Heritage Delawares @ 15 Weeks Old (PICS)

[Poulets De Cajun]

cool! are you breeding to increase the barring in the neck? I dont think I've ever saw a picture of a real delaware.... They are pretty though!

 

[GPN]

So is the white one in my picture a Delware! I will have to get some better pictures soon its about 4 months old in this Picture

Thanks

Added: They were all to be RIR or Domiques and we got several different kind! But momma want give' em up to save her life! we bought'em at 2 weeks old

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
Why do you ask? I noticed in the picture of Kira that the sun glare washed out her neck color. She has nice barring/stippling there, not sure what to call it exactly. I can take no credit for these beauties, but I do plan to add more in the spring from the same breeder, but unrelated to these. This breed is highly endangered and a true American breed, to boot, so I think it's a great one to preserve and work with.

 

[walkswithdog]

:::Waving and jumping up and down::: Me me me, I'm on that Delaware egglist too.

Like I need more chickens!!!!!

 

[speckledhen]

Hopefully, in another six weeks or so, they will start laying. I'm not sure when these Delawares lay, but the breed is early maturing, I think. Anyway, Chere, you get those BR babies hatched! halo had a wonderful hatch from hers; I love it when shipped eggs hatch well!

 

[LocoPollo]

I am curious.. what does heritage actually mean? Is it the breed, or a particularly special or pure line of the breed?

 

[speckledhen]

I dont have a good, concise working definition but this is my take on it. Some might say heritage means a breed original to this country, but I would say it's more than that. I would say heritage breed preservation does not mean indiscriminate matings in large numbers of a breed with the intent of merely making more birds, regardless of the standards originally set forth. They are not just "chicken mill" hatchery stock, but more closely related to the original breed, not diluted as it were, but bred to a prescribed standard. For instance, the Rhode Island Red is a great common example. How many see the rich, dark, black cherry/mahogany color in hatchery birds, the proper shape and size, etc? You rarely do, if at all. Today's hatchery RIRs are bred for egg production, and not much else.
I hope I didn't butcher that too much, but I'm sure seriousbill and NYReds and some others might be able to tighten up my definition a bit.

 

[tiki244]

I just love to see the way they flock around your husband and just eat up the attention. It is so cute.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

We love our Delawares! Friendly chickens!

We had two and both had soft egg problems. Not sure if it was the breed or the line.

 

[speckledhen]

I'm sure it was the line, Nifty. I've hatched two different groups of Dels and the eggs were beautiful and hard-shelled.