Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[speckledhen]

I love them, even at the scruffy stage. I also love that it doesn't take long for those boys' combs to pop out, either, LOL.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Quote:
Nice, they look to have some good leg color too, alright more little dellies to add to the bunch, cool.

I sure hope I get to try my hand at hatching some this coming hatching season (don't know why I say that to Kathy her season is all year long eveidently)

My brother (biomistake) in AR said I could have his lone dellie girl to put with my one, now just to get her from there to here, huh scratching head....

see ya,

catdaddy

 

[kathyinmo]

WHAT? You say there is a hatching, "season?"

 

[catdaddyfro]

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Yeah, well maybe not up there in those rolling hills in southwest Mo. Ive been all around that place (Noel, SWC,) I lived in NW Ark. for 9 years and the altitude might factor in there, they say it can mess with the mind a little, IDK

I sorta miss all those hills and hollers

catdaddy

and rocks lots of rocks

 

[HorizonSon]

Kathy, its like forshadowing what is to come; with yours being a week older

Mine were hatched/shipped November 1st.

 

[Inkheart]

WOW! I am not on the computer for a weekend and LORD you people can talk!

Ok Kathy - all your chickens look so healty and those NH pullets - wow! Eye Catchers for sure
- Horizon Son - the chicks are looking great and their first adventure looked like a great one!

_ Rancher Hicks - ahhhh you stated all the things that have been bugging me a bit lately - i started to think that maybe its not a breed but a color variation of other mixes

Its a tough breed to walk into i think and as a newer person to chickens ! WOW can be overwhelming. Plus coming from three generations of people who have bred and showed dogs with pedigrees that run true to the breed for like a hundred years - hard to accept that i might have to mix my girls with something else to get the right color. Just saying - i understand where you are coming from .

Ok with that said - no one please want to thump me on the head!

 

[VillageChicken]

I'm new to this thread, and just curious.
Those of you who have Barred Rocks and Delawares (I know some of you do), which do you like better, and why?

sorry if this was already asked in the 860+ pages of posts that I don't have time to read through.

 

[kduncan51]

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I am not totally sure since I just recently aquired a couple each of these birds. However, it appears from the data that Dels lay larger eggs and a bit more often than Barred rocks. I believe the eggs are somewhat darker and speckled, not to mention the occasional cool purple martian eggs!

Temperament seems to be reported as calmer, also. They are probably smarter, too!

The fact that Dels are a mixed breed bred from an older mix (NH) would tend to make them more hardy and healthy.

 

[joletabey]

KDuncan, don't let Cyn read ANY of your above post!

Inkheart, considering Dels are making a "comeback" and there does not seem to be a whole heck of a lot of "perfect" stock out there, I can see returning to the "parent" stock to try to duplicate them - if the old breeders did it, it might be that it is a more accepted practice than we realize.

 

[speckledhen]

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Barred Rocks are my first love, even over Delawares. I still am not thrilled with white birds, sorry, and the only thing that even let me make the decision to keep them is that they aren't completely white birds-the plumage pattern is attractive. My Dels are fabulous layers as are my BRs, though most of my Rocks are much older than my Dels now, except for two, Fern and her daughter Barbara. Fern is almost two years old and lays every day. She was raised by a broody so she seems skittish, but on occasion, when she's stressed by something, if we hold out an arm, she'll fly up to it . She wants affection on her terms, not ours. I like the shape and color tone of the Delaware eggs over the Rock eggs.

Delawares are friendly to the point of being annoying sometimes. My Rocks are friendly, but not a trip hazard like the Dels. Honestly, they are about even with egg laying ability, both size and consistency. One of the BR hens is my Becca, affectionately known as "The Other Woman". She adores my DH and acts as bodyguard, chasing others away from him when she wants her hugs.

I don't think you can go wrong with either breed, honestly. Both breeds are both excellent foragers, very active and alert. The Rocks have better camouflage when out in the woods, certainly, but my Del rooster is very good at keeping them all safe.