B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[columbiacritter]

Anyone ever run across dorkign toes like this?

 

[ki4got]

Quote:

Anyone ever run across dorkign toes like this?

only in a few cross-breed babies.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Cull those heavy or hard or they'll set in your strain. It's something that shows up, but it's not something you want to play with. We get variation in toes to an extent, it needs to be culled like all irregularities.

Cheers,

Joseph

 

[ki4got]

for anyone interested that might be willing to travel a bit, i've got 2 nice silver grey pullets (december hatch) and a year old colored girl that i'm looking to sell, to make room for the many many MANY chicks growing out... i lost count but i think i have close to 60 chicks under 12 weeks old now. plus more hatching... 4 sg's have hatched in the last 2 days. 8) one a day early, 2 on time and 1 a day late...

and for you all to drool over. one of the best pics i've taken of the girls.

 

[Beckymca]

I've read a ton of this thread and plan to read more. I'm fairly new to chickens and this year trying my hand at hatching and adding a few breeds to my plan. I have Light Brahmas and actually ordered Salmon Faverolles but they were short eggs and added, w/permission, 4 Dorking eggs. Well they are set to hatch on the 1st of June. Then I thought, what am I going to do with maybe 4 chicks, so I ordered 8 hatching eggs due to arrive tomorrow. I'm a bit of a freak about things and I'd like to see these rare breeds survive and hope to contribute in a positive way, therefore I will need lots of info/help with selection and culling advice. As Dorking were not my choice but a sort of a serendipitous thing, I'll be checking in for advise, information and ideas once/if they hatch. Great thread, great info!! Thanks all.

 

[capayvalleychick]

Nice pics BeccaOH & Karen.

Kim

 

[Rockashelle]

Hey! New here... and new to the Dorking breed. I am getting so much information from this thread. I am only on page 47 and have learned so much. I picked up what I was told were 5 SG Dorking chicks 9 weeks ago. The breeder told me they were Sand Hill birds. So far, I am having trouble determining, but I believe I have one pullet and four cockerels.

They are darker than the birds I have seen, but are definitely "cinder-block shaped", 10 toes, & all very healthy! Silly question... When they were chicks, based on feather coloring... I thought for sure that I had 3 pullets and 2 cockerels. Do pullets get large combs as well? Yes... I am a newbie for sure. The one who I know is a pullet, hardly has a comb at all.

I was hoping to at least have three pullets and 2 cockerels to choose from. So, I'm on the quest to locate two more pullets hopefully from two different lines. I am fascinated by the efforts to conserve the heritage. I unfortunately can't run a large operation but would like to contribute. Any suggestions would be wonderful. I will post pictures of mine and ask for help in determining which two cockerels I should keep. I'd like them to fill out a little first. I know that one of my cockerels will not work... He looks to have a rose comb which I understand is a no no for SG and he is missing his tenth toe. He just happens to be my daughters favorite though (she has named him Alfred) so he may just have to be my free range roo versus dinner. Hmmm?

Is anyone on here local to Western Washington? Snohomish area?

I would love all the information I can get. I do plan on breeding for eggs, meat, as well as selling chicks. I would prefer to have quality to sell.

Thanks in advance!

 

[ki4got]

Quote:

Hey! New here... and new to the Dorking breed. I am getting so much information from this thread. I am only on page 47 and have learned so much. I picked up what I was told were 5 SG Dorking chicks 9 weeks ago. The breeder told me they were Sand Hill birds. So far, I am having trouble determining, but I believe I have one pullet and four cockerels.

They are darker than the birds I have seen, but are definitely "cinder-block shaped", 10 toes, & all very healthy! Silly question... When they were chicks, based on feather coloring... I thought for sure that I had 3 pullets and 2 cockerels. Do pullets get large combs as well? Yes... I am a newbie for sure. The one who I know is a pullet, hardly has a comb at all.

I was hoping to at least have three pullets and 2 cockerels to choose from. So, I'm on the quest to locate two more pullets hopefully from two different lines. I am fascinated by the efforts to conserve the heritage. I unfortunately can't run a large operation but would like to contribute. Any suggestions would be wonderful. I will post pictures of mine and ask for help in determining which two cockerels I should keep. I'd like them to fill out a little first. I know that one of my cockerels will not work... He looks to have a rose comb which I understand is a no no for SG and he is missing his tenth toe. He just happens to be my daughters favorite though (she has named him Alfred) so he may just have to be my free range roo versus dinner. Hmmm?

Is anyone on here local to Western Washington? Snohomish area?

I would love all the information I can get. I do plan on breeding for eggs, meat, as well as selling chicks. I would prefer to have quality to sell.

Thanks in advance!

i'll give you a hint. don't go by combs on the dorkings. go by color. cockerels will have black or black/white breast feathers, the hens will be red/salmon colored. both of my sandhill sg cockerels have a lot of white mixed in the breast feathers but i'm hopeful they'll feather out black eventually.

and yes dorking hens have fairly large combs that will tend to flop over once they mature. well, supposed to flop. i have some that haven't yet at a year old. LOL

the black/red breast thing is accurate for sexing young dorkings for the silver grey, red and colored lines. black white and cuckoo are another story, obviously. LOL

i've got a bunch of sandhill chicks right now, and really need to thin down the flock but i'm having a hard time with it... none of them are coloring in right, except a few colored pullets. the rest are mismarked one way or another it seems. so for now i'll be culling on foot quality, just to thin the numbers a bit.

oh and sorry, i'm a bit far to visit for chicks i'm afraid... sw virginia.

 

[Rockashelle]

Yes... I'm afraid my dorkings coloring is off as well. They are all pretty dark, including the pullet. They are all I have to work with at this point. I took pics this afternoon and welcome constructive criticizm. Like I said... I plan on keeping two to work from and building on with a few pullets I plan on picking up. (I'm not sure what lines yet) What two should I keep?

 

[Rockashelle]