The Delaware Chicken is relatively new American Breed developed in the 1940s by George Ellis in Delaware. Delaware Chickens were developed by crossing the New Hampshire Red with a Barred Plymouth Rock. This made a prolific egg laying breed who also has great size. Successfully creating an excellent dual purpose meat breed, the Delaware Chicken was a short-lived leader in the broiler production industry until the creation of the Cornish Rock Cross that dominates the industry today. The Delaware Chicken is still an ideal choice for a back yard bird with good meat quality and quantity. Not to mention they provide excellent production of large brown eggs. One reason the Delaware Chicken breed is such a valued meat bird is that its offspring are predominately white feathered. White feathers do not leave spots on the carcass when plucked. Delaware Roosters can be mated with New Hampshire Red Hens and Rhode Island Red Hens to produce chicks with the white Delaware color pattern. Delaware Chickens are a great choice for a backyard or barnyard chicken breed. They perform well in the cold and are docile in nature. This breed will produce excellent numbers of large brown eggs. Being relatively easy to maintain, they're truly an ideal standard breed.
