In the early twentieth century, the cross of a Barred Plymouth Rock rooster on a New Hampshire hen was a common choice for producing broilers.

George Ellis of Delaware selectively bred these light-colored birds, which led to the creation of the breed in 1940.

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.

[7]: 84 [4] 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.

[7]: 84 Also of note is that all feathers have a white quill and shaft, which, combined with yellow skin, makes for a cleaner appearing carcass.

Unlike the most common commercial meat birds in use today, the Delaware does well in free range operations.