Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[finnfur]

7 days

Cute - where do your Dels come from ?

 

[Elaine Wright]

Cute - where do your Dels come from ?

Skagit farmers supply. I don't know the breeder.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I was recently advised to have no roosts for these larger birds (Delawares), or very low roosts. I'm not sure how I feel about no roosts, but for sure will be lowering my roosts. We haven't had problems here yet, but we don't want them, either.

Here is a photo of one of this year's pullets looking all sweet with her head tucked in.

 

[caychris]

I was recently advised to have no roosts for these larger birds (Delawares), or very low roosts. I'm not sure how I feel about no roosts, but for sure will be lowering my roosts. We haven't had problems here yet, but we don't want them, either.

Here is a photo of one of this year's pullets looking all sweet with her head tucked in.

I think if the roost is wide enough and low enough for them to reach as the bulk up things should be fine. I think the idea is to prevent keel problems which can arise from the heavy bird resting on their keel as they roost. My roosts are 2"x4" laid with the wider side up and I think it works out even for my largest birds. I do have a few birds that do not roost and sleep on the floor of the coop ( I have 1 blind in one eye and her bed buddy) My boy also sleeps near them. He seems to prefer to be near the hens he sees as most vulnerable. He even cuddled up near my broody before I moved her. Too bad he is not a Del.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I think if the roost is wide enough and low enough for them to reach as the bulk up things should be fine. I think the idea is to prevent keel problems which can arise from the heavy bird resting on their keel as they roost. My roosts are 2"x4" laid with the wider side up and I think it works out even for my largest birds. I do have a few birds that do not roost and sleep on the floor of the coop ( I have 1 blind in one eye and her bed buddy) My boy also sleeps near them. He seems to prefer to be near the hens he sees as most vulnerable. He even cuddled up near my broody before I moved her. Too bad he is not a Del.

Sounds like a good cock. I have a couple really good hatchery "oopsie" cocks I'm going to have to cull soon, and it's making me sad.

I also have 2 x 4s laid wide side. I didn't have any trouble last year with the higher roosts. But this year's pullets seem to be larger, and haven't been at all keen to roost on the normal roosts -- getting less keen as they grow. In the cockerel coop, for sure some of the roosts are too high, I've known that since they were installed. This year we have a few cockerels that prefer to sleep in some creative places rather than on the roosts. So far the males in there are young and light enough to not have leg trouble from jumping down, but they are getting to that stage where they're bulking up. We're lowering the roosts in there this weekend. We're also going to add a side room soon where we can put a lot of fluffy bedding for them, and some more low roosts. Give them options.

Like @crazyhen I don't keep a lot of extra males around, so I can't really afford to lose one.

 

[finnfur]

The new coop 2x4s are turned wide side up - the old is opposite . However they don't jump from high roosts as they are staggered on a 12" forward /12" drop - they just hop from one to the other going down and reverse going up.
Have not had a problem so far and I plan on turning the wide side up when I install the venting soon.

 

[crazyhen]

Please do put in a low roost for the dels. I lost my broadest roo two weeks ago to a broken leg. My roost are not really high but evidently to high for this particular roo. Since I used flock raiser, I wonder if they got enough calcium or other mineral to get their bones strong enough to withstand the jump. I did have oyster shell for them but very little was eaten.Hummm

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

y

Please do put in a low roost for the dels.  I lost my broadest roo two weeks ago to a broken leg.  My roost are not really high but evidently to high for this particular roo.   Since I used flock raiser, I wonder if they got enough calcium or other mineral to get their bones strong enough to withstand the jump. I did have oyster shell for them but very little was eaten.Hummm

I wouldn't think calcium would be the issue. Males aren't supposed to get much of that. But my flock did not do very well on Purina feeds, and I switched. Things seem better now.

Perhaps adding some NutriBalancer to the flock raiser would help. And maybe some fish meal protein. Or powdered eggs. It wouldn't take much. More for the balance of nutrients than for the extra protein.

 

[PouleNoire]

What is this about low roosts for the Dels? I have never heard of this before. I do have a roost lower to the ground than the rest but she chooses not to use it. She is a pullet not a roo though, is it just a roo thing?

 

[Foxysadie]

What is this about low roosts for the Dels?  I have never heard of this before.  I do have a roost lower to the ground than the rest but she chooses not to use it.  She is a pullet not a roo though, is it just a roo thing?

I'm glad you asked that question. I was wondering the same thing?