Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[GhostRider65]

I have Dels, A roo and 2 hens, and 1 pullet, I didn't loose any of my birds to heat of any breed, but they all suffer when it's a 118 degree's with the heat index, and temp is over 100 degree's, and we had 2 months of that this year, in my lifetime I can not remember a hotter summer in Wisconsin, usually we get 2 weeks of hot nasty weather not 2 months, I only run fans add ice to the waters, and spray down the hot sand run during the worst heat of the day, they have shade all day on the north side of the run plus they always have access to the coop.............
I really don't think any breed is better than another with the exception of maybe Jungle fowl, because their natural habitat is quite hot and humid, cold hardiness is the same with the exception of straight comb breeds in a coop that has not enough ventilation or cover.... frost bite would then affect them, . Some animals are just healthier and come through severe heaat or cold, when others just can't make it, no matter the breed.
Kim

 

[capayvalleychick]

It's good to know that there's not an issue with the breed, and that they should be able to handle triple digit summers. What I read must have been misinformation, but it did seem to fit with what I'm experiencing. I lost another hen yesterday. That makes 5 that have died from the heat this summer. All Delawares. Four from the Braden strain that I had such high hopes for breeding, which is such a disappointment. All of my Dorkings have been hot, but tolerating it much better with no deaths. Some of them are in pens in the same area as the Del coop & run.
I'll have to figure out what I'm doing wrong.
Thanks for your replies,
Kim

 

[chickenlover89]

And mine as well. I'd also like to know from people that have them if they seem more heat tolerant than other breeds.

my young delaware hen (7 wks) is the only out and about instead of laying in the shade during the day, and we have had triple digit temperatures.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Do you have enough ventilation in your coop? I don't know whether Guinda gets those Delta breezes that come up the Sierra Nevadas every evening (almost).

I have misters in my coop. They make one or two wet spots on the dirt floor. My girls stay inside all day. I also have fans running in the coop and as much ventilation as I can manage.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Hi Lacy Blues, thanks for your comment. I posted that a while back and just popped into this thread, I don't always read it, and I was surprised to see a comment to my post. Anyway, back to the post. Each unit has solid walls at the bottom 4' or so. IF the birds are able to get up on the tall roost, which mine are not doing right now, they still can't see the bird in the next cage since the guy who built this unit had put up sight shields on the sides on the perch so there wouldn't be any fence fighting. I could easily take those down. At the time I thought it was a good idea. They are just small 1.5' X 1.5' or so pieces of coroplast. I have only 4 of these pens in use right now, and except for the Delaware, there are two birds in each one. One pen I took out the divider and made a double and have 1 hen and 1 cock in it. One pen has 2 Orloffs and they are getting along--I think. The last pen has 2 young cockerels, but I expect those are not going to get along before long and I will need to separate or cull one of them. I have heritage breeds that I will be working with and will want to keep extra cockerels of those, plus at times I want to remove the males from the females. So you think just seeing another bird is enough? I am not sure how I can accomplish that with this setup. I am concerned about keeping the males all by themselves. I don't want to be cruel either. I am planning another layer pen for extra hens that end up not making the cut for breeding that would be adjacent to one row of these pens, so those birds will see the others, but there is a row of pens on the inside of a hallway, and they won't see anything. Boring!!

I would take out the solid structure blocking their view. You can put hardware cloth in there instead... they'll be able to see but not be able to get to each other to cause any damage.

Is there any way to change the position of this pen so they can see hens running around? Or when you put your culls in another pen close by, can that pen be put in front of these rooster pens? You could have a walk-way between them but at least they would be able to see other birds. If you have more than one of these pens, can they be turned to face each other and then have your hen run in between them? I think that being able to see other birds would help a LOT with their attitudes.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Do you have enough ventilation in your coop? I don't know whether Guinda gets those Delta breezes that come up the Sierra Nevadas every evening (almost).

I have misters in my coop. They make one or two wet spots on the dirt floor. My girls stay inside all day. I also have fans running in the coop and as much ventilation as I can manage.

The coop has wire covered windows along the top entire length of the north & south sides, a vent on the upper west side and a larger wire covered window on the east side. The coop is open to a 50 x 20 ft. long run all day that faces east. There is a tall row of trees to the north, so the run is shaded late afternoon. I've put tarps & shade cloth up so they have some shade available all day. I plan to plant some shrubs & trees there this Fall. I spray down the entire run every day and flood under the tarp, refill both waters. When it's very hot, I spray it down several times a day.
Guinda is in a valley, 2 miles wide, that doesn't get any marine influence, no Delta breeze. It's triple digits here most of the summer. This summer is worse than usual.
Kim

 

[GhostRider65]

Could there be something else going on? is it humid along with that heat? mold can grow very fast in them conditions and can kill your chickens, or make them weak and susceptible to the heat........... they could be carrying a bigger parasite load, though I have not noticed it hear, your climate difference could make all the difference. Our heat has been terrible, humidity was at 70 /75 percent, with average temps between 98 and 105, if I let chicken feed stand in a damp place or it rains, by the next day it's moldy. So when I know rain is coming or before I spray the run down I rake up any loose food on the ground. so far I haven't had a problem.
It just seems strange that the only thing dieing is your Dels, but they are mush better foragers and I have found them to eat just about anything.....they are my hungriest chickens, always eating.... so I don't think moldy food would deter them. I just feel it's very unlikely it's the heat. and something unseen is going on..............Kim

 

[capayvalleychick]

It's not very humid here, ranges from less than 10% to 40%, had a couple days with 50-60%. It's been 110 for 3 days, though...our coolest day was 101 last week. Lows are in the high 60s to 70's. Lots of people in the area are losing birds.
Maybe it could be parasites. I don't treat on a routine basis, since I haven't ever had a problem with that.

I am glad to hear that the breed is not particularly heat sensitive, like someone on another thread told me.

Kim

 

[LALEWIN]

Some new photos. Both have good size combs, but the tail on the one and the way it carries itself makes me think the roo guess is right.

Some days I am in denial. They will be 11 weeks this week. No crowing yet. Good thing! Can't do that were we live.

7 weeks


10 weeks. They grow up so fast! But, still peep peep


chicken in motion

Keeping an eye on my Chihuahua Remi. This is a roo, isn't it?


Both at 10.5 weeks. They like the back porch, but wish they wouldn't poop all over it.
They like to follow, but are not super friendly like I had hoped. Hatchery birds. If I sit on the porch, especially late in the day, they will get on my lap.
They are pretty though.
Comments? Feel free to share.

 

[GhostRider65]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but BOTH them last chooks are Roo's,
god knows I should know that ....... my girls thought it would be funny to make mom cry and gave me many this year, I have 13 of em to butcher and only 2 pullets.......... outa 2 hatches............ Wahhhhhhhhhhhhh