Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[kathyinmo]

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Oh, I see. You get to do the fun part, and watch them hatch! Love that part!

Back on topic ... I am so happy to see so many interested in the breed, and interested in improving it! Could be a great future for the Delawares. It would be great to get them off the endangered list, as "critical."

 

[speckledhen]

Agreed! Hopefully, more Delaware owners will post pics of their birds on this thread, as the OP wanted, but it's been fun talking about them while we wait for more pics.

 

[PotterWatch]

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That girl is actually my light brahma, just can't see her legs in that picture.

 

[PotterWatch]

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[Mrs MIA]

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So, in other words, I should wait until after the first molt to cull for tail coloring? Not a problem!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Well, I looked at seriousbill's page and it makes me happy and sad at the same time.
They are so beautiful, I just wish I had a few of those.

A bird bred to standard is truly a work of art.

I am really enjoying working toward it though. Looking, learning and it is so hard when you realize one is not going to make the cut. Especially when you really like the bird.

These are by far one of the friendliest, most easy going chickens I have had. And not aggressive to me at all. In fact when I go to take pictures of everybody they are always trying to get in the picture!

It baffles me how they ever came to be on the endangered list.

 

[speckledhen]

Tori, the tail barring on the pullets should be molting out by maturity, I'd think. Phoebe started with two or three barred tail feathers, but by 20 weeks, they were gone and her tail black was there. I was speaking about the juvenile molt, not the actual first big one.

I thought I saw a single comb on your girl, Potter Watch. Sorry! Didn't see her legs, you're right.

 

[walkswithdog]

I've now got eight Dels for the second generation here now. And I marked the eggs and chicks from the hatchery stock, they weigh in about 10% less and aren't as yellow at hatch - more white. The ones from the bigger broader breeder pullets are coming out larger and that wild neon yellow.

I know which pullet is throwing the white chicks it's the one with the Columbian markings instead of a good barred hackle. She lays a very pretty egg but I'm not pleased with her young, they're quite narrow and leggy. I won't hatch any more from her. They're only barred rock sized chicks and that won't cut it in the long run. I'll track these to lay though to see.

Some of the Del/PRs are tanks, as are the oldest del chubs, the eldest pair of them putting on a good width and heft like mad things.

A couple of the hatched are black del mixes, some are sizzle/del and some black australorp/del - the BA/Dels grow wicked fast. The sizzle dels are smaller and cuter. This is fun. Chuckle. I'm hoping the little sizzle del is a girl, I'll grow her out

I'm hatching a few more dels to grow over winter and some more sizzles and seramas and then I'm done. The big barred rock del babies are going to make a nice meat pen bird I think.

Here's hoping there's a couple of Roo boys I already like the look of for the next generation...

 

[Laney]

Could someone post comparison pics for me of Columbian markings vs Delaware Markings?

Thanks!
Laney

 

[speckledhen]

It's barred vs solid black for both hackles and tail feathers.

Isaac

a pic from the Columbian Rock page here on BYC:

A link to someone who sells them and has good pics on the site:
http://www.circlepondfarm.com/columbian_rock.htm