Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[biomistake]

I will be stupidvising my novice friend building an easy peasy brooder kit asap as I am going to need them this year for some reason *here delly delly delly*

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Git 'er done!

 

[pinkchick]

Okay Delaware Friends......I have a little Del that I just can't figure out if it is a boy or girl. For the longest time I thought this was a pullet, until recently when I looked at the tail feathers and noticed they are starting to curve and they are barred. Do the pullets sometimes have barred tail feathers? Here are some random photos that I snapped yesterday to share so that maybe ya'll could help me out. I was wondering if this little chickie could possibly be a late bloomer?

Del in question-

and this photo was just for fun because I loved the look I was getting.

Thanks for any help.

 

[joletabey]

Pinkchick, I lean toward pullet, the comb and wattle are so much smaller than the roo behind her, and the tail feathering in the hens can be tricky, from my understanding. How old are they? I forget when you got this bunch.
She also is not as dark in the hackles, and it looks like she is trying her hardest to have those tail feathers edged in white.
The tough thing about this breed is getting the coloring differences right - I am quoting lots of breeders on that- I would keep her and see, I could be totally wrong. It has happened before!

If she has a great body type I think you can still use her. Build the barn first, ya know?
I had a roo that was too light and a hen that is too dark, and their one chick ended up pretty good.

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
Thanks Beth!

The thing that gets me is those silly tail feathers that are starting to curve, ya know? LoL! They are just over 3 mos. old. I so want to call her a she.....and she is colored throughout the body like her other 4 sisters, but that tail! Hopefully she is a pullet.

Here are a couple of photos of the other 4 girls bathing in the rare winter sun yesterday and one girl no matter how hard I tried, wouldn't give me any other shot of her except her back.

 

[math ace]

Pink, look closely at the saddle feathers.

Hers look very rounded - - not pointy like the roo behind her. I think you have a little girl there.

 

[pinkchick]

Quote:
I have looked at those Lisa....and you know what, a few are starting to come in around the tail break and they are longer than the others, yes semi rounded and are appearing barred, like the other boys. "She" is bigger than the rest of the pullets, actually alot bigger, she is almost the same size as the boys, the other pullets are not this big. Maybe she is just going to be a very large boyish looking pullet that lays super jumbo pretty speckled eggs.

Wish with all your might and blow on the dice and toss 'em, because Pink needs this to be a pullet!

edited to add: I commend you all for taking such nice photos of your Del's, I thought it was hard to photo a dark egg and get a good depicition of accurate color.....but photo'ing a white bird and getting good crisp photos like ya'll do, I applaud you. I tried and tried and tried in all sorts of light yesterday to get good photos of these chicks that showed such clarity as you all, but I just couldn't do it.

So, what is everyone's secret when taking pictures of white birds to get such crisp and clear photos without alot of glare from the white bird?

 

[math ace]

Quote:
THINK PINK !

 

[delawaregirl09]

That is one heck of a brooder... I might steal that idea when the time comes along

I hope someone is selling eggs this spring... I'm now in the makes of getting some actual Delawares going

I would have posted pictures of the birds I had, but the older they got, the more disappointed I was in my selections. All in all, I have two okay looking hens left in my flock of 10. I'll upload a couple pictures I have and see what y'all think of them, but now I'm turning towards just buying some from somebody 'round here

 

[speckledhen]

Pink, I've had Del pullets with very nicely barred tail feathers but they all molted out around 16-17 weeks old, then they got pretty tail black. This is why you have to wait so long to cull Delawares except for the really obvious bad flaws, like side sprigs on the comb.