B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[ki4got]

I think I have enough roosts--- I have 5 6 ft long roosts----- 3 are high and 2 are knee highth --- I will get another feeder. as far as a bachelor pad goes, wouldn't I have the same problem?? if all the roos are locked up together won't they fight just as bad??? or are they fighting over the pullets and if they were locked away then they wouldn't fight anymore?? I didn't plan for a "bachelor pad" when designing the coop and yard area.

what would the bare necessities be for a pad and would that be perminent until they are culled? Speaking of which....I know dorkings mature slower but what is the prime age for processing?? Thanks for the feed back

yes, i think taking the pullets out of the equation would make them settle down faster. and giving them things to 'play' with. i put the shavings from the brooders into the bachelor pen, and they will spend hours digging thru looking for all that food the babies wasted. LOL hay is a similar option. sprinkle some scratch grains on a nice bedding of hay and watch them go to town.

also, if you have a bagging style lawnmower you might give them some of the clippings. (not fertilized or weeded tho) i 'hand trim' nearby clover and grass for the outdoor babies when they start acting up and it gives them all something to occupy themselves with. other things you can give them, are fresh cut brances from 'safe' trees, like poplar & maple & apple. give them a few ears of corn (broken into sections, enough so they can all get some nibble time). i also give mine cherry tomatoes, and my free rangers LOVE the blackberries. my bushes are bare as far as the birds can reach. use your imagination. 8) they're just kids with too much time and nothing to do.

 

[blessedacre]

OH Happy Day!!! No blood or fighting in the chicken yard today

. Extra feeders and hiding places, a head of cabbage with holes drilled in it with molasses poured in the holes and a jingle bell wired to it dangleing from a rope, fresh cut grass and hay thrown into the yard (very unkept looking .... I do have one roo who is apparently the VERY bottom of the pecking order (even the hens make him submit) the thing is he (in my very inexperienced knowledge) is my best looking roo. I know he has the best feet (both extra toes point straight up) and I think his markings are the best. My question is ...... will after culling the others, will he "man up" or will the hens always dominate him??? Thanks again for ALL in the advice!!!! My chickens thank you too

Lisa

 

[RedBugPoultry]

OH Happy Day!!! No blood or fighting in the chicken yard today

. Extra feeders and hiding places, a head of cabbage with holes drilled in it with molasses poured in the holes and a jingle bell wired to it dangleing from a rope, fresh cut grass and hay thrown into the yard (very unkept looking .... I do have one roo who is apparently the VERY bottom of the pecking order (even the hens make him submit) the thing is he (in my very inexperienced knowledge) is my best looking roo. I know he has the best feet (both extra toes point straight up) and I think his markings are the best. My question is ...... will after culling the others, will he "man up" or will the hens always dominate him??? Thanks again for ALL in the advice!!!! My chickens thank you too

Lisa

I have found that sometimes you need to separate a rooster like that and give him at least one docile hen that does not peck on him. They will man up if they are with a hen or two for a while.

 

[Sydney Acres]

OH Happy Day!!! No blood or fighting in the chicken yard today

. Extra feeders and hiding places, a head of cabbage with holes drilled in it with molasses poured in the holes and a jingle bell wired to it dangleing from a rope, fresh cut grass and hay thrown into the yard (very unkept looking .... I do have one roo who is apparently the VERY bottom of the pecking order (even the hens make him submit) the thing is he (in my very inexperienced knowledge) is my best looking roo. I know he has the best feet (both extra toes point straight up) and I think his markings are the best. My question is ...... will after culling the others, will he "man up" or will the hens always dominate him??? Thanks again for ALL in the advice!!!! My chickens thank you too

Lisa

Hi Lisa,
I love the cabbage with holes drilled in it. I've always just used the head of cabbage, but this makes it extra enticing. Just be sure that in your Florida heat that it all gets eaten within 24 hours to avoid spoilage (and ants, raccoons, opposums, etc).

