Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[joletabey]

Can you post a picture? I would love to see that.

 

[Lacey1988]

Heres a couple of pictures of her...See how much she looks like a Delaware WEIRD but shes not even close ha

 

[Zanna]

This little guy is the result of a first breeding from my trio that I culled down to. He and his 18 other siblings were born on Oct. 1st. Please critique if there are any noteworthy things you can tell at his age. At this point he looks like one of the most promising roos of the group and definitely looks to be growing into an improvement over Daddy. I am serious about trying to improve and show this breed............

Some of the rest of the clan:

 

[capayvalleychick]

Hi Zanna

I can't critique your flock but wanted to say hi to another Dellie person on the west side of the country.

Kim

 

[Zanna]

Quote:
Good Morning!!!

Where is Guinda, CA?

edited for spelling!

 

[capayvalleychick]

Quote:
50 miles NW of Sacramento. The area is known as Capay Valley, an isolated rural section of Yolo County.

Kim

 

[joletabey]

Lacey, there IS a bit of resemblance there- how fun! Genetics baffle me.

Zanna,
I would love to see shots from behind and from above of that boy, as well as one that is a more perfect profile - its hard to tell at that age, and that angle but he does look to be developing a decent set to to his tail. Is there a picture on here of his daddy to compare to? From the rest of your flock I can say that you look to be battling the same thing many of the rest of us are dealing with, the pinched tails.

 

[Zanna]

Quote:
I will try to get more pics over the next few days....... Yes, pinched tails, ugh! One of the Moms had a nice open tail and Daddy is not too bad, the other Mommy hen was definitely pinched. It was many pages back but I did post pics of Daddy and Mommies. From now on I plan to just single breed, best baby roo back to my best Mom and if I feel I have an worthy young pullet, will try a breeding back to Daddy.

Here are the pics again of Dad and Moms:

In the first pic. the hen that you can not see the backside of has a more open tail than the hen you can see.

Last pic of the roo was when I first separated them to the breeding pen and he was just coming out of a mini molt so tailfeathers were just growing back in. I think he was 6 mos. old here. He has filled in some more but still not as full up front as I would like to see.

 

[joletabey]

Your new boy looks like an improvement in the tail feather area for sure. Your hens are pretty girls, and you sound like you doing a good job culling. Its a slow process. Post pics of him in another month, please?

 

[Zanna]

Quote:
AOK! Thanks for the input, this is a constant learning process and I want to do the best for the breed within my ability! Looking at the babies again this morning I think I took the pic of the wrong boy, I have another who looks almost identical but is a bigger baby. It is so hard getting a good look at them, they freerange all daylight hours all over the farm/woodlot and come running to mob me when I check on them daily and won't stay still for a second. Just when I get one lined up for a photo shoot two more are pecking me on the leg and even more are jumping onto my back as I am bending over. Got to love this breed