Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[tandersphoenix]

I still have a few Delawares, but I have to be honest. They are by far not my best egg layers and are slow growing. I think they would be ready by 16 weeks but I think the ones I have have had too many generations of New Hampshires bred into them to be what they were created for. Mine are hatchery stock so who knows..

 

[bt2000]

The ones that I have at the moment do lay well. Even at the coldest this winter, they still were laying pretty decent.

However..

After decades of being raised as a "novelty". And from what I gather, nearly lost as a breed. The pressure for performance wasn't there. We don't live in the day when "on the farm" meant that, what was being raised there pulled their weight. If they didn't perform up to "par", then into the pot they went.

Can they be brought back to that? I don't know. I've seen some nice looking birds posted, but looks doesn't equate performance. As the cliche goes "the proofs in the puddin". Have they been cross bred to the point where that performance ability isn't there any longer? I don't know that either, but I'm hoping not. When I first decided on Dels, everything I read pointed to them being perfect for what I was looking for. Now what I haven't found as of yet, are any that measure up to what is historically claimed.

I've heard many proclaim "build the barn, then paint it". But I don't see much discussion about culling practices that directly relate to the performance of the breed. Which to me is part of "building the barn". I have contacted a couple of people who seem to be actively working towards that, with some measured success, if their claims are true. But I have yet to put my hands on any of those birds to be able to say.

I do know this though. Something that has stuck with me.

"What we save today, may be what saves us tomorrow"

 

[cubalaya]

i have a feeling that with the delawares, there will be a lot of culling the first couple of years. i guess egg laying ability would be the first goal. out of the best laying hens, i would pick the chicks with wide skulls, ones with wide feathers and that feather quickly, ones with long straight breast bone, fast growing ones. hopefully the color will be good but if not you will have to add outside blood from a big, good colored rooster.

 

[jeremy]

Quote:
Good luck finding him.

Decent Del hens IMO are easy to come by, but a typey good colored male?

Does one even exist?

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

Question for everybody. Way back when, I had talked about taking a Delaware rooster with a solid black tail that I had found and using him to make good females. In the end we all agreed that that was not a good idea because he must have Columbian rock in him fairly close up. Ive had my Delawares for several generations now and I added some eggs from a person on here who got hers from Speckledhen and Seriousbill. Somehow I ended up with a roo with a solid black tail. I am not sure if this was from mine, hers, or a cross of the two. I know all of us have had ours for a good while now, but do we still think this could be from the Columbian rock? I have not used him at all for breeding, but I have kept him around just to watch him and just in case one day.........you never know lol.

 

[bt2000]

Quote:
kryptoniteghs,

Would you mind posting a photo of that bird on the Delaware genetics for dummies thread?

Maybe we can get one of the more fluent in Delaware genetics people to weigh in on it. I'm reading a ton on it, but I'm still trying to rap my head around much of how it works.

That way we can try to keep all the genetics in one thread and not pieces here and there.





edit: for fat typo fingers.

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

sure lol...I will post a picture of him tomorrow

 

[Urbanfarmerkc]

Wow, I've been so occupied by my Dorkings, I've completely neglected all my Delaware friends. Sorry bout that. Anyway, I hatched my first batch of Delawares today from the Rooster you guys helped me get. B E A U T I F U L babies. I'm proud I went with him. If the little fluff balls are any indication, they are going to have a nice size to them. Fingers crossed!

Dave

 

[Urbanfarmerkc]

Quote:
Good luck finding him.

Decent Del hens IMO are easy to come by, but a typey good colored male?

Does one even exist?

Oh ye of little faith... But of course, I still believe in leprechauns. LOL

My Dels are like Kathy's no where near processing at 12 weeks. I am having a lot of luck with my La Fleche x Delawares though... They are already 1/3 bigger than my Del babies at one month and twice the size of the La Fleche counterparts. Not sure why but I've always noticed my crosses with Delawares seem to grow faster than my regular Dels. Must be why they are crossed with Cornish for Cornish Crosses but I don't know enough about genetics to verify that...

Dave

 

[kathyinmo]

I have some Delaware chick pics! A few wandered outside, and a few stayed in....