Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[joletabey]

Cetawin- I love the signature line ! I guess I should add that, too, huh? As well as a few other people here!

Fattie and Cannonball look glorious- and Athena looks SO much like Ultrasuede in that side shot- except for his comb being bigger, etc. You can tell they are Suede babies! But Severus still makes me melt- what a gorgeous boy!!!

 

[Vexor]

Central Oregon is cold but nothing like the midwest. My chickens (12), Buffs, Barred Rocks, Americanas and Orpingtons are always outside in the day even in near Zero weather if that is what they want but they always have access to the coop. The coop in insulated and if the nights are below 0 they have a heat lamp. Never any problems with frozen combs or other body parts. ..........right now it has been in the teens at night and mid 30 to 40s during the day. They ARE laying well right now....more than we can use....

 

[Cetawin]

Severus is such a doll....I could not ask for two better little boys than Thor and Severus. Very much the gentlemen...no fighting amongst them whatsoever. Such sweetie toos. That Fattie...she is just mouthy and nippy...she has to put her beak on everything! LOL

 

[Vexor]

Still looking but can't find anyone with show quality Delawares yet...........I got 6 a couple of years ago and they really impressed me with dispostion, looks and egg production..

 

[joletabey]

Vexor - can you hatch your own? There are people with good birds and access to good birds on this thread, maybe you could raise your own SQ Dels. Ours sure do have the personalities!

Cetawin, you are blessed with those two- I hope Buckshot (or whoever makes the cut) can live in peace with Ultrasuede til I get the end of the run separated off and an Orp Coop figured out. I have a dog house I may convert!My girls are a mixed crew. Lizzie and Cora are pretty forward, Cora always has to jump on top of the waterer and Lizzie pulls my sweatshirt. Jane is sweet and is the littlest, and Alice, Eleanor, Marianne are fairly quiet. The two real pecky, pokey, bratty ones are Georgine and Jeanette - you have to look out for those two!

 

[speckledhen]

You'll probably end up with a few show quality ones if you hatch eggs from some folks here, but they are very rare. Even one of the breeders I know of who charges BIG BUCKS for eggs, to me, doesn't have ones that look as good as some here.

 

[Vexor]

New to Delawares and have only had some I got from Estes Nursery a couple of years ago but what are SQs? I am buying a hachtery for eggs and could hatch my own....

 

[speckledhen]

You can buy a Standard of Perfection and match up traits to their description, which is what defines the perfect Delaware. The problem with many hatchery Dels is the infusion of Columbian Rock blood, which causes different hackle coloration and different body type than a Del should have. Sandhill Preservation has had some nice Dels over the last few years, but they are sold out almost as soon as they open up for sales for the year.

 

[TimG]

Quote:
Maybe it's what defines a show quality Delaware or is a goal of those that breed for show, but some of us might think a big and meaty Delaware was perfect even if it had 7 points in its comb.

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

If they want to win APA shows, they have to try to match APA standard. That's what someone who wants to win shows needs to concentrate on.

Meanwhile, we can eat those big meaty culls with 7 points on the comb. And my roosters had mean dispositions. which the APA allows, but I don't. It made them twice as tasty!