crossing a game rooster with a dominic hen

Nine F1's breeders (3 malles and 6 females) have been selected from pool of nearly 40 birds. Greatest weight was placed on comb type and body type. Females were also scrutenized for solid black coloration. The coming March F1's will be crossed amoung each other to generate F2's. The F2's will again be selected for comb type and body type plus both sexes will also have to be barred and have long flight feathers like games to make cut as brood stock. F3's will be first generation where all males must be homozygous for barring and females must have their single copy on Z-chromosome to be selected as brood stock. Once coloration, feather structure, and comb type are stabilized a single generation of backcrossing will be made from my Voter line dominiques. Gene exchange will only go from Voter to cross, not other way around. Selection will then continue with a population that is 75% American dominique.


Cockerel with walnut comb will be carried forward as part of selection process.

just wondering whats going on with the crosses ? I have a game roo w. dominique and 2 of their chicks 1 roo and 1 pullet just started laying was wondering is why this cross was chosen by others and what the next generations look like will post pics of mine in a bit going to feed and clean pens now

MSH said:

just wondering whats going on with the crosses ? I have a game roo w. dominique and 2 of their chicks 1 roo and 1 pullet just started laying was wondering is why this cross was chosen by others and what the next generations look like will post pics of mine in a bit going to feed and clean pens now

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New site format caused me miss additional posts.

Mine are going well. For me this repressents 1 of 4 crosses with a strain of American dominique. Other crosses considered involved California gray, barred Plymouth rock, langshan, and Scott's gray. I could not acquire Scott's gray, barred Pymouth rock and lanshan did not take me in direction I wanted to go, although California gray does give improved egg production at expense of type. For me the game in cross is intended first to promote free-range foraging behavior, improve feathering so birds are more weather resistant and able to make elavated roost at younger age. The F1 game cross seems muscle up faster than pure doms forced to forage for part of upkeep.


I selected F1's of both game and California gray crosses, males and females. Selection was based more on type and comb type once overall health was taken into account. I have multiples of both sexes for both crosses. Females of both F1's crosses will be backcrossed to best dom roosters I have and reciprical will be done with male F1's. Result by next fall will be four lines that are 3/4 dominique as follows: one based on female F1 game crosses, one based on male F1 game crosses, one based on female F1 California gray, and one based on male F1 California gray. A fifth line is based on F2 game x dominques. Thereafter, crosses will involve birds only from those 5 lines and lines will be based on females. Selection will be for all appearance aspects of Standard of Perfection for American dominques excepting for quality / length of flight feathers which will approximate that of games. This should result in a strain that approximates American dominiques as they appeared about 100 years ago.

Growth and egg production under free range conditions will also be considered. At some point hens will have to perform well as layers for two years before they can get into breeding pens. That is likely 10 years down road. Selection process will then slow way down but will keep efforts in line with recommendations of the American Livestock Breeders Conservancy.

My game hen just hatched 8 biddies. The two daddies are 1. grey dominic and the other a salmon favorolle. Only one biddie has a black beak. Any idea what they are going to look like?

Hoping to revive this thread to see if any progress has been made by those that have posted. I have to admit I myself have always had a great interest in these crosses and have slowly went about trying to locate gamebird stock that would allow me to make such a mating. I was able to "borrow" a black young American Game Cockerel from a breeder in our local poultry club. The male has thrown alot of red in his hackle and saddle as he is growing in his adult plummage. Comb apears to be a pea and is showing white in his earlobes. So I have scraped that idea. I have acquired a Delaware Blue Cockerel. His age is not known but he is not showing any lessor or Main Sickle growth. Could have had feathers pulled from over crowding. Some broken feathers in main tail. Chest develoment and overall width of bird is not as full as compared to the American game. Bird was in poor shape when i got him so i want to grow him out some more for evaluation before setting up a breeding pen.

A local Dominique Club member gave me a pair of Dominique Cock crossed over Cuckoo OEG Hens. One bird is rose combed with slight white in earlobes. The other is single combed. Both weigh about the same 4 1/2-4 3/4#. The Hens have excellent feather width and type is more characteristic I feel towards game. Excellent fleshing in chest with long keel. The legs and beaks are washed from production but are of good base color with no dark shadow on front of shanks, typical of Dominiques. Since the Hens are laying well I have put them into a pen with a Feb Dominique Cockerel that is very tight feathered,and carries excellent width in the saddle and tail width expansion to make up for what the Hens have to offer. Looking to see what improvements are made in the first generation of the breeding towards the standard Dominique. So far set 21 eggs in the first 2 weeks and have turned on lights in the pens when started to hopefully keep up production. First batch 10 of 11 eggs are showing good growth. Will see if i can set at least 50-75 eggs which is my goal for this pen.

I am into generation 5 of my efforts but took a heavy hit from dog attack a few weeks back. Egg production of hens is better than Dominiques I starts with. Also I am leaning towards selecting for walnult come. They are stronger fliers and more competent mothers than Dommniques. Weight on average run about a pound lower. I am also tolerating black birds as that is easy to fix later.


Birds above look good.

Curious. If the intent was to add the intelligence, hardiness, and foraging abilities of gamefowl to modern dominiques, and make them the bird they used to be, why didn't anybody get a Dom game rooster to start with? I think there are some that come rosecombed. Might take some of the throwbacks out if you went that direction. They are probably related way back as well.