B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[Sazbaby]

Where did you get them? I have a new theory for sexing, which seems to be working in my line. I have had chicks with the dark triangle and eyeliner still turn out to be male. What I'm finding works in id, so far, is to look at the light area outside the triangle. If there are dark flecks in the light color, it's female. If the light area is all golden or reddish, it's male.

Interesting... I'll have to keep this in mind and test it out... so far my numbers of chicks are small, but I've had 2 surprises (1 I thought was male turned out to be female, and 1 I swore was female turned out to be male) based on the head markings. Can you post pictures comparing the two? Or would you say in the above picture that the one with its back to us is male, since it's golden outside of the marking, whereas the one in profile at the top (was it second from the left?) looks more like a female?

 

[capayvalleychick]

Interesting... I'll have to keep this in mind and test it out... so far my numbers of chicks are small, but I've had 2 surprises (1 I thought was male turned out to be female, and 1 I swore was female turned out to be male) based on the head markings. Can you post pictures comparing the two? Or would you say in the above picture that the one with its back to us is male, since it's golden outside of the marking, whereas the one in profile at the top (was it second from the left?) looks more like a female?

It's just a theory at this point but it has been working this year for me. I don't have pics and it's hard to explain, but it sounds like you get it. I'd say all female except the one with his back turned.
What did your male look like that turned out to be female?

 

[Sazbaby]

It's just a theory at this point but it has been working this year for me. I don't have pics and it's hard to explain, but it sounds like you get it. I'd say all female except the one with his back turned.
What did your male look like that turned out to be female?

That one had a somewhat narrow stripe on the head, mostly reddish brown (as opposed to darker markings you'd typically see on females) with only the point of the marking having a dark spot. There were others in the clutch with similar markings, only having darkness at the tip of the head stripe near the forehead, and they turned out to be male. This one grew in breast feathers that were slightly grayish at first and then started coming in brown just a few days before it (unfortunately) disappeared around 4-5 weeks old. Not a single smidge of black in the breast feathers. Of course, since it disappeared so young I can't guarantee that it was female, but compared to the others in the clutch, it was fairly obvious who was a boy and who was a girl by then, not only by feather coloring but combs as well, so I feel fairly confident saying it was a girl! I think I posted a picture a while back... I'll see if I can get it shuffled here...

 

[Sazbaby]

Here are the pictures shortly after hatch, and I inserted comments on who turned out to be who above each picture:
Quote: Some are fairly obvious but others not so much! You could look at some of these and see if your flecks/no flecks rule would be applicable, but of course it's a different strain/line than your own too...

 

[Mickey Lou 04]

What line do you have capeyvalleychick?

 

[capayvalleychick]

Here are the pictures shortly after hatch, and I inserted comments on who turned out to be who above each picture:
Some are fairly obvious but others not so much! You could look at some of these and see if your flecks/no flecks rule would be applicable, but of course it's a different strain/line than your own too...

Looks like my theory doesn't work with your chicks. Oh well, at least you can sex them when their feathers come in.

What line do you have capeyvalleychick?

My line is my own, since I've been breeding for years. I do not recommend mixing lines, it was a novice mistake but that's what I did in the beginning. Started with McMurray, added Black Diamond/Jeanne Fingar, Ideal, had some Superior Farms, added some Sand Hill and a few Craigslist finds.

 

[Mickey Lou 04]

What line did you like best? I looked at the black diamond website but I wasn't sure they were real. I am trying to move but I am planning on having a plan so as soon as we are moved I can hit the ground running.

Also how rough have your cocks been to the hens? I have been trying to plan out my pens, and I wasn't sure if I needed to be at the higher or lower end of the hen/cock ratio.

Sorry, I love peoples first hand experience better than anything else. That way you hear everyone's opinions.

 

[Mickey Lou 04]

Why would you not mix lines?

 

[capayvalleychick]

What line did you like best? I looked at the black diamond website but I wasn't sure they were real. I am trying to move but I am planning on having a plan so as soon as we are moved I can hit the ground running.

Also how rough have your cocks been to the hens? I have been trying to plan out my pens, and I wasn't sure if I needed to be at the higher or lower end of the hen/cock ratio.

Sorry, I love peoples first hand experience better than anything else. That way you hear everyone's opinions.

Why would you not mix lines?

I really can't recommend any of those lines. They all needed a lot of improvement to meet Standard. Some people in the east part of the country have received nice Dorkings from McMurray, but my luck was not so good with them. I recently saw some Dorkings from Duane Urch. Even those needed more size but if I were to order from someone, that might be a good choice. This isn't the right time of year, but you could get on a waiting list. There are other breeders that are doing some nice work in their breeding, like Mary Wetterstoem in FL, Kimberly in AL, if you want Whites- Yellowhouse or Dick Horstman for Reds.
My cocks aren't too rough with the hens. Cockerels sometimes can be, but they learn better.
I don't mind questions. There's a Facebook group for Dorkings that is active, if you didn't know.

When you mix lines, you mix the genes and that results in a mess that will take years to sort out the good from the bad. When you buy from an experienced breeder, they have been working with a set line of birds for years. They select for the good and cull out the bad. After time, they have a uniform line that is predictable. When you cross in another line -even from someone with good birds- the mix of genetics causes all kinds of unexpected traits to come out and you lose your consistency.

Read the Heritage Large Fowl thread and you will learn about this and lots of other things in order to be a successful breeder.

 

[Mickey Lou 04]

Thanks so much, I am wanting to help this breed so much. I am more than willing to put up with faulty birds. Did you see much in difference in type/build? What about temperament?

If I remember correctly doesn't duane urch breed coloreds?