B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[stake]

Hi folks...rather new to the backyard chicken thing....and have to sing the praises of my two SGDorks....compared to by BOs and GLWs they are much more social and generally more friendly with the local kids who come to socialize with the chooks...my alpha girl is broody at at the moment and is sitting on four eggs..I think I'm going to get some reds (and a roo)next year and focus on this...

 

[ki4got]

YAY!!!!

the drought is nearing an end! I got the first egg in 4 weeks today.

now if the other 12 girls will start laying again...

 

[pysankigirl]

Hi folks...rather new to the backyard chicken thing....and have to sing the praises of my two SGDorks....compared to by BOs and GLWs they are much more social and generally more friendly with the local kids who come to socialize with the chooks...my alpha girl is broody at at the moment and is sitting on four eggs..I think I'm going to get some reds (and a roo)next year and focus on this...

welcome to the byc thing and the breed! I think what I love best about them is their personalities, too.

 

[BlackPanther]

That's one of the big things that got me interested in them!

 

[Framac]

Does anyone who has Horstman Reds know how long until they begin to lay. Mine are about 6 months old and no eggs yet.

Regards,

Framac

 

[cukooformarans]

Does anyone who has Horstman Reds know how long until they begin to lay. Mine are about 6 months old and no eggs yet.

Regards,

Framac

I have three that are a tad over thirty weeks old. I got my first egg from them this past Friday. I got two one day, so it appears that two of the three are laying.

 

[Framac]

I have three that are a tad over thirty weeks old. I got my first egg from them this past Friday. I got two one day, so it appears that two of the three are laying.

Thanks, so probably 3-4 more weeks.

Just curious what others you got from him. I got 3 packing peanuts, 1 hen, a SP rock and she gave me the first egg yesterday.

 

[cukooformarans]

He sent me two sets of eggs. The first set of eggs had a very low hatch rate and had some mixed chicks where his blue Andalusian hen had been getting into the pen with his Dorking's Unbeknownst to him. There was also one silver gray Dorking which hatched and which was included by mistake according to Mr. Horstman.

And the second set, I had a better hatch rate of red Dorking's. The packing peanuts were silver pencilled rocks, all of which ended up being Cockerels.

He sent me a full order for the second set even though I did have some hatch in the first. Overall I was very thankful for the way he handled the issues. And the birds that I got are growing out quite lovely.

 

[Framac]

He sent me two sets of eggs. The first set of eggs had a very low hatch rate and had some mixed chicks where his blue Andalusian hen had been getting into the pen with his Dorking's Unbeknownst to him. There was also one silver gray Dorking which hatched and which was included by mistake according to Mr. Horstman.

And the second set, I had a better hatch rate of red Dorking's. The packing peanuts were silver pencilled rocks, all of which ended up being Cockerels.

He sent me a full order for the second set even though I did have some hatch in the first. Overall I was very thankful for the way he handled the issues. And the birds that I got are growing out quite lovely.

That explains my 2 packing peanut cockerels. They were big and healthy, but not purebreds. That crossing would explain the coloring.

Thanks,

Framac

 

[cukooformarans]

You are welcome. He said the hen was squeezing through a hole the size of a fist. I got two of the mixes. They were both black but had five toes on one foot. They started out much smaller than the others, then surpassed the others in size during their teenage stage. The purebred dorkings caught back up, though, and the crosses were smaller at six months. One of the crosses was taken by a predator and the other went in the frying pan. He was very good to eat!