Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[joletabey]

Booswalia, welcome and thanks for sharing! I LOVE your nest boxes, and what a hoot that your pretty birds are snuggling in them together! How old are they? Are they all the same age? Stu looks younger. I am still very new at this, so forgive my ignorance. I keep looking at other people's rooster and young chick picks. I need to look at more hens!
It looks like you have some nice birds, nice combs. Do you mind sharing who you got them from?

 

[HighSpringsChix]

I have a postal scale that I use for soap making. I put them in a box to keep them quiet then weighed them box and all. I tried to get them to stand on the scale at first, but they were.... uncooperative.

 

[Booswalia]

Thanks Jole. My chickens are about 8 months old. Stu is White Rock which is why she looks younger. Her comb is not as large as the Delawares. I'm very new at this too. These are my first chickens which I got from a fellow in Kensington, Prince Edward Island. I can't remember his name just at the moment but I know he enters a lot of chickens in the local shows every year and he takes home a lot of the ribbons too.

 

[joletabey]

Goodnight, Dellie lovers, everyone.

 

[Laney]

One chickie has pipped and zipped. It is halfway out and taking a break. No other pips yet. #8 is the one that is halfway out. #'s 1 and 10 are expected to pip any time now, and #5 is the one that I think is the early quitter (around day 17) but I have my fingers crossed that it was just tired when I candled it.

Sorry the pic is so bad....it's a cell phone pic. I thought any Delaware baby picture was better than none!

Laney

 

[kathyinmo]

Quote:
Hooray! Great news, Laney! Good luck!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Laney, you are a Delaware Mama! Yay!!! Come on little chickies!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Laney]

No one else has pipped yet. Now that I've gotten a bit of a look at this little one through the bator window...there is a possibility he/she is handicapped. It looks like we may have a Pirate Delaware (One Eyed Chick). What does one do in a situation like this. It's not obvious if this is a defect of genetics or development environment.

What I have is a chick that has one obviously open eye (this chick hatched a little after 9pm, came completely out of the shell after 10pm) and one eye that looks like it has a membrane over it.

If the bird has only one eye I obviously will not breed it, but do I just cull it now, or allow it to grow up (assuming it is a hen) and become a layer? You know if it is no detriment to the bird I would rather keep it as a layer, my heart is already attached. I'll try to get a picture when it is fluffed out, assuming the eye doesn't look normal by then. (I know that bluebirds are born with eyes that are sealed and look like they have membranes over them, it's the fact that one eye is completely open that is making me question this, I've never seen a chick without it's eyes open)

Laney

 

[kathyinmo]

I hope your chick will be okay, Laney!

 

[joletabey]

Laney, I am no expert, but if it's only one eye, and the chick is healthy in every other way, keep it and see if it's a pullet- especially if you want layers. Good luck with the rest of the hatch- I can't wait to see. And you are right, ANY picture of a Dellie is worth it. Especially for people like me, with no 'bators, who never get to see those first tender moments out of the shell!