "the best of the sons" route next but I wasnt trying to "make my own delawares".
This year however I have 25 Delawares on order from the same flock as my first Delaware roo. I'm hoping find a suitable rooster in them to breed Freckles back to just to have more "silver" hens.
If you got any Buff Orpington girls running around try that cross. They look like Dels other than they get white legs but they sure do lay and the boys make fast growing meat birds.

Some more DelawareX hens well the whiter ones anyhow.
(left to right)
A half RIR, a half BO, a half SLW, 2 half NHR

Wish you all the best.

 

[DuckBoy]

So new question I gave a buddy of mine 24 of my barred roo nh hen cross they all hatched today and one of the babies has almost all yellow mohawk, alot more then a normal barred chick does anyone no why

 

[nicalandia]

5 of my DelawareX hens. The three on the left are half NHRs and the two on the right are half BOs.

If your just tryin to improve the look of your birds(ie. the Dels tails) and you just want some Delaware looking hens around then go ahead and cross your NHR and Delawares. Heck if all you want is some Delaware looking girls cross that Delaware roo of yours over any most any yellow, gold, red, hen you have. Then pick the best hens moving forward and breed back to a pure Delaware male.
I did just that and it was worth it. I put a Del over everything I had. Buff orpingtons, RIRs, NHRs, and SLWs, It gave me bigger boys for meat and great laying hens. I did get some leakage of red in one hen "Freckles" where Delawares roos have barring. If anyone can tell me why I am all ears.
I went "the best of the sons" route next but I wasnt trying to "make my own delawares".
This year however I have 25 Delawares on order from the same flock as my first Delaware roo. I'm hoping find a suitable rooster in them to breed Freckles back to just to have more "silver" hens.
If you got any Buff Orpington girls running around try that cross. They look like Dels other than they get white legs but they sure do lay and the boys make fast growing meat birds.

Some more DelawareX hens well the whiter ones anyhow.
(left to right)
A half RIR, a half BO, a half SLW, 2 half NHR

Wish you all the best.

those are very nice hens you got there, but I would only recomend using NH hens as not to go outside the original Delaware genetic pool

 

[nicalandia]

So new question I gave a buddy of mine 24 of my barred roo nh hen cross they all hatched today and one of the babies has almost all yellow mohawk, alot more then a normal barred chick does anyone no why

Pics please