Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[Germaine_11.20]

Scott, watch the broodies. Mine killed some of each hatch until I finally took them all away. I saw one mama who would ignore 1 chick over her other two. Good luck on the hatch!! I will be looking for pics.

Lady Hawk, no you could never replace Thor, or your girls and it break the heart when you lose one. The key is making sure they are locked up tight at night in a predator proof place. Doors, latches, strong wire.
I had no idea of how a pack of animals could figure out how to get into places that no animal should be able to. But they did. Now I look at my pens and coops in a new way.

Beth, he does have alot of smut but I am not going to overly worry because they all do and I am guessing most will molt out. I love watching how they change after a molt. I had a hen (BC Maran) who had almost partridge type feathering. She molted and looks like a different bird! I still won't breed her, but I was completely amazed at the difference!
Hope you got that sleep you needed. It catches up on you doesn't it--burning the candle?

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Just back from the broodies again. Another Del hatched and Mammy was doing the same thing....looked like she was pecking at their eyes.

I quickly took the chick from her and gave it to Sugar (my broody Del) who mothered it and tucked it under her. I also took the rest of her eggs away and gave them to Sugar and Cora....tossed the "mean ole mama" back in with the rest of the flock. No more mothering chances for her!

Both Sugar and Cora quickly took the eggs in and moved them underneath them so I am hoping for better results as the day goes.

More later....need coffee now

 

[zephyrcreek]

I have a muscovy hatching cute little ducklings here right now. So far we have 2 little quackers, and at least 14 more eggs to go. All of her eggs are a bright white color, so I'm hoping we will have a very nice hatch. The Dels are in the same pen and are completely in love with all the babies. They are seperated, but stand at the divider watching all those cute little babies.

I also have a broody EE sitting on Java eggs. Now if I could keep the other girls from laying in her nest we would be doing great. I am thinking about moving her tonight. hmmmm!

This is my first set of broodies, so it will be interesting to watch.

 

[biddybird]

I am so excited! In February I just happened to go in a feed store and they had just got an order in from Ideal of Delawares. I have been trying to get some for three years and they were always sold out, I never seemed to order on time. Course I bought 20 of them! They were supposed to be all pullets and I had been noticing one looked like a Roo in my brooder pens. Last night I finally had a chance to get in my big pen and play with them, and I know on this thread you know what I mean, they want to be held and petted. Well, up he walks and fusses at one the hens. Definately a Roo! There are so many in there I'm guessing he hung back before and I didn't see him.
I'm in the process of building pens to separate breeds, so they are going in first. I have about 5 with beautiful coloring and the Roo happens to be one of them. I know they are just hatchery but I'm excited.

 

[PacsMan]

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Thanks, I just bought a similar site, but would like to set it up as "all things Delaware"....

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You can post them here and let me steal them, or PM me and I'll tell you how to get them to me.

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Sure! Anyone got a flag they've made?

 

[crazyhen]

Yard full o' rocks :

Just back from the broodies again. Another Del hatched and Mammy was doing the same thing....looked like she was pecking at their eyes.

I quickly took the chick from her and gave it to Sugar (my broody Del) who mothered it and tucked it under her. I also took the rest of her eggs away and gave them to Sugar and Cora....tossed the "mean ole mama" back in with the rest of the flock. No more mothering chances for her!

Both Sugar and Cora quickly took the eggs in and moved them underneath them so I am hoping for better results as the day goes.

More later....need coffee now

So sorry to hear about MAMA. I only got three of the dels to hatch. Mostly because I had a silly hen that was so proud of her first 4 that she up and quite setting. I put a light on them and the next morning I had a total of 6 and that was it. Three dellies,2 rocks and one mixed orp. She is being a very good mom to them now. Today was their first day out of the coop with Mom into a protected run. .I have one del with a good tail feathering in ,one inbetween and one with almost no tail. Right off hand I'd say at least one female and maybe two and a roo. A threesome would be great. Do you know anyone who wants a young splash orp roo? I've called it a girl for so long ,I wanted it to be.LOL I'm not good at telling with them. Good luck with your other two setters. Gloria Jean​

 

[Cetawin]

As promised a pic of Thor's private dusthole (pit) he made....

he is hogging it too! hehehe

 

[Cetawin]

Yard full o' rocks :

Just back from the broodies again. Another Del hatched and Mammy was doing the same thing....looked like she was pecking at their eyes.

I quickly took the chick from her and gave it to Sugar (my broody Del) who mothered it and tucked it under her. I also took the rest of her eggs away and gave them to Sugar and Cora....tossed the "mean ole mama" back in with the rest of the flock. No more mothering chances for her!

Both Sugar and Cora quickly took the eggs in and moved them underneath them so I am hoping for better results as the day goes.

More later....need coffee now

Excellent! Did you give Mammy a swift gentle kick in the backside too? I would have....Bad Broody Bad Bad Bad.​

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

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Excellent! Did you give Mammy a swift gentle kick in the backside too? I would have....Bad Broody Bad Bad Bad.

Fortunately, I didn't have to. The Delaware Girls pretty well took care of all she could stand when I put her back in that coop!!

I was ready to kill her! The one little Del baby I put in with Sugar seems to be ok. A little skinned up around one eye, but seems to be happy with its "new mama". I just can't believe a "mama anything" could kill a baby like that! Nature is horrible sometimes.

BTW - I have a KILLER headache and have had now for almost 2 weeks. My forehead is actually painful to the touch. Anyone got a good remedy? Dr called me in some Cataflam (??) but it hasn't done a thing some me.


Headed out to see if any more babies have hatched

 

[Cetawin]

Scott, seriously if you are open-minded (which I believe you to be) go see about accupuncture. I used to suffer from horrible migraines, had them for years from about age 16 - into my early 30's. The kind that goes the realm...vomitting, banging your head against a wall, lying in hot water, lying in cold water and where touching your hair would be excruciating. These things laughed at morphine and compazine.

I had a chiropractor/accupuncture specialist on a case and had an appointment to review documents. I had just spent 3 days in the hospital with a migraine that I still had. He saw me, asked what was wrong and I told him. he begged me to give him 20 minutes to fix it. I hate needles but was ready to cut my head off. He inserted 5 needles at the base of the skull, 1 in each shoulder and 1 in each hand in the v area of the thumb and pointer finger. he laid me on my stomach, turned off all the lights and left me there for 15 minutes. While I was lying there waiting, my muscles began relaxing so much that I would grab the table because I felt like I was falling through it. He came back, removed the needles and asked how I felt. I was in shock...there was no pain. I never felt the first needle go in either because they go into pressure points and it feels like pressure no prick or anything.

After that, I went twice a week for a month or so, then once per week, then once per month and then no more. I have not had a migraine since. Give it a shot...you will be surprised. It sure beats the heck out of taking meds and junk.