Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[floridamama]

I just love the pics I have to get out there and take pics of my new trio I got today they were hatched out Feb of this year and they are already huge..... The boy is "dirty" but I am hoping when he molts when he is older he will feather in true. All three have the yellow legs compared to standards the girls are so far following the standards a friend gave me a delaware pullet that is close to being the age of my trio but her legs look like one from a mix maybe looks all dela. Until you look at her legs I will post pics shortly so ya'll can put yer opinion in on y she might be like that or is it just a quirk that happens? I know she won't be able to show cause of her leg color is way wrong lol

 

[PepsNick]

Zanna, I don't have time for complete evaluations of each right now, but I will say that build the barn before you paint it... Leg color shouldn't be what you're looking for now. Look at type (should be a bowl-shaped body), space in between the legs, head, etc. The shape. Color will come later.

Nick

 

[Zanna]

Thanks Nick for taking the time you had! I have 6 more pullets and 3 roos that are 8 weeks old now and don't want to keep any birds with an obvious "big" fault...... Someone mentioned culling for Columbian hackles so, was not sure how important the lighter legs were, I know it has been discussed. My plan is to build the barn first but if I have enough birds to possibly eliminate a few other issues as well, icing on the cake.............(or paint on the barn!).

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
Personally, Columbian hackles, green legs, major flaws like that should always be culled for, regardless. Even when working on shape, you must consider what you will have to work with in the future, when focusing on color.

After building the barn and painting it, when you have that nailed into place, THEN you start focusing on the small stuff like fluff, eye color, earlobes, toes etc... That's all tiny and doesn't matter yet. I don't think anyone is to that point with this breed. Kathy's main cockerel has a crooked toe, actually.


Edited to add, this is just what I have read, not personal experience. All credit from this post is what some very knowledgeable people have shared through the forum!

 

[Brad & Barb]

jeremy
Americoonuhs & Blorpees

Thank's for the kind words Jeremy.
We found our 4 delawares ( 3 nice Hens and one great looking nasty Rooster )
in Bare DE . They were 8 months old and laying, We build an incubator out of an old cooler.
It took about a week to get it right. Did not like the water heater thermostat .
Went to a home heat wall thermostat , used 2 - 25watt light bulbs one on 24/7 and one on the control
Temp stayed 99 to 101. On May 6 th, Exactly 21 day's we had 6 out of 12 eggs hatch .
All the babys are doing fine . What a hoot they are.
Wing feathers already about 1.5" long

 

[Laney]

Thanks Kathy, That Helps a LOT. I will Take the Best Built Female and Male and build on those two. For the first Breeding this year. I'm going to schedule my NPIP cert soon. So I'll be selling the ones that I don't want to keep as layers. I'm getting a dozen and a half eggs a day right now from my crew and that is just more eggs than I can handle.

Hello to everyone who has joined since I had to take an extended break!

Laney

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
Laney, one more person who just got started is Amy (Serrin). She purchased from Privette hatchery, but I believe that she wants to purchase from a breeder soon (if I'm not mistaken). Her chicks are a week old or so, I believe.

 

[Stevenson]

Quote:
Good to meet you Laney! I am new this year as well. I have 18 Delaware chicks from Paul Harter in Missouri (I think 8 pullets and 10 roos) and I have 5 Del eggs from joletabey that are developing nicely and due on May 25th. While I do have a few other breeds, this is my main breed and one that I really hope to help improve!

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
Good to meet you Laney! I am new this year as well. I have 18 Delaware chicks from Paul Harter in Missouri (I think 8 pullets and 10 roos) and I have 5 Del eggs from joletabey that are developing nicely and due on May 25th. While I do have a few other breeds, this is my main breed and one that I really hope to help improve!

You got Beth's last bunch, didn't you? I was disappointed when I heard that she's not sending egg anymore.

 

[Stevenson]

Quote:
Good to meet you Laney! I am new this year as well. I have 18 Delaware chicks from Paul Harter in Missouri (I think 8 pullets and 10 roos) and I have 5 Del eggs from joletabey that are developing nicely and due on May 25th. While I do have a few other breeds, this is my main breed and one that I really hope to help improve!

You got Beth's last bunch, didn't you? I was disappointed when I heard that she's not sending egg anymore.

Oh no! I hope she didn't quit sending because of the problems that I have had?