The Dorking Breeders thread

[AnthNDacula]

I'm sorry. I must have gotten confused about who had what. Do you mind if I ask why you gave up on the Silver Grays? Any insight you can offer could contribute to my upcoming Dorking Project.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

Sure! I got birds from Sandhill, (half to one-third sized, no apparent Dorking type,) McMurray, (good type, half-sized, lots of weird versions of the 5th toe, and small, weird-shaped eggs,) and Urch (appropriate size, good type, good size and shaped eggs.) I have also seen Ideal dorkings, which were about the quallity of Sandhill's. I hatched straight Urch chicks and UrchxMcMurray chicks. I got about 15% of the incubated eggs to produce healthy chicks, and 90% of those chicks had side sprigs on their combs. None of the breeders had side sprigs. The second year, I couldn't get any fertile eggs out of the Urch hen. She was the only female I had thought worth breeding, and had gotten rid of all pullets. I gave up and moved on to Wyandottes.

Best wishes,
Angela

 

[AnthNDacula]

Wow. Thanks for that feedback Angela. I knew Dorkings were undersized but I wasn't ready for half to 1/3 standard size. I can tell it's going to be an uphill battle getting the size birds I want for my capon project. I'm not familiar with Urch but will check them out.

I just finished framing up my first breeder pen yesterday and will pain it today. We've got rain coming, so as soon as weather and time permits I'll put on the wire and roof. I've got a batch of Easter Eggers in the brooder ready to test run in it, so I can make adjustments and build more before I buy Dorking chicks in the spring.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[ki4got]

Wow. Thanks for that feedback Angela. I knew Dorkings were undersized but I wasn't ready for half to 1/3 standard size. I can tell it's going to be an uphill battle getting the size birds I want for my capon project. I'm not familiar with Urch but will check them out.

I just finished framing up my first breeder pen yesterday and will pain it today. We've got rain coming, so as soon as weather and time permits I'll put on the wire and roof. I've got a batch of Easter Eggers in the brooder ready to test run in it, so I can make adjustments and build more before I buy Dorking chicks in the spring.

Thanks again for your help.

my experience, for readily available/hatchery style birds, McMurray had the best for size/type. I won't say half to 1/3 size, I'd say they are undersized tho, by maybe 15% or so... my McMurray roosters I've had were all 6-7 pounds. hens 5-6 pounds.

 

[AnthNDacula]

That sounds workable. I could make capons out of those.

I know many people don't like large hatcheries like Murray McMurray, but I've bought birds from them for over 30 years and will probably buy some Silver Gray cockerels from them for caponizing. Granted MM chickens are just yardbirds and not SOP but their birds have always performed well for me.

Once upon a time I placed an order for 50 chicks with MM and the night after the chicks arrived we had a microburst/small tornado that flooded the brooder and killed every chick. I was raising the chicks with my niece and couldn't bring myself to say, "sorry your chicks are gone for good", so I called up MM to order another 25. They immediately offered to replace all the chicks at no cost... no shipping... totally free! True story.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

That sounds workable. I could make capons out of those.

I know many people don't like large hatcheries like Murray McMurray, but I've bought birds from them for over 30 years and will probably buy some Silver Gray cockerels from them for caponizing. Granted MM chickens are just yardbirds and not SOP but their birds have always performed well for me.

Once upon a time I placed an order for 50 chicks with MM and the night after the chicks arrived we had a microburst/small tornado that flooded the brooder and killed every chick. I was raising the chicks with my niece and couldn't bring myself to say, "sorry your chicks are gone for good", so I called up MM to order another 25. They immediately offered to replace all the chicks at no cost... no shipping... totally free! True story.

The very first post on this thread has a picture of some Yellow House White Dorking carcasses that look pretty good to me. It can be done. In days of yore some farmers kept a Colored Dorking cock to cover their laying flocks. (Colored being the largest variety.) This gave them meat from the cockerels and layers from the pullets. It got me to wondering if a White Dorking covering Light Sussex or White Rocks would produce a little faster growing bigger hybrid, with some of the Dorking meat goodness. Then you would only have to find a handful of Dorkings, and the much more abundant females to get started with bigger numbers. Of course, this may not be a fit with your business model.

 

[AnthNDacula]

I really like your ideas. I found Colored Dorkings on Duane Urch's website... well really more a web page with minimal info, but have read very good things about them...and him. At this point I'm willing to explore many options and see what pans out. I've really just begun building my infrastructure and haven't even actually ordered the birds, so have time to decide on the specifics of breed, variety, etc. I could certainly see a business model which would be based on SOP breeding stock but would require a terminal cross to provide a marketable product. I'm drawn to White Dorkings because there is some really good quality out there (if in small quantities) but I'm a firm believer in the need for genetic diversity. Using other colors, in my opinion, would still produce pure Dorkings and possibly increase the depth of gene pool a bit.

Do you have Dorkings Dirt Farmer? I'd love to know what everyone has and would especially would love to see pictures.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

I really like your ideas. I found Colored Dorkings on Duane Urch's website... well really more a web page with minimal info, but have read very good things about them...and him. At this point I'm willing to explore many options and see what pans out. I've really just begun building my infrastructure and haven't even actually ordered the birds, so have time to decide on the specifics of breed, variety, etc. I could certainly see a business model which would be based on SOP breeding stock but would require a terminal cross to provide a marketable product. I'm drawn to White Dorkings because there is some really good quality out there (if in small quantities) but I'm a firm believer in the need for genetic diversity. Using other colors, in my opinion, would still produce pure Dorkings and possibly increase the depth of gene pool a bit.

Do you have Dorkings Dirt Farmer? I'd love to know what everyone has and would especially would love to see pictures.

I would stick to the white birds as well for for the cleaner looking carcass (dark pin feathers on the Colored Dorking), and I'm willing to bet that given the state of the two varieties the Whites may be bigger. I have a handful of Colored Dorkings. I had a couple trios, one selected for size and the other for color. One of my color hens recently disappeared. I presume a predator got it but I never found any evidence. I was able to get a small hatch in October before she went missing, with 11 chicks surviving. I weighed one of my males a couple months ago when he was about a year old. He appeared smaller than my Iowa Blue cock that is only a couple weeks older. I weighed the Iowa first and he came in at 6 lbs 2 oz., which was lighter than I would have guessed. When I picked up the Dorking his thighs and breast were noticeably meatier, and he weighed in at 6 lbs 12 oz.. He's still filling in. I'll try to get a picture and maybe re-weigh him this weekend. My hens appear to be closer to standard size. I'll weigh them this weekend too out of curiosity.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

There are some pictures of my Dorkings here https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/994592/chicken-breed-focus-dorking/10#post_15471445 when they were about 8 months old. Also in the same thread some good pictures of Whites and how well they dressed out.

 

[Dirt Farmer]

I got out there with the camera yesterday. It was a bright day so the colors are somewhat washed out on the cock's hackle and saddle. Its actually a little creamier. The cock weighs in at 14 months at 6 lbs 15 oz. I weighed the two larger hens, also 14 months, at 4 lbs even for one and 4 lbs 15 oz for the other. Guess I was wrong about the females being closer to standard; I have my work cut out for me. I gave up after three, I think the other cock and hen are smaller. A couple of the Oct 2015 hatch cockerels are big compared to the hatch mates. I'm hopeful. This is a wild line and not so fun to catch. At least the males aren't aggressive, just nuts.

A bit of black stripping.





A very red Colored Dorking








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