Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[Germaine_11.20]

Well if you are going to cull this early than I would most likely cull for size. Keep the biggest roos and pullets. You should be able to tell who the boys and girls are likely to be by now.

Maybe cull it down to 15? Then let them grow for another 4 weeks or so. The ultimate cull time is at least 6 months. I thought that was old but they really don't fill out until then or even a few months after and then all of a sudden, wow! They are gorgeous.

 

[Lotsapaints]

I have 9 week old ones that were not uniform as chicks period there were 4 roos and one hen that looked good @ 3weeks. Now there are 2 roos and one hen that look good and the small ones are still small ie; narrow, light bones etc. I have read much about banding the superior chicks right after hatch and only keeping those to cull from.....I understand that they need a molt for more fine tuning of culling. I am thinking of picking the best looking ones from my young birds I'm not worried about the color I guess I have to check combs though. I would post pictures but they are so hard to get ...All I want is up to 12 excellent hens and 4 good roos and I don't mind going thru 150 chicks to find them just not this year

I have plenty of friends that need a new hen or two and are not breeding chickens and I can eat the excess roos....First I want uniformity then I can cull for the small things. Before I buy a new horse I've looked at over a 100 maybe many more to find what I'm willing to get that is part of the fun, the quest of it all.

 

[Cetawin]

I agree with rustyswoman...if you want to cull this young...do the roos for size. If you want a good stock and size, wait until the roos are closer to breeding age...see who develops and how well.

 

[joletabey]

If you can wait, WAIT. At four weeks old I would have picked totally incorrect roos- the two biggest at that age had incorrect markings - they had Columbian coloration.

 

[speckledhen]

Only cull for obvious bad defects at that age, such as side sprigs on combs or a puny size. These change drastically over time. What you see at four weeks doesn't begin to tell the story.

 

[Lotsapaints]

I knew I could get some answers and the markings are puzzling to me also. So I'll look for side sprigs, toss out any puny ones and I'm going to band them for my info by grades so I can see what develops. You see breeding any livestock really is similar. I know my horse bloodlines and how they develop and lines that develop fast but then look like nothing etc..with most chickens no pedigree only lines from breeders and with the heritage breeds even less selection for correct traits. I'm going to try and get some good pictures I'm sure some of the nice ones are too smutty but that might change again because the 9 week old ones are looking better color wise. I'm just trying to learn what I should be seeing hard to put it in writing and no one close to mentor me that I know of either. Thanks so much for your comments I'm just trying to learn.

 

[zephyrcreek]

I have about 50 Del chicks from a hatch a few weeks ago that I am holding back to evaluate as breeder stock. I don't plan on evaluating until at least 12 weeks old. At that point major flaws will be culled, and then another 8-12 weeks to narrow down to the best 5-6 pullets. I hope to do this with at least 3 hatches this year. My biggest disappointment so far is the number of chicks I'm getting with darker legs.

All my breeding stock has bright orange legs. Sure hope I can get some better consistency within a few generations. I will say that most have that wonderful Del personality. I picked up a 4 week old cockerel today that has never been handled. I held him in one hand in the manner you would hold a show bird (with feet dangling). Within seconds his head was laying on my wrist and he was in total bliss as I ran my hand down his back. I am totally not exagerating when I say seconds!!! It's nice to know that daddy Gonzo is passing on that wonderful personality of his!

 

[Cetawin]

zephyrcreek That is so great about your little cockerel...I never had the choice of NOT picking up a Dellie...they both jumped on me! Still do. I can say one thing about the leg color, not sure if others have noticed it yet, they change. My girls when hatched had yellow legs bascially, then they were really nice bright and gorgeous, now that they are both laying, their legs are a bit lighter and not as bright. I know they change continually with their feathering and markings and I can only assume that the same is holding true for leg color and such...as far as shade and etc.

 

[joletabey]

I remember Cynthia saying legs get lighter after they start laying- it's true for mine, too. They were bright yellow, almost with an apricot cast and now they are a paler, pearlized yellow-

 

[Cetawin]

Beth, I couldn't help but notice in your signature line that you have AT LEAST 2 BBS Orps too many. Being the great woman and friend that I am, I am willing to help you and take some of those off your hands...I will make the room for them of course in Thor's pen.

I will let you know when I am heading down to Cyn's in about 6 weeks, give or take, and I shall swing over to NC and help you with this horrid problem.



PS: Aren't ya'll glad I am back on the East Coast now? muahahahahahaha