One heritage chicken breed that is currently hard to find but once famous is the Delaware Chicken. Chicken enthusiasts are more likely to be aware and familiar with the different breeds of chicken that they may have seen on a farm.
That is not the case for most, and if ever you just started in your backyard chicken, it is necessary that you let yourself learn more about all the other breeds of a chicken. More and more people are becoming interested in backyard chicken regardless of their location– may it be in an urban, suburban, farm, or rural area.
Background and History
It started with the idea of refining the Rhode Island Red chicken to improve its egg production and tastier meat. Hence, multiple white “sports” were developed at the time.
Around the 1940s, the Delaware chicken was introduced late in the chicken world. It was developed and used for the broiler industry; however, things did not work out well.
They were at their peak as a well-known broiler chicken for more or less 20 years in the Delmarva Peninsula. However, it did not last, and the Cornish Cross Rocks are currently replacing their popularity.
An Ocean View, Delaware native, named George Ellis saw potentiality to the breed and tried to develop it more. It is a crossbreed between the Barred Plymouth Rocks and the New Hampshire Reds chickens.
The “silver sport” offspring with an off-colored sport close to white or a Columbian pattern was then used as the parents for Delaware.
The result of the crossbreed is usually white hens with black barring on their tail, hackles, and primaries. At the same time, males are either in black or red color.
They prefer this color since there are no dark marks on the skin when the feathers start to grow back again. It is one of the reasons why this breed was once popular, having the ability to be dual purpose while having primarily white feathers.
Prior to its official name Delaware, it was initially called “Indian Rivers” and afterward was also called “Ohio Beauty.” It was only in 1952 when the Standard of Perfection of the American Poultry Association recognized the Delaware chicken breed.
Around the late 1990s, a survey was conducted with not more than 12 breeders with less than 400 breeding hens. Although they may be considered rare at this time, they are still known to be magnificent dual-purpose chickens.
| Breed Purposed | Dual Purpose; Meat and Egg-Laying |
| Comb | Single Comb |
| Egg Productivity | Excellent 200-280 eggs annually |
| Egg Size | Large, Jumbo |
| Egg Color | Tinted/Brown |
| Breed Temperament: | Curious |
| Breed Size | Large |
| Color | White with black barring |
| Care Level | Moderate |
| Noise Level | Moderately Quiet |
Breed Standard and Appearance
The Delaware Chicken breed is an almost all-white feather having a black barring around its neck. They are a dual-purpose chicken that was developed to produce eggs and high-quality meat.
The APA of Delaware belongs to the American Poultry class with only one recognized variety and at the same time being a bantam chicken or a large fowl.
The standard weight of this breed ranges from 5.5lbs up to 8.5lbs, depending on its age and gender. Hens weigh 6.5lbs, while the roosters weigh 8.5lbs. When it comes to body shape and size, not much is different from each gender. They look just the same. The standard size of a Delaware chicken is pretty large and robust.
The bantam variety of the Delaware chicken does not have much difference compared to its standard size. Its appearance and color are the same except for its much smaller size.
Delaware chickens have a single dark red comb that is reasonably large and well-structured to be straight. Its comb has five well-outlined points, making the center point more noticeable due to its length.
The body of Delaware chicken is quite long and broad with a full-medium fluff. This breed also has red wattles that are moderately large and elongated red earlobes. It also has a medium-length head that is slanted and meant to be flat at the top. It also has yellowish skin that makes it spotless and dark yellow toes and legs.
It has a reddish horn tint beak and eyes with hackles in the neck. The appearance of both genders is pretty much the same except for the color of its tail. For males, it shows distinctive signs of white and black barring, while for females, the entirety of its feather is in black with a touch of white in its edges.
Personality and Temperament
Raising a Delaware chicken will not give you a tough time since they are quite independent. They can manage to live in a free-range setting, especially that they do best at foraging.
Although they may prefer to free-range, they can still manage when being confined. They are a cold-hardy breed of chicken but not much of a heat-hardy. Nonetheless, they are adaptable regardless of the situation and their location.
They are known to be great at foraging, so you will not have to worry from time to time if they are well fed; they know how to survive by themselves.
Allowing them to free-range will require you to ensure that their environment is free of any harm and danger. Ensure that there are no toxic substances, harmful materials, or even predators that may attack them.
You may want to include Delaware Chickens in your flock as they can also be suitable for your kids. They are docile, friendly, and funny, making them safe and not harmful to anyone, especially around the kids. Moreover, they pretty much know how to get along with the other breeds and animals.
They always know how to maintain their soft side. Thus, there is a low chance that you see them being aggressive towards others.
However, their softness does not necessarily mean they can be bullied. They know how to protect themselves and are always on top of the pecking order, which means some chicken breeds will look up to the Delaware chickens.
