Several years back I got interested in American Dominiques. That was in part because of my grandmother that operated a hatching egg production operation for a local hatchery always talked about them with high regard. Then a co-worker gave an cock that one the best of of class at Missouri state fair a few years back. I then set out to acquire American Dominiques from various sources and found they differed greatly with some looking very strongly to have Barred Plymouth Rock mixed in. It was also apparent the better show birds deviated not only from what descriptions of American Dominique were back in the early part of the last century, they also look even more different from the dunghills that had actual significance to small poultry raisers. So what I did it split the effort into two projects with both coming into year seven.
First is with pure American Dominiques based largely on the Voter strain. The cock was mostly if not all Voter and I also got four Voter hens from Fred Farthing. Breeding with that group and some of the others resulting in only a little additional blood also coming from Fred Farthing being carried forward. Other birds either infirm or deviated too much from what I was trying to achieve.
Second is the Missouri Dominique project where Cackle Strain American Dominiques were crossed with my American Game strain with subsequent infusions of Voter strain resulting in birds that are between 1/2 and 3/4 American Dominique. Emphasis to date has been on type and growth rate although always at least one parent had to carry one copy of barred, rose comb and extended black alleles. I am not out the point where most are homozygous for those alleles while conserving type and getting mature weights very similar to what is expected for American Dominiques. One more challenge is ahead to match that Dominique dunghill of old and it involves leg color.
The older version of Dominiques did not have yellow legs or skin that is allegedly infused by crossing with Black Java's. Rather the old style Dominiques had white legs. I am now looking for American Games that carry the white leg genetics to make that final introduction of new blood.
First is with pure American Dominiques based largely on the Voter strain. The cock was mostly if not all Voter and I also got four Voter hens from Fred Farthing. Breeding with that group and some of the others resulting in only a little additional blood also coming from Fred Farthing being carried forward. Other birds either infirm or deviated too much from what I was trying to achieve.
Second is the Missouri Dominique project where Cackle Strain American Dominiques were crossed with my American Game strain with subsequent infusions of Voter strain resulting in birds that are between 1/2 and 3/4 American Dominique. Emphasis to date has been on type and growth rate although always at least one parent had to carry one copy of barred, rose comb and extended black alleles. I am not out the point where most are homozygous for those alleles while conserving type and getting mature weights very similar to what is expected for American Dominiques. One more challenge is ahead to match that Dominique dunghill of old and it involves leg color.
The older version of Dominiques did not have yellow legs or skin that is allegedly infused by crossing with Black Java's. Rather the old style Dominiques had white legs. I am now looking for American Games that carry the white leg genetics to make that final introduction of new blood.
umbup I probably will be ordering 50 bantams from them this year then and try to get some LF to preserve. Out of all the hatcheries I have dealt with I have the most respect for cackle and their works.
