Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[GhostRider65]

Well SpeckledHen....., why would you keep secrets like that from us new learners..inquiring minds wanna know ?? ya know . hehehe..... I sure would like your opinion, and that is all anyone can really give anyway, because no one really can explain what happened to my knowledge? other than the CX coming on the scene, but yes I want a meat bird Del, that will lay well too, I'm shooting for a 10 to 12 lns rooster, and a 8 lb hen..... I have the makings of a good layer and a good sized rooster, but I'm still gonna try to re-create the original, but for now my 3 do serve my purpose, I have 13 very nice Del, or crossed with BR in my freezer that were good size for what I put in them....... unlike the CX I did not have to pay outrageous feed bills to get a good sized bird, invested a bit more time is all, and time is free.... only extra they got was scrambled eggs 3 tx a week and cut oats and corn the last 2 weeks to add some nice fat and that worked out well.. I figured it maybe cost me 6 to 8 a bird..My GF did CX and ended up with birds that cost her over 16.00 dollars each....... and she raised a 100....... so no thanks on that feed bill. They may grow faster, but they eat constantly, and a lot!!!!...... they do have more breast meat, but they do not taste as good as mine either, so depends what ya wanna give up, I'll give the breast meat for taste any day... though my son would disagree, he only likes the breast, but I will eat anything if I'm hungry hehehe....... he hasn't yet learned hunger has flavor of its own, he will in this economy. soon enough. so for now I'm begging Speckled hen to sshare her insights..... PLEASEEEE ...........Kim

 

[speckledhen]

Nah, I ain't tellin'.

I honestly doubt the Delaware breed will ever make a huge comeback. I won't be keeping them again when my two remaining hens and Isaac pass on. I positively adore Isaac, that big old baby of mine-couldn't ask for a better rooster or a more superb temperament-but when he's gone, I'll go back to my first love, the Plymouth Rocks, and replace him with a couple of Stukel line BR roosters and more BR hens (my favorite, but, for some reason, Isaac loathes them-picky, picky!)

 

[wekiva bird]

Speckledhen: I love the temperments and the egg size from the babies i got from you few years ago.

 

[Jake Levi]

I think that they are making a comeback !

There are new breeders here and I saw some at a large show here in MI last year. I like the size for a homestead chicken and the egg production is right along with other large breeds.

I would like to see some input from kathyinmo on this. She is the one who got me interested in them with her breeding project.

 

[cubalaya]

i think they are making a comeback. before the cornishXrock frankenchicken was created, delawares were 'the meat chicken'. they lay a good amount of extra large eggs. they are very unique looking. some people just don't like white chickens and think that they can't hide from predators but a flock of delawares on some green grass looks awesome.

 

[speckledhen]

i think they are making a comeback. before the cornishXrock frankenchicken was created, delawares were 'the meat chicken'. they lay a good amount of extra large eggs. they are very unique looking. some people just don't like white chickens and think that they can't hide from predators but a flock of delawares on some green grass looks awesome.

I haven't had any predator losses at all, including Delawares (used to have 7, now just 3), even free ranging them in the wooded mtns of N. Ga. with every sort of predator you can imagine. I credit the great roosters I've had for that. I think if you have enough decent evergreen cover, white chickens are no more a target than any other, especially with a super alert Delaware rooster in charge.

I don't dispute they are great layers, usually friendly birds to the point of being annoying pains in the behind, but there are some down sides to the breed that I still feel will prevent them from making a booming comeback. JMHO.

 

[finnfur]

Hi Ya'll from South central Virginia
Don't have Pics because I'm still looking and gathering information.
This has been an informative thread but it is longer than War and Peace but has the suspense of a novel.
I have currently been reading four days during wet weather we just had and I'm just up to page 200.
To give you the time line
Ya'll just celebrated new year 2010
Kathyinmo has new chicks from speckled hen that are just few weeks old
Cetawin was trying to figure how to get her flock moved east
Yard full of rocks was looking at a job with possible travel to see the Yellow chickens of China
And OMG Super Chick died.
So thats where I'm at in time line on this thread.
I am making this post to mark where I need to catch up to.

I will be looking to acquire quality starter Dels soon

I feel this breed is hard to get to SOP but I think interest in preserving this heritage breed is just stating to fire up
and I love a challenge even at my ripe old age.

Want to thank everybody for all he good information I have acquired from this thread and the heritage/homestaed thread
Hope to get more involved in posts but I am a two finger typist LOL

Thanks , Tom

 

[Jake Levi]

Hi Tom when you get caught up pm Kathyinmo for some chicks or eggs. I am going to this spring. An excellent homestead breed.

 

[finnfur]

Levi - I hope she has some to sell when I'm ready.
I will says that I'm not slighting anyone else's but the Pics I see of her Dels on the
Del club sight are at the top in my opinion.
She worked very hard to get there . She should be proud of her accomplishment.
Take that with a grain of salt because I am a newbie on Dels .
That reminds me I need to get my app/check off to the Del club

Tom

 

[crazyhen]

Levi,
She says the Dels, are not ready for sale yet. I have pestered her about to pieces just for a few for layers to add a few pretties to my flock. No dice. So good luck getting any. She does have the best available and has done the most research and breeding from the gitgo. Gloria Jean