Investing More In American Dominiques

Pics
This a very poor picture of the cock side of this. He was to excited by boy to left playing with remote controlled toy. The guy when showing type has it down with a really nice tail. He is holding tail down a bit and pinched. He is very well muscled now and put on weight very well during his first 16 weeks. Color is a little on light side but consistent with his line. Not as light as appears in picture. He was darker in his youth.

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Will try to make better pictures in coming days.
Nice bird. I am looking for another cock bird and managed to find one.

This is one of my breeders. Has a little too much cushion but is a pretty nice bird I think.

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Next phase is to get some sheep.

A worm-resistant goat herd at work is giving me ideas. I will be using sheep instead and English Shepherds instead of Akbash shown below. My herd will be even smaller than below as well with at most 12 head. My animals will be used to manage pasture for chickens where stockpiling will be used to carry animals through winter rather than using hay and grain. I may employ flash grazing as well in orchard and bramble patches.

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We are on track to have well over 200 chicks this year. Almost half will be American Dominiques. Already have just over 30 representing 4 cohorts through the incubator. All coming from best three hens and best cock after downsizing last year. The fun will be with Great-horned Owl chicks while I will be free-ranging the young chickens. Three years ago the the owls followed me around and took young chickens, always the smallest out, the owls could find. Pens will be disperse in field and setup so chickens retreat to their own at dark. Then I close them up. This round great effort will be expended to prevent chickens from roosting on top of those pens. Also will work to keep owls out of barn. It is bull crap having owls in barn most of each night which has been realized with adults in the past. The young ones will be far worse.
 
Time to get back on this as a lot has been done, a lot!

First I have done a lot more on the dog side making so we have active anti-predator system in place.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/english-shepherd-as-poultry-guardian.1008645/

Second, a perimeter fence has been placed around a roughly 1 acre barnyard area that serves as core for free-range dominique chickens

Third, a larger perimeter fence that is sheep and goat tight has been put up around about 8 acres.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/investing-big-protecting-free-range-chickens.1539673/

Fourth, I have a small herd of sheep and goats that are being used to manage area for the chickens so it is patchy with with low vegetation and various high vegetation plots.

Fifth, soon we will be establishing multiple orchards with a range herbaceous plants to serve as forage between rows and in the understory.
 
Now as we start to fill out fenced in area with chicken foraging activity I'm needing dogs to spread out more too. I see potential for problem I see with gamefowl guys where their LGD's do not get out and cover pens at periphery of yard.
 
Thanks for the update. Fencing, IMHO, can really give peace of mind for a variety of situations.

I like your plan for implementing forage under the orchard trees, and, for using your sheep/goats for grazing and forage management. Are you familiar with this magazine? https://www.acresusa.com

Finally, I'm a fan of the Dominiques. My last of three that I've had is 8 years old now and showing her age. A bit of arthritis when it gets cold, plus she is selective about her activity level. As soon as I get some helping hands my plan is to lower her coop to ground level, and modify the ramp setup, rather like ADA compliance for hens.;)
 

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