Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[Laney]

Just candled my Delaware eggs and I can see veining in 6 out of 10. Of the other 4, one was too porous and the other 3 were too dark to see. One might be clear but I just can't tell at this stage. This is day 6 for them.

Laney

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
mypetchicken's main office is here in CT but I believe their birds come from Iowa, I know it's the northcentral midwest. Does that make sense? Ideal is a long haul to CT and I don't want to order 25 birds. I don't have that kind of room....yet.

DH is already shaking his head at the plans for the new bantie coop! I'm looking forward to my Dellies!

MPC gets their stock from several places which makes no sense....but there you have it

 

[speckledhen]

Beth, your little one does sound like a dwarf. Superchick doesn't. Since Kathy banded hers, we'll find out who is the culprit throwing those little oddballs. I sure hope it isn't Ellie or Georgie. They are my favorites and the largest hens. If so, well, darn. They won't do that if paired with a rooster who does not carry the gene, but I dont want to let them go.

I was thinking about selling Phoebe, Kira and Maxie; that is, if Maxie gets with the program and decides to eat enough to stick around.

 

[joletabey]

Let me see if I can get some pictures- gotta ask DH to leave me the camera. She almost looks like a little frog sometimes- her beak does curve down a little bit more than the others, but I think this bunch has rather imperious beaks anyway- sometimes I feel like they are looking down their noses- i.e beaks at the world in general. One of the big roos just squashed her flat again- I know they don't weigh that much yet, but it can't be too nice for her. She gets walked on all the time!

So I spend tomorrow trying to figure out where I can set up another brooder and separate her.. . . .him? There is a little comb there, sort of in between the ones I know are roos and the ones I know are pullets.

 

[catdaddyfro]

Quote:
Seems like I've seen a lot of references to Myers hatchery on here when people have talked about getting chicks form MPC, so you might check them out for info on that one.

Now to the Dellies at hand, my brother brought me the Dellie babies at Christmas time. He brought 12 and I went through them and picked out 3 pullets and 2 roos and another rooish, hopefully pullet looking one, and let him have the rest as he had all the money tied up in them and he could keep what he wanted then reap the benifits of enjoying the culled roos as a delacacy. Anyhow, boy am I glad that I only got 6 of them as these guys can really put away some feed. I'd hate to see how much a whole dozen of them would have eaten by now especially beings mostly roos, but I'm not griping as they are really growing well which I had some concern over anyway as the temps are quite cool now and I'd rather grow off birds in the spring and early summer when feed conversion is actually better. So now that I've been on here again blabbing without showing pictures, just as soon as I get my sister back over with the digital camera I'll post some of their progression. I'm really liking these guys beings this is the first Dells that I've raised as youngins' and they have taken to me just as if I'd imprinted them from the begining, they deffinatly aren't shy and like Kathy said mine don't show any signs of aggression other than they act as if they havn't eaten in a week everytime I walk past or refill their feeder even if it is not empty of feed. I think they are just very social birds an the only others I've had act as docile was my GSL's and I've raised hundreds and hundreds of reds, whites, barreds and black birds in my 25+ chicken rearing years.

catdaddy

 

[joletabey]

Yup - I am ready for more pictures, too - will get some more of mine as soon as DH brings the camera home - Catdaddyfro- can't wait to see your choices!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

I want to see pictures too catdaddyfro!

I need some help picking out some to keep also.

If you had to choose between smaller better marked birds or birds with nice markings that are bigger which ones would you choose. I also have a few that the combs look a little tilted and I am not sure if that gets better or not. (Those are not from you Cynthia!)

Will the smaller birds catch up in size or will they always be a bit smaller? I know type is one of the first things to breed for. I would love to keep them all but there is no way with all that I hatched!

I have to get some new pics of yours Cynthia. I have a really nicely marked big pullet and some really great looking roos (I think so)

 

[joletabey]

Rustyswoman - I am facing the same thing- I have three roos I am watching carefully out of my bunch- I know everyone says type first, but my little brain keeps asking questions like " well, what about second best body if the comb and markings are really superior?" Maybe we should just post pictures and let everyone else decide for us!!!

OK, just kidding, I won't be that irresponsible, but I know I will be asking for some advice also!

 

[speckledhen]

The final trait you must look for is temperament. I say final because that will not be evident until the hormones flow. For example, Isaac had one brother who was larger than he was. Super, super friendly cockerel (called him Mr. Friendly) loved to sit on Tom's knee. Sweet boy. Comb wasn't as nice as Ike's, but not terrible. Markings were not quite as good, either, but oh, the size on that boy! As they approached 14-15 weeks, he began attacking my shoes. He'd bite, then he actually spurred Tom one day. Isaac had never been super friendly, but not skittish either. His markings were superior, he was catching up in size to his brother, and after he learned not to bite about 12-13 weeks old (I grabbed him up and held his beak and it took two times, then he was cured-hasn't bitten me since), I knew he was truly my Rockstar of the group. When I removed the last two cockerels so they wouldn't be a bad influence on him (the third one had begun the shoe-biting thing, too), he became this calm, well-mannered sweetheart that he is today.
You'll start seeing their final temperament when they're 15-20 weeks old and are really after the ladies.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Cynthia, do you think the meanness is an inherited or learned trait? I have a few that peck at my shoe but I thought they were just looking for food or curious. I should nip this?