They are moderately quiet, but their curiosity and nosy-ness make them talkative, which will somehow keep you company. Hens make a great mother while the roosters are disciplined and ordered, making them excellent flock watchers. They also have thick feathers that help them keep warm even if the weather is freezing cold.
Egg Laying
You may notice that the Delaware chickens start laying eggs when they are around 24 up to 28 weeks of their age, though there may be a chance that they will begin either earlier or later than the standard time. The eggs will come out small initially but eventually increase their size as the chicks grow.
The Delaware Chickens are included among the list of chicken breeds that are known to be excellent egg layers. This chicken breed can be expected to produce at least four to five large or jumbo-sized eggs weekly. Thus, counting from 200 up to 280 produced eggs in just a span of one year.
This breed can be devoted to just laying eggs all the time. The egg size of the Delaware chickens varies from large to jumbo-sized. The eggs are tinted or brown in color.
The Delaware hens may have the tendency not to go broody at times. In this case, you might be needing a stand-by incubator or a broody hen to help you hatch some eggs. But once they become broody, they become extraordinary mothers who take care of their offspring until they hatch.
This breed is considered to be cold-hardy. They are still able to lay eggs despite the freezing weather. Unlike any other species, you will not need to wait for a long time because the breed matures drastically.
Hence, they are definitely good egg-layers and, at the same time, best for meat production. Thus, making them a superior dual-purpose breed.
However, unlike any other backyard chicken breed, you may expect that the Delaware chickens have a shorter life of about 4 to 6 years. This makes them have only a few egg-laying years in their life. The peak of its egg production when they reach two years old will eventually slow-down from laying eggs at about 10 percent per year.
Health Issues and Care
You might want to consider adding the Delaware Chicken to your flock for people new to the poultry world because you will not have trouble raising it. They are believed to be healthy and do not have much health issues.
Just make sure that you provide them with a clean enclosure because chickens are very susceptible to illness, especially when they are in a dirty environment, which is the leading cause of internal and external parasites.
Just like any other chicken breed, they are also prone to internal and external parasites such as slices, mites, and more. Check if there are traces of those parasites under the wings and around their vent. If you found some, you want to treat it with diatomaceous earth.
Ensure that your chickens have regular checkups with a professional doctor or have been provided with a vaccine to prevent them from being infected by any poultry disease.
They are also a cold-hardy chicken breed that can withstand cold weather. However, they will need much attention as their combs are susceptible to frostbite. Although there may come a time that your chickens experience frostbite, you can use petroleum jelly to treat it.
However, keep in mind that the diet of the chicks is far different from the adult ones. Though they may not be prone to any disease, you should still feed them good quality feed to sustain and provide them with their everyday nutritional needs.
Chick should be provided at least 24% of the protein in their staple diet for at least eight weeks since the day they hatched.
Since Delaware chickens mature rapidly, make sure that enough food and water are provided throughout the day. Just make sure to avoid overfeeding as it may result in diarrhea.
4 Tips for Raising Delaware Chicken
The demand for raising chickens regardless of the location, maybe suburban, rural, or farms, is surprisingly high. People these days are passionate about raising chickens not only as their pets but also for a living.
Now that the breed is close to extinction because it is pretty tough to breed the Delaware chicken, mainly because of the absence of the breeding stock of the standard breed. Make sure that you know how to raise them well.
1. Create a good enclosure for your flock
Delaware chickens love to forage and to free-range. Therefore, make sure that you provide your flock with a spacious coop free from any danger.
Ideally, each chicken should have at least eight up to ten square feet of personal space. You do not have to worry because they know how to thrive in an open environment. Do not let them clamped up inside the coop to avoid them fighting each other.
2. Quick access for potable water and food
This breed needs an available food stock in their area 24/7, especially since they are a very active chicken breed. Though, this does not necessarily mean that they are picky-eaters.
You can provide them with any edible food as long as it is good for them, then they will be glad to indulge it. Ensure that you are providing them with their nutritional requirements according to their age.
3. Organic growth and care
Raising Delaware chickens is not that tough and time-consuming. You can allow them to free-range hunt their natural food.
In addition to that, use any organic products or homemade remedies when you clean their coop or treat any infections and injuries.
4. Healthy Chicken produce more
We have established that Delaware Chickens are best at laying eggs and are also quality meat producers. Ensure that they are free of any poultry disease and that their staple diet provides them with the nutrients they need. Make sure that they are vaccinated to prevent infection from any illness.
Summary
Delaware Chicken is deemed as one of the recommended chicken breeds for people who just started backyard chicken. Learning the pros and cons of raising this breed will not take much of your time and is easy to do since they also prefer free-range.
This breed was considered to be the best broiler chicken breed during its prime season. Moreover, Delaware chicken is an excellent dual-purpose breed that will provide you with the superb quality of your egg and meat needs. Although they may be rare these days, you may want to give them a chance to be part of your flock.
