getting to a delaware

[DuckBoy]

So from my picture above at this point keep the six yellow ones.

 

[Jake Levi]

As I said before, keep them all !

On an F1 cross you cannot know now, or even a month from now, grow them out until AFTER their first molt and then you will have an idea. And, culling ONLY on color is a mistake, there are many other characteristics to a Delaware besides color, production is a major reason why they were maintained as a breed. Me, I'd keep the hens through the winter and see how their egg production is, compare the roosters, see how their growth is, put the smallest into freezer camp. Then compare the two best of the rest, and keep those.

You are in too much of a hurry to cull. Give them all a proper evaluation, that takes time and color is only one trait, and the easiest to change.

 

[catdaddyfro]

So from my picture above at this point keep the six yellow ones.

The wheaten ones (yellows) are the Delawares or Buff Barred columbian or Buff columbian. The greys and blacks will be the light barreds with gold(red/brown) leakage randomly though out the plumage, the blacks will be black some solids/ and some will have gold leakage too look sorta like BSL females do.


Jeff

 

[DuckBoy]

you are the first one that says keep them all I thought at this point is when you want to start weeding out the color flaws in the 3rd 4th and 5 generations

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

If it were me, I would cull all the blacks, barred and unbarred. Maybe Marvin will chime in soon...

 

[Jake Levi]

I understood from your post that this hatch is an early cross. I wouldNOT cull on color on the first crosses. If you want to then do it with your rooster, he is half the flock, cull your pullets on production factors, POL, mature size , ranging ability,etc, thats my advice, and what I do.

Good luck in building your flock.

 

[Jake Levi]

I understood from your post that this hatch is an early cross. I wouldNOT cull on color on the first crosses. If you want to then do it with your rooster, he is half the flock, cull your pullets on production factors, POL, mature size , ranging ability,etc, thats my advice, and what I do.

Good luck in building your flock.

 

[DuckBoy]

You are the first one that has said keep the F2 chicks all the rest said keep Delaware looking birds only

 

[catdaddyfro]

You are the first one that has said keep the F2 chicks all the rest said keep Delaware looking birds only

Keep the chicks with the wheaton down(yellow at hatch) some of these will be the breeders for your F3s yes the Delaware patterned males and the silver columbian females. You will have to wait a couple of weeks until some feathers start coming in to distinquish the whites and the buffs. There no need to use any of the blacks barreds ect other than the silvers(white) at this juncture if you want to make Delaware patterned birds. If you just want to cross up the others for funzies then do so but don't expect to get to the delaware pattern anytime soon by using anything other than the genetic silver ones and these will only come form the wheaton colored down chicks.

Jeff

 

[DuckBoy]

So one I let the feather out a bit just keep all chicks with white feathers/delpattern and no buff correct.