Delaware Orps

[lildinkem]

At first I was incorrect by calling these White Columbians. Several of my mentors corrected me and said they are in fact Delaware Orpingtons. The only other Orp breeder to make any (that I know of that looks great) is the legend of the UK Bob Fellows. Bob sold or gave all his to Keith Gibbons of Keith Orps in the UK. Good luck trying to get any from Keith.
Far as I know I am the only one to have made any here in the USA that are even remotely looking like Orps. Already have two of our members who may want a few. They are good people, as you may know already I do not like to sell to anyone. But, will give my friends eggs from these for free just pay for shipping.
My 2 Delaware orps. Again, I only hatched out about 10 or so from my Silver Cuckoo over my Buff Columbian hen to make these two.

this cockerel is 6 months old

This pullet is 5 months old.

[vebyrd36]

I like that boy, he has nice size to him. Carries the silver gene,,, thinking??



VIVI

[lildinkem]

Yeah I just moved him into his own pen. He is going to be introduce tonite to his sister. Let's hope for some nice round babies like them

[littlechicklet]

Now correct me if I a wrong, which I am more than I am right, but Columbian is a solid black edging or lacing to the feather and Delaware has a broken/barred pattern on the feather? Now I can't tell exactly from the pic but the cockerel looks to have a nice Delaware pattern but the pullet appears to have some Columbian low on her neck and apron (I think its called). Is this correct?

I personally think they are beautiful and you are really close to getting the color right. You already have the type and that is imo the biggest challenge. But again I am a "newbie" and know very little. I have a friend that used to be big into Delawares and she is the one who tried to explain the color pattern.

I think you know I hatched 2 EEs that had a similar pattern but when I took them back to their dad it bred a whole different color (almost Wheaton) but I have not taken them back to their brother. I think you will do much better since you know exactly what you started with and I had hatchery EEs with no idea what their mixes was.

[harrys]

Now that you mentioned it I see a difference in the two but sure Bill will work it out.. The male looks Delaware and the hen appears to have lacing different than a columbian colored bird. I am sure Bill has some cuckoo hens to put to this male and he will be in good shape. As someone stated importing is going to slow down since it suppose to cost about $7,000 to import just one bird so it is possible this color will not be imported anywhere soon. All these rare colors could have been made here with just what Julie and Joy stock that was available other than the chocolate but everyone seems to be in a hurry here instead of producing their own project birds. Expense though could get great depending on the color and the amount of chicks needed to be hatched and raised possibly over several generations. Bill seems to have a rainbow of genes there at his place to use.

[lildinkem]

Sept 8, 2013 16:31:25 GMT -5 littlechicklet said:

Now correct me if I a wrong, which I am more than I am right, but Columbian is a solid black edging or lacing to the feather and Delaware has a broken/barred pattern on the feather? Now I can't tell exactly from the pic but the cockerel looks to have a nice Delaware pattern but the pullet appears to have some Columbian low on her neck and apron (I think its called). Is this correct?

I personally think they are beautiful and you are really close to getting the color right. You already have the type and that is imo the biggest challenge. But again I am a "newbie" and know very little. I have a friend that used to be big into Delawares and she is the one who tried to explain the color pattern.

I think you know I hatched 2 EEs that had a similar pattern but when I took them back to their dad it bred a whole different color (almost Wheaton) but I have not taken them back to their brother. I think you will do much better since you know exactly what you started with and I had hatchery EEs with no idea what their mixes was.

There was a lady a few years ago in MO who bought some of Doug's New Hampshire to make Delawares by crossing in I believe Duane Urch Barred Rock. Now Doug did a one time breeding and on the first time he got the correct color. Kathy did not. But, she last I heard was still doing her homemade Del project and was on her 3rd or 4th generation and getting some good looking Dels.
This came out of left field. IF I wanted to do this as a project I would have used my Buff Columbians mother which was my fake New Hamps I made 3 years ago. They had the identical look of a New Hamp except with white skin. There IF I took one of Harry's Cuckoo boys I would have saved a generation and would not have to worry about Blue leg skin. I seen one of our members who has some nice Whites outta Ohio line that apparently has Blue legs. She said she grew them out and their leg color is now white. That is what I noticed with my daughters from my breeding my Buff Columbian to my Buff cock. Now, I know the color for that gene is still present. So, it is okay to use a hen with the blue leg color gene as long as you take her back to a white skinned male. Even then I think I read Gayle saying the male can still carry that gene.

[Jon Alden]

Kathy used a Frank Reese/ Good Shepherd Farms Barred Rock, Doug once explained to me why he believed he got the Delawares in the first generation, but I cant remember what he told me. The original creation of them was more similar to the way Kathy did it, they are looking good from the pictures I have seen.

[lildinkem]

Updated pic of my Del Orps. I can not wait to take each of these back to Whites to get their size and type in hope of making a better White outside of my White Orp program. Never would have made these if I had not had so much trouble getting nice Whites. Only Harry and my friends buddy came thru. Since then I have made a few Whites I could say I like. Gone this far why not go the length to make something from these two in White to assure I never have to count on outside help again.
This pullet has come a ways since I last posted a pic of her.

[harrys]

Bill, You are probably the only in the country with Delaware type Orps. You should breed them together first to assure you have some stock in the future. You have plenty of whites right now but only this pair.

[crystalwhite]

lildinkem those Delaware Orps are killer!
David

[lildinkem]

Thank you David. Harry I will do my usual and do as you say and breed them together the very first of the season, then after a month or so do my White back up plan. Harry as you know I have been trading PM's on FB with Stephen who is a very high quality UK breeder. He says my Del Orp pullet looks like a UK version of a Wyandotte. Then I sent a pic of her daddy who as you know is the super wide Silver Cuckoo who I used sparingly this year and Stephen says that boy looks like a UK Wyandotte. Interesting how genetics works out.
You two have seen this pic for others this is the Del's daddy.