I personally wouldn't be too quick to judge the passiveness of a 10 week old Dorking cockerel. This breed matures very slowly. Remember grammer school and junior high -- the girls are always more mature than the boys at that age. My 11-12 week old Dorking cockerels are very different this week than they were last week, and I expect that they will be changing frequently over the next few months. (One of my boys danced for a pullet this morning -- it was so cute.) Chickens (and children) that are always bullied tend to be fairly introverted, and may not stand up to what we consider lesser threats. But once the bullying stops, they usually blossom into their full potential. And when the testosterone hits, there's often a huge change in their personality. So don't worry about the chosen rooster being bullied by the hens at 10 weeks old. He'll be a whole different boy in a few months (but hopefully, still your best).

Besides, you don't want a deep-down bully to be your flock sire. I choose my flock sires based on a number of factors, but temperament is important to me, so I never choose the bully. Even the most handsome bully will make my flock (and me) miserable. The only exception I've ever made was one "perfect" rooster years ago (non-Dorking), whose only flaw was that I couldn't enter his pen without using a trash can lid as a shield. He was almost as vicious to his flockmates. But he was beautiful!! So I kept him, but in a pen adjoining the flock so he could interact with them but not attack them. When he was 18 months old I separated three hens from the other roosters for 6 weeks (so there would be no retained fertility), and then put him in with them for one day. Then I incubated all the eggs produced for the next few weeks. Many of his sons had his temperament, and they were culled as soon as they reached roasting weight. But two of his sons had a wonderful personality plus his beauty. Once I had the two nice sons, the mean rooster was stewed. In my current group (Red Dorkings), the two cockerels with the best frames also have the sweetest personalities, and I couldn't be happier with that combination. My third best cockerel in conformation is a jerk, and I'm just waiting for him to gain enough weight to serve with salad and a lush dessert.

Congratulations on achieving peace within your flock. It's a huge accomplishment.
--April

 

[pysankigirl]

At what age do dorking hens get their comb and wattles?

mine look like really fat pidgeons without them!

 

[ki4got]

At what age do dorking hens get their comb and wattles?

mine look like really fat pidgeons without them!

my pullets are just about 4 months old, and some have a bit of comb (maybe 1/2 - 3/4" tall). i noticed my pullets this last spring filled in FAST once they were ready to start laying, like over the span of 2-3 weeks.

 

[lacewing]

I live in AZ and am looking for some Dorking chicks. HELP. Anyone know a source in Arizona?

 

[capayvalleychick]

I live in AZ and am looking for some Dorking chicks. HELP. Anyone know a source in Arizona?

If you join the Dorking Breeder's Club, there is a breeder's directory available.

http://www.dorkingbreedersclub.webs.com/

Teri in AZ used to sell on ebay, but she's no longer listing anything Dorking related. There is a Lydia Cassilly gofoxtrot at ritternet dot com

You can sometimes get decent Dorkings from McMurray hatchery.

Good luck,
Kim

 

[dncarr09]

Hello, my name is David and I am new to Dorkings and just had my first 3 to hatch (silver grey). I got the eggs from a breeder in Texas and the hatch didn't go so well

. I only got 3 out of 20 eggs to hatch. Many were not fertile and part of it was the heat when they were shipped a few weeks ago. I am looking for someone who ships chicks. I have checked the breeder directory and I din't really see anything.I am looking for about 10 Silver Gey Dorking chicks. I am located in East TN and would be willing to drive within 60-90 minutes from Knoxville to pick them up. Also, are there any special ways to sex Dorkings such as a color pattern on chicks or anything like that? Thanks!!

 

[capayvalleychick]

Poor hatches with Dorking eggs is unfortunately not uncommon. You might try Mary W. in FL, Roseland Haven Farm, to see if she can ship you some eggs/chicks.

You can usually sex SGD chicks by the shade of color on their head. Pullets have a darker triangle with eyeliner. With some chicks, it can be hard to tell.

Best wishes,
Kim