Delaware chicken

American breed of chicken

FAO (2007): endangered^[1]^: 128
DAD-IS (2024): ^[2]
Livestock Conservancy (2024): recovering^[3]

Classification

chicken

The Delaware is an American breed of chicken with an unusual plumage pattern. It was developed in the state of Delaware in the mid-twentieth century, and was initially known as the Indian River. It was briefly of some importance in the American chicken industry, until it was superseded by the common industrial Cornish Rock cross.

In the twenty-first century it is an endangered breed.^[3] It may be kept for meat, for eggs or for showing.

Characteristics

With males weighing 8.5 pounds (3.9 kilos) and hens 6.5 pounds (3 kilos), the Delaware is a medium-sized breed. They have rather large, bright red colored single combs and wattles. Delawares appear in a single color type: a white body and breast, with light black barring on the ends of the hackle, wings and tails. It is similar to the Columbian color seen in some breeds, but has barring in the dark portions, rather than uniform black.^[4] Also of note is that all feathers have a white quill and shaft, which, combined with yellow skin, makes for a cleaner appearing carcass.^[5] Like most standard breeds of chicken, the Delaware has a miniaturized bantam version; however, these are rarely seen.

Delawares are hardy birds that mature quickly. Hens are good layers^[6] of large to jumbo brown eggs and will go broody. Unlike the most common commercial meat birds in use today, the Delaware does well in free range operations. In temperament, it is a calm, but not a typically friendly bird although in some cases can be.^[7]

Approximate weight

Rooster	3.9 kg	8.5 lbs
Hen	2.9 kg	6.5 lbs
BANTAM	500 grams	Rooster	32 oz
Hen	28 oz

History

In the early 20th century, crosses of Barred Plymouth Rock roosters on New Hampshire hens was a common choice for producing broilers. Occasionally, this mating produces sports with light coloration. By breeding these white (genetically silver) sports intentionally, George Ellis of Delaware created the breed in 1940. He first chose to call them Indian Rivers, but later the name was switched to match its state of origin. At the time, the Delmarva Peninsula, where the breed was created, supplied chicken to the entirety of the East Coast of the United States through companies such as Perdue Farms.^[8] The Delaware rapidly became the premiere broiler fowl in use in the region,^[5] thus affecting the industry at large.^[7] In 1952, it was recognized for exhibition by acceptance into the American Poultry Association's Standard of Perfection.^[8]

Beginning in the mid-1950s, commercial farms began to use the White Cornish-Rock cross that would come to dominate the chicken industry into the next century. The speedy adoption of the Cornish-Rock saw the decline of the Delaware, though it persisted in some areas into the 1960s. In the 21st century, the Delaware is considered a critically endangered breed by organizations such as the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.^[5] It is also included in Slow Food USA's Ark of Taste, a list of heritage foods.

References

^ Barbara Rischkowsky, Dafydd Pilling (editors) (2007). List of breeds documented in the Global Databank for Animal Genetic Resources, annex to The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome: Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 9789251057629. Archived 23 June 2020.
^ Breed data sheet: Delaware / United States of America (Chicken). Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed June 2024.
^ ^a ^b Delaware Chicken. Pittsboro, North Carolina: The Livestock Conservancy. Archived 24 February 2024.
^ Heinrichs p. 57
^ ^a ^b ^c albc-usa.org
^ Henderson's Chicken Chart
^ ^a ^b Heinrichs p. 59
^ ^a ^b Ekarius p. 84

Ekarius, Carol (2007). Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-58017-667-5.
Heinrichs, Christine (2007). How To Raise Chickens. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-0-7938-0601-0.
"Delaware Chicken". poultrypelletmachine.com. American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
"Henderson's Chicken Chart". sagehenfarmlodi.com.