Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[joletabey]

Lotsa- I do think it is important to be breeding for the egg production as well as the correct look on the Delawares, so it might be interesting to keep an eye on your best layers out of the bunch. They were meant to be a dual purpose bird. Form should fit function, if you know what I mean, so the chunky look helps you know whether you are breeding toward the meat end of it - I wish there were some way to tell by looking at a hen if she is going to be a good layer! My worst looking Del hen is one of my best layers- 6 eggs a week.

 

[Lotsapaints]

ahh but there is pelvic width and when they molt.....ALBC has a print out for choosing and it helps with my Roo choice also. I bought my eggs from somebody who tries to makes a living with their chickens. So these have been quick to chunk up and lay. They are laying just starting can't choose good layers with them laying for a month....my goal is a utility flock and I want the cull roos to be nice to butcher at 16-18 weeks. I think I have a good start now to just cull good and hard and improve my flock wow that's the hard part!

 

[joletabey]

You know, that pelvic width thing has always confused me- if you are "wide" you can slide an egg out easier, but does it really have anything to do with how many "eggs" are awaiting development on the inside? It's not connecting in my brain how that is an indicator- or is it just an "apt to be"?

 

[halo]

So what cross is that Delli cross roo?

 

[Lotsapaints]

You know that man would never tell me but I know they have barred and some kind of red as the hens look like giant Hew Hampshires this roo has red leakage and I think they have CX too but like I said I don't know for sure they are huge at 16 weeks and the hens started laying early too. Just for fun I've held back some to see what happens I'll be sure to show the results as I'm going to hatch some out in a month or 2...

 

[Lotsapaints]

Here's your link for choosing good layers http://www.albc-usa.org/documents/ALBCchicken_assessment-2.pdf

 

[jeremy]

Lotsapaints, the Delaware X New Hampshire Red is a pretty popular cross, so that could explain your red leakage. Folks have done this to help strengthen and add vigor to their lines. I thought with the cross though the resulting pullets looked more like NHR? Maybe yours is something else entirely. Did you get those birds from someone here in CA?

 

[har]

Cackle hatchery sells the NHR over a Delaware hen and they actually come out looking like a Del. They say its for better and faster meat birds

 

[Jared77]

Lotsa- I do think it is important to be breeding for the egg production as well as the correct look on the Delawares, so it might be interesting to keep an eye on your best layers out of the bunch. They were meant to be a dual purpose bird. Form should fit function, if you know what I mean, so the chunky look helps you know whether you are breeding toward the meat end of it - I wish there were some way to tell by looking at a hen if she is going to be a good layer! My worst looking Del hen is one of my best layers- 6 eggs a week.

From what I've seen on here I think the meat end of the deal is the part that needs developing compared to rate of laying. Yes some people have some VERY impressive birds on here on here but I haven't seen that many that would consistantly produce much carcass when processed as a broiler. I think the egg aspect has been well established, but a thicker/fleshier bird is what many folks need to focus on. I really believe that if the meat aspect was being bred for more then the breed would be more popular and elevate them from threatened by the ALBC. There are a number of people (myself included) who are looking for a faster growing, faster maturing meaty dual purpose bird. Egg production is important, but I know most folks are willing to give a little on that to get a better table bird. If I had a hen that produced 150 (Id be happy with 100 eggs) eggs a year and weighed 6.5-7lbs Id be pleased as punch. With a roo that was a legitmate 9lbs or bigger (which I believe is still within the standard)...thats a nice bird and with the fast rate or maturity for a DP breed that's got winner winner chicken dinner written all over it.

Sorry if this offends some folks but I really think that breeding the Delware back to the pre-Cornish cross when it was the broiler of choice standard is what will truly elevate a great breed back to its former glory. I know I may be speaking blasphemy for talking about eating chickens that we raise but even if you don't which is perfectly ok too, that should be the standard to breed to. A lot of folks don't want the mutant rate of growth that the CRX, and the headaches/heartbreak that such an abnormal rate of growth chicken have. But then when you look at the alternative its pretty slim pickins. Look at the popularity of the Freedom Ranger, as many folks are going to them instead of the CRX because it forages well, "acts like a chicken", and lacks the health issues that the CRX have. Plus it tastes better. And the Freedom Ranger is a dat-gum hybrid! It doesn't even breed true. Not to mention the Kosher Kings, and some of these other new hybirds that people are trying to come up with. Some folks are trying to keep some Rangers back so they can establish them but a good meat bird that forages, acts "like a chicken", AND breeds true? It already exists its THE DELAWARE!!!

Just something to think about when you talk about selecting who to hold onto and who to cull or part ways with. Its the reason I kept coming back to them and why I've decided to keep them as the only breed I want to work. They offer everything I need and could want in a dual purpose bird and won't take months and months and months to get all those benefits.

Again I'm not trying to offend anybody but having read a lot of posts not only in this thread but throughout the BYC I really think with a little work and getting the word out the Delaware could easily reclaim its status as the "it breed" to have for those of us looking to raise a true dual purpose chicken.

Just something that I had to get off my chest. Hope you all had a good weekend​

 

[har]

That Was Well Said