Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[nicalandia]

I agree BUT.....what does a outcrossed Delaware look-a-like have lurking in their background(ie recessive white,red/mahogany) was/is the case in point here. True to breed Delawares should not turn yellow/brassy genetically no matter what, now the other 2 factors environment,& feed, I can see this causing the yellowness, it does it on most other white plumed birds too.

Jeff

True.. autosomal red could be causing this effect too...

 

[Stevenson]

I don't think the yellowing has anything to do with the New Hampshire background. I could be wrong, but it seems to me it is a problem in other white birds, too.

I agree Kathy. I guess I misspoke. I don't necessarily think it's New Hampshire coming out...but the yellowing is darkening up and becoming more brassy (good description) which is looking more New Hampshire color than yellow.



Quote:
Yes, they are from Paul Harter. Paul is great to work with! I am really happy with them as starter birds....but I do recognize that they have to be improved a lot.

Again....when I mentioned the NH coming though, I was meaning more in the color (I suppose it was a poor way of describing what I am seeing). I like the term brassiness better.

Oh, and by the way...it took a little figuring out...but it is easy to post videos. There is a "insert video" button that you use....the add the url to the box that pops up!

 

[Stevenson]

Oh the old dreaded yellowing/brassiness creeping out in the ol Delaware question. It seems to me there are quite a few different reasons for this horrid trait the pops up in the breed and some are still up in the air on this subject. I've read and seen such stuff as recessive white causing such to bleed through(?), Diet/feed(for sure on some), Out-crossing the Delaware with different breeds also WILL cause such, and environment(another big?) on this one too. I know for sure that the diet(xanthophyll/carotenoids) such as corn, green vegitation, can cause this yellowing to occur (esp) on the males and just on their sex feathers too(ie...Hackle, saddle,wing bows and bars,all of which is considered their pyle zone) there's something to this too, as all these feathers are of a different conformity than the rest of the body plumage with the exception of the sickles in the tail and the reason it doesn't show up on these on the Delawares is because they are dark (grey, black, green and some purple). It has to do with the oils from the oil gland that stains these feathers after a time because if these feathers were supposed to be this color they would come out of the follicle colored as such, the base color should not change but with the exception of fading from sun and wear. Feathers are just the same as hair and finger nails and such and they are created by dead proteins.

Now onto the out-crossing which was/is done at the hatcheries because of the shortage of Delawares and to keep up with supply and demand the factories would/might still do cross Delaware males onto Columbian pattern females and Red females (RIR,Production reds, and New Hampshire and no telling what or who else they could) and/to produce a clone look-a-like Delaware patterned birds. This is where the a lot of the yellow/brassiness is leaking through generations later down the line and even on some you can even find red/rusty feathers throughout the body plumage esp on the females , (colored this way from creation in the follicle) not just on the male sex feathers stained from the oils, sun, weathering, fading,wear, dirt, so on and so forth that goes along with normal everyday activities.

I got to get back to work or I'd elaborate more here, I might can get on later and give a little more of my hypothesis on the brassiness but short on time now and there are a few other post I really want to get in on while its hot on my mind, cause inquiring minds just got to know stuff and esp while the topics are on the front burners at the time, get my drift , too much going on all at once which is normal for me. I got lots of irons in the fire so to say.

Oh I have to say too, Mrs. Kathy the 2 Delaware girls are just amazingly beautiful (well so do the NH girls too but that's for another thread but not left out for sure) they are all super looking right at this age, right now you can tell they are soon to be layers and right at POL is when the girls always look there best too.

Jeff

Thank you for your comments...I am going to have to read into your comments more. I would like to figure out if this is an issue (brassiness) that I need to be concerned with at this point...or if it is something that I should wait on like the rest of the coloring issues.

 

[joletabey]

Michael, did any of your Harter pullets get that discoloration or just the males? You may have already said that and I did not read back far enough.....but do you mind telling again?

 

[Stevenson]

Michael, did any of your Harter pullets get that discoloration or just the males? You may have already said that and I did not read back far enough.....but do you mind telling again?

I have one pullet that appears to have a bit of the brassiness, but it is very slight compared to the roos. The rest of my pullets appear to not have any issue with the discoloration. I wish I had a better camera so I could take better pictures to show. I think I'll go out now and give it another shot

 

[Stevenson]

Rooster #63 (in the video I wrongly called it #65)
I feel like he has a good shape and less of the brassiness that most of my other roos have.



Example of how the others are colored.



My pullets tend to be free of the color issue.



I recorded two videos I'll try to post later tonight as well. I used a different camera, so hopefully the quality will be a little better.

 

[newchickens2009]

I don't know why but the you tube videos are not showing up for me either?

 

[Stevenson]

New video showing color problems:

 

[harleyjo]

I have what may be a stupid question. I have some Dels and was hoping to breed them to use as my meat birds instead of Cornish X. I have one rooster and 5 hens. I was over on the Delaware Poultry club site and reading the standard has me a little confused.

If I take the fertile eggs from the Dels I have will I get a Del? I think what confused me is it talked about using my Del male with a RIR or NH female to get the Del coloring. Doesn't Del to Del breed true?

Edited to add.... it said Del feather pattern.

 

[catdaddyfro]

I have what may be a stupid question. I have some Dels and was hoping to breed them to use as my meat birds instead of Cornish X. I have one rooster and 5 hens. I was over on the Delaware Poultry club site and reading the standard has me a little confused.

If I take the fertile eggs from the Dels I have will I get a Del? I think what confused me is it talked about using my Del male with a RIR or NH female to get the Del coloring. Doesn't Del to Del breed true?

Edited to add.... it said Del feather pattern.

Yes Delaware bred to Delaware equals a Delaware.

You can create a Delaware patterned look-a-like by crossing a Delaware rooster onto a NH or RIR female. It just won't be a pure Delaware it will be a cross-breed and will have the Delaware color pattern with most likely some red leakage though-out the body plumage and most probly a lot of the yellowing that has been in question as of late.

Jeff