Mixed Up or Just Weird?

[DelawaresinCA]

Wow that's terrible. Sorry about your chicks.
I had a very hard time getting my Delawares. I bought 12 from a place called Hilltop Farms because of the last couple years and the troublesome shipping (I could pick them up at that farm) and they were all sick. I tried EVERYTHING and lost 11 out of the 12. I then ordered 10 females from Hoover's and I lost 1 in the first 48hrs. Then one is a rooster (which I was actually hoping for) and two appear to be CA whites. So after buying 22 "Delaware girls" I am left with 7 Delaware hens. It hasn't gone great.

 

[3KillerBs]

Wow that's terrible. Sorry about your chicks.
I had a very hard time getting my Delawares. I bought 12 from a place called Hilltop Farms because of the last couple years and the troublesome shipping (I could pick them up at that farm) and they were all sick. I tried EVERYTHING and lost 11 out of the 12. I then ordered 10 females from Hoover's and I lost 1 in the first 48hrs. Then one is a rooster (which I was actually hoping for) and two appear to be CA whites. So after buying 22 "Delaware girls" I am left with 7 Delaware hens. It hasn't gone great.

2 of the 4 Delawares from that order were lost too.

And both of my Brahmas.

The good part is that the non-SOP, single-combed Silver-Laced Wyandotte that I wanted for my Silver-Laced Australorp(ish) breeding project survived.

BTW, if mind are any guide, you can expect a lot of amusing antics from the California Whites. My Chipotle flies like a helicopter and is actually smart enough to get back in the run if she flies out. When our house was being placed and the utilities run, she always found a good vantage point to supervise the workmen operating the heavy equipment.

Repecka, the new one, is an intrepid soul -- roosting with the big girls at the tender age of 8 weeks and always the leader of that age group.

 

[DelawaresinCA]

2 of the 4 Delawares from that order were lost too.

And both of my Brahmas.

The good part is that the non-SOP, single-combed Silver-Laced Wyandotte that I wanted for my Silver-Laced Australorp(ish) breeding project survived.

BTW, if mind are any guide, you can expect a lot of amusing antics from the California Whites. My Chipotle flies like a helicopter and is actually smart enough to get back in the run if she flies out. When our house was being placed and the utilities run, she always found a good vantage point to supervise the workmen operating the heavy equipment.

Repecka, the new one, is an intrepid soul -- roosting with the big girls at the tender age of 8 weeks and always the leader of that age group.

So far they seem to be the smartest of the chickens. For about 2 months every night I would go out to the run and find everyone piled up in a corner. I would then move each one inside the coop for the night. The whites, Tails and Spot, would get up and walk themselves over to the door and hop in while everyone else would try to grumpily hunker down in the corner. I put a solar light next to their door so they could find their way back. Then every night those two would see me coming and start walking over to the door. Then one night I went out and they had all put themselves away. Tails came out of the door saw it was me and turned right back around putting herself to bed. They also appear to be the brave ones, trying new foods and feeders first while even the rooster hides in the coop peeking out and watching them.

 

[3KillerBs]

So far they seem to be the smartest of the chickens. For about 2 months every night I would go out to the run and find everyone piled up in a corner. I would then move each one inside the coop for the night. The whites, Tails and Spot, would get up and walk themselves over to the door and hop in while everyone else would try to grumpily hunker down in the corner. I put a solar light next to their door so they could find their way back. Then every night those two would see me coming and start walking over to the door. Then one night I went out and they had all put themselves away. Tails came out of the door saw it was me and turned right back around putting herself to bed. They also appear to be the brave ones, trying new foods and feeders first while even the rooster hides in the coop peeking out and watching them.

I wouldn't want a flock of nothing but California Whites, but I definitely want to keep one or two in my flock.