Please tell me about Delewares & Javas

[Bleenie]

I am helping a local chicken keeper out by hatching some of his Deleware & Java eggs for him. When he dropped them off he said that if I wanted to, I could keep a couple of the chicks. Last night, I didn't think i wanted to because my girls are all already 6 months, but now that I am thinking about it more I do think I would love to have 1 or 2 Deleware Hens, they are very pretty chickens

. I do know that they lay large eggs & are a threatened breed, but that's about it.

I am incubating only 1doz Java eggs though so I will not keep any of those chicks but might buy some eggs from him later on to hatch. I know NOTHING about Javas, I do know that his are Mottled Javas though.

 

[speckledhen]

Typical Delaware hens are super friendly. They'll tug on your pants leg to be picked up, lay extra large to jumbo eggs after the pullet-egg stage, and they love to forage. They also can get into trouble if kept in close confinement because they are like the super smart kid who is always in trouble.

 

[Bleenie]

Thank you Speckledhen, they sound really adorable in personality

I should have ducklings hatching 2 days after they hatch so I can raise them with the ducklings so they'll be used to my Muscovies when they're older.
Do the Delewares grow fast & are they good layers?


Anyone have any info on the Mottled Javas?

 

[speckledhen]

They grow fast, yes. The lines mine are from tend to begin laying anywhere from 18-24 weeks old. The last batch I raised started at 18 weeks and by 21 weeks, all six were laying.

Sorry, I don't have Javas or know much about them, but I'm sure someone will.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Quote:
I can't say how much I miss mine. I will be getting more. As for the mottled java... I like them. I wasn't sure at first as mine didn't play well with others at first. But they are doing better now and I think they are lovely. I like the speckles and mine are not aggressive towards me.

A pretty bird is a sight to behold. But I really do miss my Delawares. They are funny and loving birds. Always up to something but too loveable to get mad at.

 

[jenesis536]

I have one Delaware out of my 5 month old girls and she is the most friendly of them all. The first one to do everything. She's a little piglet, super fast, and beats the girls to all of the treats. Easiest to pick up, the most social... love her!

 

[riverman]

Now for my Delaware talk lol, My 2 Del Hens are just as speckledhen said, mischievous. If they're in the big coop all day when I'm at work then they start to pick on my ameraucana hens, even though they're twice as old. My Delaware Rooster however is a very good problem solver and when the girls get in a fight he tends to straighten them all out. Both my hens started laying @ 5 1/2 months and have laid an egg a day since then. Goood luck with them babies! You should definitely keep some!

 

[TajMaChicken]

I have one Del in my flock. She is the most talkative of them. If she sees us come of the door, she just starts talking. "come let me out" When they are out free ranging in the yard, she runs to us whenever we come out. She is a very big lovable girl. My mom gets kick out of her. She runs up to her and then squats down almost like she is saying "pet me! Pet me!"

Great breed, but if you didn't want anyone to know you have chickens, this one would give you away!

I havent had any experience with Javas.

 

[Bleenie]

I am not worried about them being talkative, we live at a dead end with almost no neighbors. people around here arent too worried about animal noise, we can hear the neighbors peacocks that live almost a mile away, lol.