B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[kimberly35042]

Hey Karen -- updates on your hatch. Bad pics, but they are pics nonetheless! Thinking I may have a golden in there. The weeble chick (not pictured) has blue legs *lol*

 

[kimberly35042]

And a couple of the guys from TN hatch along with the silver greys hatched in February.








Silver Grey group is getting BIG! I need to identify the 5 roosters so will know which ones to keep in a few more months. Hoping to know best type at 7 months or so. After I'm more familiar with the breed, maybe it won't take quite that long.

 

[pysankigirl]

okay, so husband came home with camera. not the best pics because it is a rainy day today...

I have NO IDEA what to call this color, but here are a few shots of my favorite girl (I think she's about 6 weeks old):









Its like both the red AND the black have been lightened. not sure if by the same mutation or not. the lightened red (strawberry blonde?) is outlining each feather with the blue/qrey in the center.
her size is good (compared to her hatchlings) her feet are nice and her comb has 6 nice,even points so far and no side sprigs.

The qrey really does look more blue when contrasted with the strawberry blonde...basic color theory I suppose, since they are opposite colors on the color wheel.

 

[kimberly35042]

What a beautiful color! Is she from your flock? Who are the parents? She looks blue!

 

[pysankigirl]

What a beautiful color! Is she from your flock? Who are the parents? She looks blue!

She is from some experimental eqqs that I hatched out. Craiq said maybe a colored roo over blue-red girl? he isn't nearly as in love with her as I am....I just friqqin adore her! I am so nervous that something might happen to her that she might become an indoor chicken with a diaper....LOL... I just cant wait to see how she turns out.

 

[Sazbaby]

That is really unique and beautiful coloring on that hen!!

I have another question for you experienced dorking people... lol

Can dorkings be feather-sexed? Just interested for my own science-project-curiosity... I took pictures if anyone is interested, doesn't look as clear-cut as most pictures I've seen for it. Just pure curiosity! As Karen (KI4GOT) is learning, I'm very impatient to know the outcome of each chick!!! lol Any input on these? I had 3 hatch Friday afternoon and 1 overnight Friday, so the oldest 3 are a little over 2 days old, and the youngest is coming up on 2 days old tonight. Don't know which one is the youngest, I think this mama hen is going to go crazy on me if I don't stop stealing her chicks to examine them! lol Come on breast feathers...

Chick 1: Suspected cockerel based on head:


Chick 2, suspected pullet based on head:


Chick 3, suspected pullet based on head:


Chick 4: suspected cockerel based on head:

Sorry that last image didn't get flipped the same direction! (doh!)

 

[Rockashelle]

On feather sexing, its really suppose to be done on day one. From your pictures... I'd say 1-pullet 2-cockerel, 3-iffy...pullet? And 4-pullet. I have tried numerous times to guess their sex by the markings however; seems like its just backwards for my colored birds. By 4 weeks you should see chest feathers coming in and have a good idea what's, what...

 

[speedy2020]

That is really unique and beautiful coloring on that hen!!

I have another question for you experienced dorking people... lol

Can dorkings be feather-sexed? Just interested for my own science-project-curiosity... I took pictures if anyone is interested, doesn't look as clear-cut as most pictures I've seen for it. Just pure curiosity! As Karen (KI4GOT) is learning, I'm very impatient to know the outcome of each chick!!! lol Any input on these? I had 3 hatch Friday afternoon and 1 overnight Friday, so the oldest 3 are a little over 2 days old, and the youngest is coming up on 2 days old tonight. Don't know which one is the youngest, I think this mama hen is going to go crazy on me if I don't stop stealing her chicks to examine them! lol Come on breast feathers...

Chick 1: Suspected cockerel based on head:


Chick 2, suspected pullet based on head:


Chick 3, suspected pullet based on head:


Chick 4: suspected cockerel based on head:

Sorry that last image didn't get flipped the same direction! (doh!)

Let us know how they turn out. I am curious myself. I done feather sex many times from 1-3 days old. Some of the breeds, the feather don't show up until 2nd day.

 

[Sazbaby]

Let us know how they turn out. I am curious myself. I done feather sex many times from 1-3 days old. Some of the breeds, the feather don't show up until 2nd day.

I will! I'll try to keep track, I've got plenty of pictures, now I just need to make sure I can keep track of who's who over the next few weeks... Obviously I've got what I've got, but it's exciting to have something to look forward to, either confirmation or denial!! lol

On feather sexing, its really suppose to be done on day one. From your pictures... I'd say 1-pullet 2-cockerel, 3-iffy...pullet? And 4-pullet. I have tried numerous times to guess their sex by the markings however; seems like its just backwards for my colored birds. By 4 weeks you should see chest feathers coming in and have a good idea what's, what...

I was thinking the same based on the feathers, but it doesn't match up with the head markings/coloring... wish there was some way to be sure with these little guys without having to wait a few weeks for those breast feathers, but hey, at least there's that! lol Most of the information I read on it suggested that it could be done up through day 3 but after day 3 the feathers on both sexes would be the same. I wasn't sure if dorkings were a breed that had the sex-linked feathering pattern or not...

 

[ki4got]

okay, so husband came home with camera. not the best pics because it is a rainy day today...

I have NO IDEA what to call this color, but here are a few shots of my favorite girl (I think she's about 6 weeks old):









Its like both the red AND the black have been lightened. not sure if by the same mutation or not. the lightened red (strawberry blonde?) is outlining each feather with the blue/qrey in the center.
her size is good (compared to her hatchlings) her feet are nice and her comb has 6 nice,even points so far and no side sprigs.

The qrey really does look more blue when contrasted with the strawberry blonde...basic color theory I suppose, since they are opposite colors on the color wheel.

very pretty... but most chicken mutations affect primarily the red or black pigments, not both. so i'd say she's got some sort of pheomelanin restrictor (dilute, champagne blond, inhibitor of gold are the 3 primary ones seen) and also blue, which is a pheomelanin restrictor. if she was a cross, i'm guessing dilute over the others, since it's the only one that's dominant (and i've seen in my own dorkings), and blue is also an incompletely dominant mutation, where blue is the heterozygous form and splash is the homozygous form.

she's pretty, and unusual, but i'm guessing she'll change colors slightly as she matures.