Dominique Thread!

[Lucky KY Chicks]

I am still bummed that I can't get eggs from you @centrarchid I think that your stock is the best in form and most true to the original idea of what a Dominique should look like.


What I have..... Just isn't that great.

AGREE!!!

 

[diriel]

Now that I live in Oklahoma, I would like to talk to you Centrarchid. Next year I will be set up for a few Dom's, and can travel up your way.

 

[centrarchid]

Maybe we can meet at the State Poultry Shows. I would like to visit OK for such. By Spring 2016 I should have actual pullets and cockerels in good feather. This year all too young even for fall. Cool wet spring hampered hatching egg collection.

 

[diriel]

Sounds good Centrarchid. My email is [email protected] feel free to contact me.

Gary

 

[centrarchid]

Chicks sporting unusual color pattern for American Dominiques. Note the white color pattern behind each eye.

Pullet

Cockerel

Action shot of cockerel making me messy.

 

[Alaskan]

that is odd.... I wonder where the white eye spots came from.

 

[centrarchid]

I think the spots represent something hidden in either the Voter line or the cock which I bred my original Voter hens to. The original cock, based on accounts of source was in large part Voter himself. The accounts business does not set well with me. Current cock is is grandson of that original cock produced by line breeding back to one of the original hens I had. Those hens were already past peak breeding age when I acquired them and did not give me this cock bird for an additional 2 production seasons. Two of the current hens are offspring of this one cock, he throws good girls, which makes very possible the bringing to light a stray allele through inbreeding. Two remaining cocks are derived from different original hen but also out of that first cock. Parents on both side of the chicks pictured above are consistent with standard of perfection and half-siblings produced by same adults also good but no white patches evident. Based on only two of 8 chicks by current mating exhibiting the white spots, I am speculating the allele involved is recessive. Could also involve an interaction with multiple loci. The extended black and multiple baring alleles can hide a lot. My Missouri Dominique project which runs in parallel to this effort indicates more than one barring allele and even more than one black coding allele operates in American Dominiques. If not then American Dominiques would be colored more like California Grays which are kind of smokey looking. Original American Dominiques where likely of the smokey type I think but some body tinkered to get more contrast in the bars. The more contrasting pattern is prettier for sure and SOP does not appear to distinguish it from a smokier look.

 

[Sylvester017]

Chicks sporting unusual color pattern for American Dominiques. Note the white color pattern behind each eye.

Pullet


Cockerel



Action shot of cockerel making me messy.

I believe that anomalies, though rare, can occur in all purebred animals - Silkies can sport 4 toes on one foot while there are 6 toes on the other foot, a pure Ameraucana can sport a tinted pink egg instead of the normal blue, Dominiques can sprout a straight comb, etc etc. With your Doms the scattered head splashing spilled over toward the eyes. They'll be interesting to see after fully feathered.

 

[centrarchid]

I can not distinguish the spotted guys from others otherwise and some have likely been produced before although I did not take note because of so many and I was still learning the particulars of doms. When it comes to the single come that is very easy to ID through test matings with single combed birds. Very easy. I think one of the hatchery variations marketed as "American" Dominique are / were at least sometimes half something else that is also barred but has a single comb which might make for that occasional group hiding the single comb.

 

[Sylvester017]

I can not distinguish the spotted guys from others otherwise and some have likely been produced before although I did not take note because of so many and I was still learning the particulars of doms. When it comes to the single come that is very easy to ID through test matings with single combed birds. Very easy. I think one of the hatchery variations marketed as "American" Dominique are / were at least sometimes half something else that is also barred but has a single comb which might make for that occasional group hiding the single comb.

Hatcheries make me nervous because some don't even send the right breeds to you - always hearing of people not getting what they ordered. And as you say there's the mystery of just exactly what was mixed into a breed that is supposedly purebred - like Polish crossed with Crevecoeurs, etc etc. I got a Privett Dom pullet/chick through my feed store and lost it to a seizure at 21 days old - I loved the chick but its sudden convulsive seizure made me nervous to get another feed store chick. Added to that the feed store doesn't get Marek's vaccinated chicks so I don't want to go that route. Cackle Hatchery has Mark helping out with their Dom breeding but the smallest order you can get through Cackle is 3 chicks and I can't use all 3 and don't want baby chicks again anyway. Maybe I'm being picky but after getting burned I'm wary about where/what I purchase.