Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[Lacy Blues]

Ok, I went out and got some pics for y'all.

This is most of them in one shot.


I have no idea how this girl got here. She wasn't supposed to show up until I did the girls, later.





I'm not sure if this boy is one with a split wing... it was very hot. You can see he is panting. He's got some smut, but overall a nice bird.



The one on the far left has a split wing.





This is one of my favorite boys. I don't think his wing is split. Like I said, it was hot.



Here are the girls. I have eight of them.



This one will be first to lay. I like her a lot. I think she's a keeper.





The one with the band, below, is one that I noticed when she was only a few weeks old. She has GREAT type. A nice wide head and great body. She doesn't have great coloring but that's ok.



As far as I have noticed, none of them have pinched tails.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Oh, one other thing I was going to say and ask you guys about... they're only about 4.5 months old now and I've seen other birds that were young that looked like they had split wings but it turned out that they were what the owner called "blood feathers" (because they were just growing in?) and they were just messed up. Could this be what is going on here?

I need to pick up each and every one of them and open their wings to verify whether they are split or just growing in.

So, what do y'all think of 'em?

 

[GhostRider65]

Beautiful birds, how you cull any of them is amazing.......... Id take any 1 of your culls over most of the Dels. I have seen this summer...........
What is the split wing thing and how would 1 know what to check for it? I have a couple roo's that have a strange wing thing, but I thought it was just because the feathers haven't yet came back in after the baby molt, they are 13 weeks old..... and they are destined for butchering anyway, but I want to know what to keep my eye out for should I need too.

 

[Lacy Blues]

A split wing is when they don't grow an axial feather. You have 10 primaries (generally) and 10 secondaries (generally) and one little short feather in between those groups. Without it, its a split wing and generally the feathers don't lay in the proper order and they stick out. I didn't catch a pic of one walking away, maybe I'll try that tomorrow. They really stick out to the side. Also, I'll show you the one that I think has a crooked spine. He's just weird looking.

I think I'll double check them all to make sure they're not blood feathers.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Here was one that I had with split wing:



The best way to tell is by holding out the wing, so you can see all the feathers. There will be a gap in the center.

Kim

 

[fowlman01]

A split wing is when they don't grow an axial feather. You have 10 primaries (generally) and 10 secondaries (generally) and one little short feather in between those groups. Without it, its a split wing and generally the feathers don't lay in the proper order and they stick out. I didn't catch a pic of one walking away, maybe I'll try that tomorrow. They really stick out to the side. Also, I'll show you the one that I think has a crooked spine. He's just weird looking.

I think I'll double check them all to make sure they're not blood feathers.

There should always be 10 primaries and 10 secondaries.

Walt

 

[Lacy Blues]

Yes, Walt, I know. Sometimes a bird has more than ten. Do I cull for this? How many points do I lose for having too many?

As far as the Delaware's are concerned, I have no intention of showing them... they are a meat project but I want them to be close to the standard anyway.

 

[Lacy Blues]

What about blood feathers Walt? What age should these birds have their wing feathers solidly in place?

 

[fowlman01]

Yes, Walt, I know. Sometimes a bird has more than ten. Do I cull for this? How many points do I lose for having too many?

As far as the Delaware's are concerned, I have no intention of showing them... they are a meat project but I want them to be close to the standard anyway.

I have never seen a chicken with more than ten. Doesn't mean it can't happen though. The SOP does not mention it, but I would cull for it. Since you don't show it's up to you.

Walt

 

[fowlman01]

What about blood feathers Walt? What age should these birds have their wing feathers solidly in place?

Each breed is a little different and each strain of Dels is probably different, but you should be able to count the wing feathers at a very early age. If the feather is not there there should be a follicle.
Walt