Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[beanmcnulty]

I've raised a few batches of Dels and the boys seem to have a lot more black smattering on their backs as younguns, girls are much more white.

 

[desertmarcy]

If you put up a shelf, like you said, you could make it about 2 feet off the floor. Put it over your water system. If you made it wide enough for them to stand on, they could then jump up to a perch perhaps 2 feet higher than the shelf. I would get rid of the rebar and put a 2x2 in its place, far enough out from the back wall that they can jump up to it from the shelf.

Trying to help you think about this...

OK I will try to get some photos that show how it is put together. It is actually two big units that are set parallel to each other with a wide hallway in between and corrugated metal roofing over the hallway, attached to the roofs of either side. So it is not the easiest thing to move or reposition. I would want any shelf to be higher than 2 feet, just because I'm using these for cockerels and cocks of tall breeds and want them to be able to walk underneath easily.
Thanks for your help and comments on this! One of the breeds I am working with is the Good Shepard Barred Rocks--they won't use the roost they have in their pen now (it is the ladder rung style, rungs low to the ground and high, 4 steps in all) so I don't know if they will jump up unto a shelf.

 

[kopeck]

So it's getting to be the time that I need to pick a Rooster. I've got 4 to pick from, 2 really seem to stand out but I'll let the better eyes have a whack at them. BTW, they're all 14 weeks old.



I know this is just 3 but the 4th is inside, he's hasn't really worked up the courage to venture out, it doesn't really matter though as he's the smallest and least likable of the group. Anyway, the one of the far left and the one in the middle are my two real candidates. Of the two I like the one on the left's profile the best, we will call him A for the time being and the one in the middle B. Both seem to have they tails a bit high but it's what I have to work with.



Here's a closeup of A. I haven't handled them in a while so I can't say for sure who is bigger but by eye I would say he's a tiny bit bigger then B but it's almost to close to call.



Here's B, they seem pretty close overall. I would note that he has to many point on his comb.

To be honest, I'm not looking to show but I would like to represent what I Delaware is suppose to be. I'm looking to breed pullets for eggs and the Rooster can go in the freezer.

So what say ye?

 

[Lacy Blues]

I'm far from an expert and I only have Delawares from Sandhill Preservation. But before you mentioned which you liked more, I liked the one on the far left of the three.

He looks to have more of a chest on him and looks bulkier in every way.

You can breed the tail lower by using a hen that perhaps carries her tail too low.

 

[kopeck]

I'm far from an expert and I only have Delawares from Sandhill Preservation. But before you mentioned which you liked more, I liked the one on the far left of the three.

He looks to have more of a chest on him and looks bulkier in every way.

You can breed the tail lower by using a hen that perhaps carries her tail too low.

That's what I see as well. I think I'm just going to have to deal with the tail.

My pullets all have low tails. I only ended up with three girls (I had more cockerels but gave some away) so I really don't have much choice with them. They really don't look to bad though, one has green legs, the only one in my entire hatch, that's the biggest issue I see a the moment.

Thanks,

K

 

[Lacy Blues]

Green legs is one of the things I noticed in mine. The ones with the best tail barring had greenish tinged legs. The boys with solid tail feathers had dark yellow legs, almost orange. They've all been fed the same thing and the greenish tinge is pretty much gone and so is the dark yellow. Now it looks like they all have lighter yellow legs... not dark yellow.

 

[cubalaya]

there is a feed with marigold in it that will keep their feet the good yellow color. i have noticed the same thing in my flock but breed only the yellow legged ones. out of all the birds i have hatched, i keep very few.

 

[RedBugPoultry]

I have been reading this thread recently and hearing about the green legs--which seem to be one of the biggest issue with breeding this bird. We hatched out 8 eggs this summer and all but 1 has green legs. The one with the yellow legs is the smallest hen with the least color. Her tail is pretty much solid where all my other birds are beautifully marked with bars. Yes, their legs are getting yellower with age but will breeding these green legged birds eventually give me some yellow legs to work with? I love these birds and really do not want to start over--maybe get another line to breed into them?

 

[LALEWIN]

Oops, I'm sorry. I looked him up and it was Orpingtons he was looking for, not Delawares. Sorry about that.

No worries. I only have the two. They came from Poultry Hollow. A looong wait and a looonger drive.... for two roos. So not cool. I thank you all for your honesty on these uh, boys. I think I'm just going to fatten them up, then take them to my brother in law. He's been in the meet biz almost as long as I've been alive.

Since they are not the lovey birds I wanted, I can eat them. Now, I can see the pointy neck feathers (whatever they are called) and the one's tail is looking like the others. Funny, I've had one pick at me, then I poke him, him back at me, me poke him, then he gives up. Brat. You gonna be dinner some day! Now... to start over..... I was going to get an incubator and try some eggs, but I never heard back from the one with a good price for a used one with a turner. I hate when people don't get back with you when you show interest.
So, what age is good for having these guys processed? Sad, the one used to sit on my daughter's shoulder when he was a chick. Life happens.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Pointy neck feathers are called hackles.

My Delawares are about 4-1/2 months now and I'm getting ready to start processing. Luckily, they don't crow very loud. Most of them are really big. Good luck getting some girls.