Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[finnfur]

This is my runt as of last night. I'm leaning towards cockerel since it's only one of two chicks with reddish comb development. If he had tail feathers, I wouldn't be so iffy. (No one is pulling them either, he just doesn't have any.) It is 2/3 the size of all the other chicks; nearly half of one I'm sure is a cockerel.

I figure growth this slow is a no-brainer for culling, but when should I do it? I can't imagine how long it would take to raise this one to a decent size for the table. How early does everyone cull for obvious undesirable traits? Should I give it more time? I figure if it's a boy, why keep feeding it? Not like I can add him to the laying flock.



Runt in front of my definite cockerel. It looks like they weren't even hatched at the same time! Of course he'd have the prettiest legs out of the lot too. What would you do and when would you do it?

I usually take all the culls when the majority are ready . On Delawares 18 weeks for first cull round . Then after first molt for the final cull.
Seems I have read the color pattern sometimes varies after the molt . Haven't found the runts to amount to much if held past the 18 weeks.

 

[wekiva bird]

Finnfur: I do the same thing cull about 18-22 weeks Ck the temperment 2nd go around and etc. I will not have bad temperment .They go to freezer camp real fast..

 

[finnfur]

Finnfur: I do the same thing cull about 18-22 weeks Ck the temperment 2nd go around and etc. I will not have bad temperment .They go to freezer camp real fast..

I say 18 weeks but thats just weigh in and 1st round decision time - But I may take a few weeks to process depending on schedule.
I don't have any with bad temp . The one that pecked the back of my hand twice has had a long talk with me behind the coop and
sometimes does his little dance but no other problems. He thinks he's big stuff and trying to be lead Cock. He scuffled up to the chicken tractor holding pen I have my old Cock "Bob " in and Bob tried to come thru the chicken wire after him . Junior is not in Bobs heavy weight category and he would have torn him up.
In fact some are so friendly they get under your feet and trip you up. A little training they may jump in the kill cones.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Out of my 16 cockerels, I banded 4. 5 out of 9 hens look really good. The only problem I see with them are pinched tails. So the 4 cockerels I have in the back All have nice teepee tails. Going for the tails rather than the color. Even though most of my cockerels pretty much all look the same except the tails.

 

[EggieRowe]

Thanks for the help everyone! They're at 10.5 weeks now, so I think I will probably cull 18 weeks. I have a roo and a few hens in my existing laying flock that I need to go ahead and cull for aggressiveness. Don't want my sweet Delies to be the victim of or learn that behavior. The runt has actually started having some tail feathers & they are all faintly barred. He's developing nearly two weeks behind the other Delies. The OE chicks I hatched 4 weeks after them have nearly caught up to him! Boy or girl, it's out.

Out of my 16 cockerels, I banded 4. 5 out of 9 hens look really good. The only problem I see with them are pinched tails. So the 4 cockerels I have in the back All have nice teepee tails. Going for the tails rather than the color. Even though most of my cockerels pretty much all look the same except the tails.

So you had 9 hens out of 25? Ouch. I wish chicken eggs were like gator eggs, incubation conditions could control sex.

 

[fatcatx]

Out of my 16 cockerels, I banded 4. 5 out of 9 hens look really good. The only problem I see with them are pinched tails. So the 4 cockerels I have in the back All have nice teepee tails. Going for the tails rather than the color. Even though most of my cockerels pretty much all look the same except the tails.

I read in two different books that heritage strains (of any breed) lean towards 70% male/30 female. No reference where they got these numbers of course. Is this ratio what you serious breeders see in your hatches?

 

[EggieRowe]

Mystery solved. I snapped this picture a split second before the runt attempted to mate the pullet dust bathing in the foreground. She was not pleased and let it be known.

They discovered my garden beds today. No biggie since the rain has ruined almost everything. This is the healthiest bed, okra and Japanese eggplants. They look like they are in a forest.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Thanks for the help everyone! They're at 10.5 weeks now, so I think I will probably cull 18 weeks. I have a roo and a few hens in my existing laying flock that I need to go ahead and cull for aggressiveness. Don't want my sweet Delies to be the victim of or learn that behavior. The runt has actually started having some tail feathers & they are all faintly barred. He's developing nearly two weeks behind the other Delies. The OE chicks I hatched 4 weeks after them have nearly caught up to him! Boy or girl, it's out.


So you had 9 hens out of 25? Ouch. I wish chicken eggs were like gator eggs, incubation conditions could control sex.

Yea right.

 

[finnfur]

I read in two different books that heritage strains (of any breed) lean towards 70% male/30 female. No reference where they got these numbers of course. Is this ratio what you serious breeders see in your hatches?

First batch of Dels is 4 pullets out of 12 . so thats about what I got 75% .
When you figure use as Heritage / Old homestead that wouldn't be bad as you don't need but so many eggs to eat/hatch. Most would go for table fare and the Cockerels are larger for that purpose.
Second batch is 5 pullets out of 14 so thats about 65%

 

[wekiva bird]

Those xtra roos go good in thr stew pot.