You obviously have the best interests of the Doms continued existence in mind in your breeding and I am thrilled and applaud you - the Doms are so worth it! Wish everyone was able to be self-sustaining but some of us live in regions that absolutely forbid that lifestyle. Unfortunately as a retiree no longer with my 25 acres I have to settle for whatever my new city cottage limits allows me - no roos
This is why I ask for PQ pullet juvies from breeders who might otherwise cull them for a crooked tail or bad markings that wouldn't work for breeding. By getting PQs I get the benefits of the temperaments of the breeds that I like and maybe save one sweet girl from being a possible dinner meal because she didn't meet the SOP. I cannot breed in my zone so my small flock would be safe from continued progeny in my yard.
Utility/production is not paramount but good-natured non-combative breeds in the flock are our goal. It's the reason we re-homed our dual-purpose heavier and assertive layers. We have less or average-sized eggs now but have a peaceful flock of gentle breeds with no drama queens or bloody squabbles.
The benefits of having chickens in our garden and their entertainment value are priceless to us beyond viewing them as only cut flowers and they are very predator-savvy (including our 2-lb Silkie bantams). Compared to the open fields we had before, our current smaller yard is easier to predator-proof from aerial talons with several shelters and canopies spaced around the grounds. We've had 4 years of free-foraging hens with visiting hawks and no losses. The hens of all breeds we've had are very good at hiding. The flock enmasse will attack/chase any neighborhood cat that dares enter the yard and sometimes with 2-lb Silkies leading the pack as the bigger hens rush to join the chase! It's amazing how gentle breeds can become an angry bird mob when necessary - these girls never had a roo to defend them.
We were accidentally shipped a breeding cockerel and though breeding would've been his ideal destiny we were fortunate to find a loving home in a friend's flock rather than relinquishing him as someone's dinner - which unfortunately is the plight of most cockerels. Our guy was simply too nice physically and temperamentally to be processed.
I will be receiving a juvenile pullet next week of a rare breed from someone who is breeding to standards. Bless them for being willing to send us a "cut flower" for our garden!
