Dominique Thread!

[Alaskan]

I can understand why you are so frustrated. That rooster is GORGEOUS!

Has the drought caused a loss of cover as well as very hungry raptors? Just wondering, since you went so many years without a loss. I had a neighbor who free ranged her chickens. She lost quite a few at first, but the ones that didn't get eaten within the first week or two or very good at staying safe. It was interesting to watch.

And in general, I don't free range, I have covered runs, which I am upgrading this year. I do not want to loose any of my chickens. But, over the years I have lost many more chickens from dogs than from raptors. Man, do I hate dogs!

As to chickens in Alaska, there are quite a few people who raise chickens in Fairbanks, and man is that place cold! I do not understand how they manage!

 

[centrarchid]

I can understand why you are so frustrated. That rooster is GORGEOUS!

Has the drought caused a loss of cover as well as very hungry raptors? Just wondering, since you went so many years without a loss. I had a neighbor who free ranged her chickens. She lost quite a few at first, but the ones that didn't get eaten within the first week or two or very good at staying safe. It was interesting to watch.

And in general, I don't free range, I have covered runs, which I am upgrading this year. I do not want to loose any of my chickens. But, over the years I have lost many more chickens from dogs than from raptors. Man, do I hate dogs!

As to chickens in Alaska, there are quite a few people who raise chickens in Fairbanks, and man is that place cold! I do not understand how they manage!

Chickens in general are very cold tolerant so long as in good nutrition and can avoid direct wind.

Cover can be very important with respect to raptors. It is no big deal to go years without losses to predators including hawks then be hit hard. I managed multiple free-range flocks of games over many years and the pattern was very clear with respect to losses to hawks; absence of cover was strongly associated with losses.

 

[buffalogal]

Thank you Jungle, what a nice thing to say. I hope they exceed your expectations.

 

[lazy gardener]

I guess I am not familiar with the exact area you are in, I was along the Northern coast and only went to extremely remote areas. I don't remember seeing any chickens where I was. I now live in Texas and up until 2012 I had not lost a single bird to raptors. But the extreme drought conditions we are in have caused them to be more desperate and they are turning domestic fowl for food. I have been forced to stop free ranging my birds. I just lost this rooster (below) to an owl this weekend when he got out and spent one night on the outside. He was my only one of this color and I had not bred him yet. He was extremely rare and almost impossible to get. I raised him from a chick. One whole year lost because of a stupid owl. ARRG!!

I was very privileged to get some of Buffalogal's Dominiques in December of 2012. You will not find better birds then hers. I only have one rooster and one hen so I am keeping them under lock and key until I can raise some more. At some point I hope to free range them, but not until the raptors find some other source of food. They are decimating the wildlife and driving the local wild game birds to the brink of extinction.

awesome looking bird. So sorry you lost him.

 

[Jungleexplorer]

I can understand why you are so frustrated. That rooster is GORGEOUS!

Has the drought caused a loss of cover as well as very hungry raptors? Just wondering, since you went so many years without a loss. I had a neighbor who free ranged her chickens. She lost quite a few at first, but the ones that didn't get eaten within the first week or two or very good at staying safe. It was interesting to watch.

Thank you. At this point I have no idea how to get another like him. I got him by mistake. He was supposed to be a BBRed. LOL!

There is plenty of cover where I am. I live next to a forest of Mesquite trees and cactus. Plenty of places to hide. The hawks around here can speed through a grove of spiny mesquite and cactus like it was nothing. I had an entire flock of Games that lived out in the mesquite forest and nested in cactus that the hawks wiped out in less then a month. Here is a picture of some of them under a deer feeder about 300 yards from my house during the winter. You can see the type of cover they had to hide in.

 

[centrarchid]

That does not constitute cover for gamechickens. It must be denser. Best cover hawks cannot fly through. With possible exception of pear cactus, cover does not provide refuge from raptors. Foxes and coyotes will also find what I see to be a canned hunt for chickens as well. No place to fly up to.

Birds appear to be dunghills as well. Were they at least hen reared free-range. Rearing impacts anti-predator behavior of all breeds, game or not.

 

[Jungleexplorer]

Birds appear to be dunghills as well.

LOL! You can tell that from a grainy trailcam photo, having never actually seen my place or my birds and having no knowledge of their origins? Wow! You're Good!

Let's agree to disagree on who has what, OK? I will refrain from calling your birds piles of crap and you do the same for me. Deal?

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

Thank you. At this point I have no idea how to get another like him. I got him by mistake. He was supposed to be a BBRed. LOL!

There is plenty of cover where I am. I live next to a forest of Mesquite trees and cactus. Plenty of places to hide. The hawks around here can speed through a grove of spiny mesquite and cactus like it was nothing. I had an entire flock of Games that lived out in the mesquite forest and nested in cactus that the hawks wiped out in less then a month. Here is a picture of some of them under a deer feeder about 300 yards from my house during the winter. You can see the type of cover they had to hide in.

Breed a Silver duckwing onto a BB red or vice versa. You should get goldens.

 

[insanity]

Hi,
I got 3 Dominique pullets earlier this spring. My problem is they all turned out different. 1 is dark barred with a normal comb, 2 is light barred with a normal comb, and 3 is dark barred with a rose type comb. Body type,size,and personalities are all about the same They came from Privet Hatchery. Any ideas why the differences or is that normal for the breed?

Thanks

 

[Alaskan]

Dominique are supposed to have a rose comb, not a single comb.

barred rocks have a single comb.

If you haven't been studying the two breeds (Dominique and Barred Rock) you might at first think they look very much alike, except for the comb.

However, they do look very different.

The Barring in a Barred Rock is supposed to be more black and white, and on a Dominique they are supposed to be not quite black on not quite white in a slightly different kind of pattern. I forget now its technical term, but it is less orderly striping, more camouflaged looking. The black on a Dominique can even be so muted that it is more of a dark gray. In general, the Dominique roosters look lighter than the hens.

Also, the stance, and shape of the bodies is very different, especially the shape of the tails. The Dominique has more of a leghorn outline. The Barred Rock is fluffier, and more blocky looking, from the asiatic influences.

As to Privett, I know nothing about their lines.