Question for those with Delawares

[HEChicken]

What age did your Delaware start to lay? I am not supposed to have one but have a hen who looks like a Delaware cross (see previous thread here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=300978). I am curious to know if Delawares are typically a late maturing breed. Thanks!

 

[tnchickenut]

Not at all. They are a very fast to mature breed. depending on the season... 12-17 weeks.

I didn't stop to notice your location, but it may just be the seasons.

 

[shelleyb1969]

My Del girls began laying late last fall at 22 weeks of age. They've been super consistent throughout this winter, too.

 

[tnchickenut]

I looked at the picture. She may be a Del. It is hard to tell from that picture... but by your description she sounds at least Delish. lol.

If she is a small runtish pullet she may just take longer to lay.

Do you have any other pictures of her? My avatar is the APA's picture of a Delaware hen... maybe that would help you.

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
Yes, once my Dels start to lay - they don't stop. I get them all winter here too.

 

[HEChicken]

Well, this hen has been a runt from the beginning. We actually thought she wasn't going to make it at all for awhile and were thrilled that she started to thrive. At 12 weeks she was about half the size of her hatch mates. I also have 3 pullets who are 6 weeks younger than she is and all three are now laying but this hen barely even has a comb yet! In other words, based on comb development, she isn't even close to laying yet. She isn't supposed to be a Delaware - supposedly the only breeds the gal had (local gal I purchased her from as a 1-week-old) were White Rocks, Barred Rocks and Buff Orpingtons. But when I posted a pic of her yesterday, the overwhelming response was that she looks like a Delaware X. Since my BO's and BR are laying and even if she was a Delaware somehow, you say they are not late bloomers, I think I'll just have to put her late maturity down to her runtish beginnings.

tnchickenut - I was just about to submit but saw that you had posted while I was writing. I'm home today so I'll go out and try to get some better pics of her now....

 

[HEChicken]

Ok, here we go. I took the first one to show her comb well:

and the second one so you can see both the reddish tips on the feathers and the blackish tips on the neck and tail:

ETA: Oh, and the other thing I forgot to mention is that she has almost NO tail!

 

[speckledhen]

Definite hen there. I've had them lay from 18 to 23 weeks old.

 

[HEChicken]

Thanks Cynthia! Yes, no doubt she is a hen. But she is now 28 weeks old and as you can see, her comb shows very little development. Oh well, time will tell, I guess!

 

[tnchickenut]

She is a Del cross for sure! lol... she is CUTE! I like her! Don't know what that buff color could be from... alot of buff this and thats. Looks like a buff lace.

Where she came from... what kind of chickens did they have?