Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
OK Village, you know I process your words SLOWLY. So, I just printed them out and will get back with you LATER.

Glad to see you on this thread

When you say "If no one is getting any hens without the barring," are you referring to barring in the hackles? The female tail is mainly black (edged in white).

The SOP for a Delaware female says:
TAIL: Main tail--black, entire feather edged with white. Coverts-- showing indications of irregular black and white barring, predominately white quill and shaft, white.
NECK: Hackle--showing irregular indications of black and white barring; entire web edged with white; quill and shaft, white. Front of neck -- white.

That said, I have seen female Dels with little or no barring in the hackles.

 

[kathyinmo]

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Personally, I don't look too much at feathers and feather colorings quite yet. "Build the barn before you paint it," .... I look at the shape of the body. It should look like a "bowl shape." Here is a picture you could refer to....

 

[math ace]

Quote:
Your hen does seem to have a nice body shape, but I can not see her coloring.

Your roo's picture was taken at a HORRID angle. Please, take another from the side and front.

 

[jenanneray]

Sorry about the roo's picture. He's very difficult and doesn't like to cooperate. I did have some other pics, but he looked really strange in those, too. I'll get better pictures up later.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Quote:
Chicken bath = no water. Give them some sand, sawdust, peat moss (their favorite) and they'll clean themselves right up for you... LOL

Sand is frozen still. I had a pail of it in the coop but they already went thru that and flung it everywhere! They have shavings in the coop. I think DH might have some sawdust in the spousal avoidance center that I might be able to sneak in there and steal. Everything around here right now is either frozen or a muddy mess.

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Chicken bath = no water. Give them some sand, sawdust, peat moss (their favorite) and they'll clean themselves right up for you... LOL

Sand is frozen still. I had a pail of it in the coop but they already went thru that and flung it everywhere! They have shavings in the coop. I think DH might have some sawdust in the spousal avoidance center that I might be able to sneak in there and steal. Everything around here right now is either frozen or a muddy mess.

STILL Frozen???? Didn't you know it is Spring?
March 20 is the first day of spring.... only 2 more days and magically it is spring everywhere!

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Taken a couple of days ago, sad isn't it?

 

[Urbanfarmerkc]

According to the ACLB which is where I'm getting info on where to go with my Delawares, you gotta start slow and build your way up. I'm looking more for body type at the moment but I also want to avoid any major problems that might be hard to breed out of my chickens later. I'm hatching as many as I can this year and then I'll cull heavy. (The rule of 10) It is nice because there are so many folks wanting chickens around me and they don't give a hoot what they look like that it is easy to sell the culls. There is no likelihood that they will ever breed them either so not much loss in letting them continue on.

My hens are showing promise right now in body type although too small in my opinion. They have nice color but there will be work to do there as well. I am unhappy with their laying rate and will hit that hard next year and have already found a guy who is working his Dels in that direction. I hope to get a male from him.

What my hens have that I haven't seen in any other chicks I've hatched is the amazing vigor in hatch. They belt out of the eggs usually a day or two early and dry exceptionally fast then literally jump out of the incubator tray (I have an old Leahy). With that type of vigor, I think they should be pursued. The other good news is that this trait seems to come through the female line so no matter what rooster I use, and I've hybridized these with La Fleche for broilers, the chicks have that same vigor. La Fleche roosters to my La Fleche hens who are hatching with these Delaware x La Fleche lack that quality.

So, if you don't mind, looking back at the roo I posted and let me know what you think of body type and is the comb a genetic issue or is that just an anomaly???? I truly appreciate your opinions.

Dave

 

[math ace]

Dave's roo

Drawing of Delaware meeting Standard

What I am seeing is too much solid black in the tail and wing. . . .

My question is WHAT SHOULD YOU PAIR HIM UP WITH SO THAT THE NEXT GENERATION IS BETTER ? ?

 

[Jared77]

From a dual purpose perspective I like him. He's got a nice sized frame and well filled out. Good job.