Tiny Delaware, momma leghorn

[Katonk]

It's been a bit since I posted, missed everyone!!! New phone can now handle my online shenanigans
So here's the 411.
I love Delawares and considered them my dream flock breed since they're both meat and egg birds.
But they're expensive and rare, and I'm not looking to have pets. These are lovely coworkers I'm allowed to eat when the time is right... If only I could cull human coworkers happy to shrug off workload because of seniority....
Lookin at you Dave from accounting...
Yeah, I'm an odd bird.
Anyways I had my first harvested bird, a sexlink pullet that turned out to be a rooster, and it was FANTASTIC. I was expecting to be sad but I was more concerned I wouldn't drain it properly. I know if I do it right the end is pretty quick for them. So many uses out of one bird! Soo I'm hooked, and the thought of eating a 30 Dollar bird really bothers me.
BUT THE LORD SMILED ON MY HAPPY SILLY SELF! I scored an accidental "leghorn pullet" that grew into a Delaware rooster!
I was THRILLED! I made plans for breeding pens and started research on purchasing at least one hen for him....
But guys. My heart is crushed.
He's TINY. He's lovely too. Dances well for his ladies, is gentle, and is appropriately protective, AND he's not mean to us.
But, he's tiny!!! I can't let him breed like what's the point??? Anyone out there breed a little guy from a large breed and successfully bred out meat birds appropriate for the table? He's not a bantam though he looks it, he was full sized as a chick and seemed to grow well until a certain point.
Same feed as everyone, game feed for my guineas alarm system/mixed flock.
I've a broody leghorn (named her Hope) too I love dearly since the trait is so rare, can I pair them and at least get decent layers? I love the broody trait and want to keep that going.
Maybe my angry little Jack (Delaware, short for Jacked Up he was picked on and in bad shape when I got him, got him cheap because of the condition) is just destined for the pot
Fyi I only name my favorites I intend to breed, but they're all food eventually- chicken and dumplings are amazing and I've got 5 growing boys (6 in the summer) needing me to keep focused on our needs.
Everything here works. Dogs protect home and animals and love, cats mouse/rabbit hard and love, chickens till eat scraps make compost and feed us.
We just can't afford pleasure animals.
Please tell me I can breed big guys from this little bit o awesome.
Ty all in advance.

 

[aart]

I scored an accidental "leghorn pullet" that grew into a Delaware rooster!

Maybe a mix?
Post pic please.....next to something that shows scale?

 

[RoosterML]

It's been a bit since I posted, missed everyone!!! New phone can now handle my online shenanigans
So here's the 411.
I love Delawares and considered them my dream flock breed since they're both meat and egg birds.
But they're expensive and rare, and I'm not looking to have pets. These are lovely coworkers I'm allowed to eat when the time is right... If only I could cull human coworkers happy to shrug off workload because of seniority....
Lookin at you Dave from accounting...
Yeah, I'm an odd bird.
Anyways I had my first harvested bird, a sexlink pullet that turned out to be a rooster, and it was FANTASTIC. I was expecting to be sad but I was more concerned I wouldn't drain it properly. I know if I do it right the end is pretty quick for them. So many uses out of one bird! Soo I'm hooked, and the thought of eating a 30 Dollar bird really bothers me.
BUT THE LORD SMILED ON MY HAPPY SILLY SELF! I scored an accidental "leghorn pullet" that grew into a Delaware rooster!
I was THRILLED! I made plans for breeding pens and started research on purchasing at least one hen for him....
But guys. My heart is crushed.
He's TINY. He's lovely too. Dances well for his ladies, is gentle, and is appropriately protective, AND he's not mean to us.
But, he's tiny!!! I can't let him breed like what's the point??? Anyone out there breed a little guy from a large breed and successfully bred out meat birds appropriate for the table? He's not a bantam though he looks it, he was full sized as a chick and seemed to grow well until a certain point.
Same feed as everyone, game feed for my guineas alarm system/mixed flock.
I've a broody leghorn (named her Hope) too I love dearly since the trait is so rare, can I pair them and at least get decent layers? I love the broody trait and want to keep that going.
Maybe my angry little Jack (Delaware, short for Jacked Up he was picked on and in bad shape when I got him, got him cheap because of the condition) is just destined for the pot
Fyi I only name my favorites I intend to breed, but they're all food eventually- chicken and dumplings are amazing and I've got 5 growing boys (6 in the summer) needing me to keep focused on our needs.
Everything here works. Dogs protect home and animals and love, cats mouse/rabbit hard and love, chickens till eat scraps make compost and feed us.
We just can't afford pleasure animals.
Please tell me I can breed big guys from this little bit o awesome.
Ty all in advance.

Only one way to find out. But I wouldn’t expect big off spring if your breeding “small” birds.

 

[Cyprus]

You sure it's a delaware?

 

[Chickassan]

It wouldn't hurt to try and see if the size gets passed on or not.
He could be small from poor nutrition or something, you didn't hatch him so you don't know.
This year I crossed a tiny hatchery bird hen "not Delaware" with a LF rooster.
I set 6 eggs from them 5 hatched and only 1 could be considered large, the rest were tiny like the mother.
So if he is genetically small he'll pass it on at least for the first generation for sure but you might get a bigger son thrown in there too so you could breed bigger ones just a little later.

 

[Katonk]

Hey all. Yup it's a Delaware. I'll post a pic tomorrow when the kids can hold him up next to one of my girls. I've seen a pic of a Delaware like him on the claborn hatchery website where the owner compared an inferior delaware to the line he's been working on.
His delaware looks like a proper duel purpose- large proportional clean white and clean markings. My guy must be the son of the other- small and muddled white though everything else is right including the fluff, feet color, skin, and markings.
See you guys in the morning

 

[Katonk]

tiny. Adorable. Tiny. I should rename him Tiny Tim and give him some tulips...

 

[Cyprus]

I think he's a Delaware bantam.

 

[AltonaAcres]

Yes, he just has that bantam body type. I bred my bantam mix to a giant purebred Naked Neck (over 8lbs) and all 20 of his babies are tiny like their mom. Try showing your little dude!!

 

[Katonk]

A bantam delaware?! Why Lord WHY.
I guess there's not much left to do BUT show him, I can't breed him- as much as I love him it goes against everything I need my flock to be. He's such a nice guy tooi thought bantams were little chicks but I knew his body as an adult was just too compact to be a proper Delaware. Here's a baby pic, he's so adorable... He was the same size as everyone else too. Glad I kept his baby pics to soothe my cheapskate hearts disappointment at having such a delightful bird turn out to be a pet instead of a proper dinner table offering.