Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[ccmarie]

I have a question about Delawares. The ALBC say that there are only 500 in the US, or something like that, and obviously they aren't counting the hatchery-produced ones. How do they count, when there's not a register for chickens like other livestock/pets? I'm getting a dozen hatching eggs from a breeder, and it would be nice if I could help conserve the breed officially. I won't be breeding for a few years, until we move somewhere that allows roosters (unless we figure out a system somehow), but I thought it would be nice to know for the future.

 

[kathyinmo]

I don't know how the do their counting, but I know they aren't counting mine.

 

[Barred Rocker]

Yeah I'd say that's pretty darned inaccurate. I've got 25 myself and I don't think they're counted in that 500.

 

[capayvalleychick]

When they did a count for the Buckeyes, they contacted the breed club. All the members were asked to count only their breeding birds. If they haven't contacted the Delaware Club, I have no idea how they came up with a number.

Speaking of the Del Club, last time that I looked, the website was down. Is the Club still active?

 

[wekiva bird]

I was wondering myself if the Delaware Club is still active too.

 

[DuckBoy]

Kathy,

The F3 birds look great I was wondering if you could help me out with something I am starting my own breeding program trying to make a Delaware bird. Here is my question. I am starting off with a barred roo and nh hens.

I was told to keep F1 roo and breed to F1 hens?

Also keep F1 roo and breed back to nh hens?

Which way is correct?

I know that you have alot of knowledge in the area because of your current project to I thank you for your time Cory

 

[catdaddyfro]

Kathy,

The F3 birds look great I was wondering if you could help me out with something I am starting my own breeding program trying to make a Delaware bird. Here is my question. I am starting off with a barred roo and nh hens.

I was told to keep F1 roo and breed to F1 hens?

Also keep F1 roo and breed back to nh hens?

Which way is correct?

I know that you have alot of knowledge in the area because of your current project to I thank you for your time Cory

she bred F1 toF1 then F2 Delpatterned males to the F2silver columbian females tho get to this point with the F3s

It took a lot of hatching Hundreds of chciks to get to this point

I am going to go both ways this spring F1 toF1 and F2 male to NH females too just to see what the results are and also to hope to not have to hatch the multi hundreds to get pure Delaware progeny.

the recipe George Ellis used says the half breed male(superman) back to NH dams? We shall see here in a few months.

Jeff

Origin of the Delaware Breed
By Edmund Hoffmann, Ph.D.
Canning, NS, Canada
e-mail: [email protected]
24 December 1995​

Prologue: In those days the popular broiler cross was Barred Plymouth Rock x New Hampshire. If the barred broiler males were inadvertently mated with New Hampshires the progeny would be heterozygous for dominant black extension. A heterozygous male mated to a New Hampshire might be the progenitor of the silver (but barred) sports we occasionally saw. George (Ellis) found one outstanding male that he called Superman and we mated him to a lot of New Hampshires to found what eventually became the Delaware breed. All the other sports were inferior. Of course the sports had to be silver or we would have had a barred red. In those days no one knew anything about the inheritance of Colombian but in hindsight 2 crosses to New Hampshire might give a few homozygous Colombian (CoCo) individuals

 

[RedBugPoultry]

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you out there! Just wondering is there is anyone in the Savannah, GA/ Jasper Co. SC area that needs a good Delaware Rooster? He of course is not my best but has very nice coloring.

 

[LALEWIN]

It's been a while since I've posted after it was pointed out both my pullets were cockerels, LOL! Well, thought I'd throw in a quick update. The boys were pretty and gave me lots of pretty feathers for crafts, but as they aged, they got snotty to me (bad idea) and the dogs. at 4 mos, one started to crow. I live where there are no roosters allowed. I scooped them up, put them in a dog crate, ran them to my brother in law, and they are now in the freezer. Not sure when I can eat them. Their skin is so different from grocery store birds (bumpy, not smooth) and I was there to help pluck some feathers, and the smell got stuck in my head.

Thank you to those that made it clear I was sold two boys. I guess I just was blind to it.

 

[Barred Rocker]

Well, I made a critical decision today. I've got 7 different breeds going right now. My wife and I discussed this at length and decided that one breed had to go. I've got Barred Rocks, New Hampshires , Delawares, Colombian Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Bantam Barred Rocks and Bantam Buff Brahmas. The Delawares and the Rhode Island Reds were on the chopping block. I just couldn't bear to part with my Delawares so the Rhode Island Reds have departed the farm. I love my Delawares and losing them would be depressing.