Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[plantcityhomestead]

No, I'm not selecting only for tails, or even for tails first. First is over all body shape, then I look at tails as a secondary selection factor. If I have a pullet with a great body type and a pinched tail, she goes. She must have the body type first and an at least decent tail to go forward. I have not had a bad tempered cockerel yet. Yours might be so different from each other because they are penned together and one is more dominate. He should still have a pleasent nature around people?? stan

I think I understand Stan. Select first for type, then go to tails. I sure hope some of these girls get good tails. They are still very young, so they have a lot of feathering to go, but only one of the pullets is showing promise. I know your are a little older than mine. Do you recall when they had good tail development?
Both the boys seem to have good tails. Neither of the cockerels have been aggressive, but one is definitely more curious about people, the other is rather frightened. I know how important my cock selection will be for the next generation, and preserving the Delaware personality is important to me, that is why I fell in love with the breed. Even those poor type roosters that I had last year were the characters of the flock and sought out human companionship.
One last question (for now), since Delawares are a dual purpose breed, should I been selecting for rapid growth, or just ultimate size?

Thanks for your help,
Cindy

 

[tigercreek]

Cindy, Your selections should be based on your birds present type and what needs improved the most. I like the type on a lot of the birds I'm getting in this line. I consider that pretty well set, even though I am still getting a lot that are not as good as I am looking for. I would not breed one of these birds with decent type to a bird with poor type and a great tail. I would rather select the best type, then select the best tail from only those birds that showed good type. The breeder they came from is selecting for growth and egg production, type is not one of her main considerations, but that is her priority. It is interesting that they have such unique personalities in this breed with all the messed up breeding going on. The personality seems to be fixed. You should see tail spread or pinch way before the feathers are fully out, if you observe them from the rear in their normal routine. ......stan

 

[plantcityhomestead]

Cindy, Your selections should be based on your birds present type and what needs improved the most. I like the type on a lot of the birds I'm getting in this line. I consider that pretty well set, even though I am still getting a lot that are not as good as I am looking for. I would not breed one of these birds with decent type to a bird with poor type and a great tail. I would rather select the best type, then select the best tail from only those birds that showed good type. The breeder they came from is selecting for growth and egg production, type is not one of her main considerations, but that is her priority. It is interesting that they have such unique personalities in this breed with all the messed up breeding going on. The personality seems to be fixed. You should see tail spread or pinch way before the feathers are fully out, if you observe them from the rear in their normal routine. ......stan

Thanks, Stan. I am so looking forward to seeing what these guys are going to look like in a few months. Good to know that the type and eggs are already in their breeding. Unfortunately I am seeing a lot of tail pinch in the girls, but with good tails in the cockerels, I should be able to work on it.

 

[JohnnyxRex]

I took some pictures of my Project Delawares, with my new camera.....

This first picture I was at my house and zoomed wayyyyyyyyyy down to the coop (a LONG way!)









The "extra roosters," pen...........

Oh, by the way, those are not the original pictures.

Those are, "watercolor," and "illustration," mode.

I was about to say, that looks different. Its really cool though

 

[LALEWIN]

I've been reading through the posts here, but there are SO many! A great place to learn about Delawares though! This is my first post on here, so hopefully I can get pictures added.
Ok, early this year I decided I really wanted to have chickens again. We had them yrs ago in FL when we had 6 acres. Now we live in Nashville, and have a small/med yard. I decided I only wanted two because of the size of the yard. Found out, we are only allowed two anyway.

Then, researched breeds, and decided Delawares is what I wanted. We can't have flighty unsocial birds. I have a nearly 6 yr old daughter that loves animals and we have dogs. Fell in love with what I was seeing and reading, but found they are hard to find. There is a hatchery that has them, but we waited for about 3 mos before they had any hatch. Drove an hour, got two pullets (told 90% success rate with sexing) and went home. They were 3 or 4 days old at the time, but one looked a wee bit younger by the slower growing feathers. They are now a day or so from 4 weeks. I wish they were friendlier, but have been reading hatchery stock can be less so.

Hit and miss I guess, and these are in between. Was so hoping for sweet chicks though. And now, the slower maturing one is looking more like a cockerel.

So, I wanted to share pics of the Delawares we waited so long for and get some opinions on the one as to what it may be.


4 weeks tomorrow or next day

Dark between shoulders, white on back and dark coming in on neck.

Chihuahua learning he can't play with the chicks when they are outside. We take them out for a while every day since it is so warm. This is the first time he was out with them.


Other day. Suspicious looking comb. Bigger and darker than the other chick.... sigh....
I want to move to the country so bad (can't afford to now) and this just rubs it in. In the country, I could keep a roo.
Maybe this is just a darker pullet with a bigger comb????
Oh well. Hope to learn more and more about Delawares and chickens in general.
Lee Ann <------ stuck in the suburbs

 

[capayvalleychick]

Other day. Suspicious looking comb. Bigger and darker than the other chick.... sigh....
I want to move to the country so bad (can't afford to now) and this just rubs it in. In the country, I could keep a roo.

That one looks like a cockerel to me, but I could be wrong. Maybe there is a breeder near you who has an extra pullet. I know some are in the South but can't remember their names.

If you wait until you can afford the country, you may never move. Do like me and just go for it,

if that's what you really want. It's a buyer's market these days.

Kim

 

[Barred Rocker]

yeah my bets it's a roo. However I've been fooled by delawares before. I had one pullet that had me going back and forth for 4 months.

 

[Bantamphantom]

day old chicks came in the mail today, one of which was a delaware. I inadvertently named it Fleur because it will grow up to be silvery white, kinda like Fleur's hair. I'm going to give you time to think about why this was so funny.


>
>>
>>>
>>
>

It's FLEUR delaWARE.
(Harry potter fans rejoice)

 

[kathyinmo]

Sounds good to me.


Kathy - who has never seen a Harry Potter movie.

 

[Folly's place]

Hello again, today I weighed some of my eight week old Delaware hatchery chicks. The pullets were 1.5 to 2.0 lbs, and the cockrels were 2.0 to 2.5 lbs. each. Reasonable? Hatchery quality, too small? I'm really liking these birds, and hopefully will get better quality next year. Thanks, Mary