B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[ChickenQueen12]

he's not any recognized variety... silver grey has much more silver/white, less grey. colored would be marked similarly, but have straw hackles and red shoulders...

they're also supposed to have single comb, not rose.

sorry to say, i honestly don't think you'll get more than meat prices for them. good luck tho.

Thank you i kinda of thought so but wasnt sure i got them off ebay as hatching eggs and was told they were a rare variety of Dorking. I was told they were Birchen.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Thank you i kinda of thought so but wasnt sure i got them off ebay as hatching eggs and was told they were a rare variety of Dorking. I was told they were Birchen.

They are-ish, but they're not going to be stable, nor are they a recognized variety. If you're interested in Dorkings, which are awesome birds, we'd all be happy to help.

 

[Kilsharion]

I ordered Sandhill Red Dorkings last year. While they are not perfect, overall I have been quite impressed. I received 13 total, 7 pullets and 6 cockerels. There is quite a spectrum in color and temperament, but that was expected. Of the 6 cockerels, one is near excellent - good color, conformation, and size at 9 months, with a little more attitude than I would like but not unacceptable. He is very protective of his girls, and is learning to be an excellent flock leader from the older roosters. Another cockerel has excellent color, conformation, and a perfect attitude (nickname - lap rooster), but is a little smaller than ideal. The other four will be culled but are not horrible examples of the breed, just not what I want for my breeding program. Overall, I think I got a good foundation to move forward and breed for improvement.

Of the pullets, 2 of the 7 reds are more the CD pattern than the RD pattern, but those 2 pullets have excellent conformation and size. That makes me wonder if Sandhill's CDs, while having imperfect color, might have wonderful conformation overall. Since the CDs don't easily breed true for color, wonderful conformation and size might be the best recommendation you can find. (And all the girls are really sweet. I can't go out to the pasture without them milling around my feet begging to be picked up, or flying onto my shoulders.)

Ordering from Sandhill is different than from other businesses. I understand their reasoning and don't mind their setup. Others will find it uncomfortable. It is what it is, and if you aren't comfortable with it then you probably shouldn't use them. Personally, I admire what they are trying to do and like supporting those efforts with my business, despite the lack of customer service and time delays. But it's definitely not for everyone.

Thank you so much for that detailed rundown on Sandhill. It helped a lot.

 

[yinepu]

I ordered Sandhill Red Dorkings last year. While they are not perfect, overall I have been quite impressed. I received 13 total, 7 pullets and 6 cockerels. There is quite a spectrum in color and temperament, but that was expected. Of the 6 cockerels, one is near excellent - good color, conformation, and size at 9 months, with a little more attitude than I would like but not unacceptable. He is very protective of his girls, and is learning to be an excellent flock leader from the older roosters. Another cockerel has excellent color, conformation, and a perfect attitude (nickname - lap rooster), but is a little smaller than ideal. The other four will be culled but are not horrible examples of the breed, just not what I want for my breeding program. Overall, I think I got a good foundation to move forward and breed for improvement.

Of the pullets, 2 of the 7 reds are more the CD pattern than the RD pattern, but those 2 pullets have excellent conformation and size. That makes me wonder if Sandhill's CDs, while having imperfect color, might have wonderful conformation overall. Since the CDs don't easily breed true for color, wonderful conformation and size might be the best recommendation you can find. (And all the girls are really sweet. I can't go out to the pasture without them milling around my feet begging to be picked up, or flying onto my shoulders.)

Ordering from Sandhill is different than from other businesses. I understand their reasoning and don't mind their setup. Others will find it uncomfortable. It is what it is, and if you aren't comfortable with it then you probably shouldn't use them. Personally, I admire what they are trying to do and like supporting those efforts with my business, despite the lack of customer service and time delays. But it's definitely not for everyone.

I'm curious.. and I hope you don't mind me asking... but how long did it take for them to fill your order?

 

[ki4got]

I ordered Sandhill Red Dorkings last year. While they are not perfect, overall I have been quite impressed. I received 13 total, 7 pullets and 6 cockerels. There is quite a spectrum in color and temperament, but that was expected. Of the 6 cockerels, one is near excellent - good color, conformation, and size at 9 months, with a little more attitude than I would like but not unacceptable. He is very protective of his girls, and is learning to be an excellent flock leader from the older roosters. Another cockerel has excellent color, conformation, and a perfect attitude (nickname - lap rooster), but is a little smaller than ideal. The other four will be culled but are not horrible examples of the breed, just not what I want for my breeding program. Overall, I think I got a good foundation to move forward and breed for improvement.

Of the pullets, 2 of the 7 reds are more the CD pattern than the RD pattern, but those 2 pullets have excellent conformation and size. That makes me wonder if Sandhill's CDs, while having imperfect color, might have wonderful conformation overall. Since the CDs don't easily breed true for color, wonderful conformation and size might be the best recommendation you can find. (And all the girls are really sweet. I can't go out to the pasture without them milling around my feet begging to be picked up, or flying onto my shoulders.)

Ordering from Sandhill is different than from other businesses. I understand their reasoning and don't mind their setup. Others will find it uncomfortable. It is what it is, and if you aren't comfortable with it then you probably shouldn't use them. Personally, I admire what they are trying to do and like supporting those efforts with my business, despite the lack of customer service and time delays. But it's definitely not for everyone.

i agree, as chicks, their personality STUNK! couldn't wait to get them OUT of the house! but as adults, they're the first ones to run up and mug me for breakfast! ok, they're the second ones. the cochin babies (with tannish dorking pullet in the lead!) are first. LOL

that little dorking pullet (daughter of one of my sandhill girls) is pecking me at the back of my pants the whole way up, urging me to walk faster. LOL and the first one to jump on the bucket once i start filling it.
every morning i pick her up and stuff her in the feed bin so i can finish scooping the mix, then put her back down so she can harrass me down the drive to where i scatter their feed... quite a character.

 

[joyous]

I ordered Sandhill Red Dorkings last year. While they are not perfect, overall I have been quite impressed. I received 13 total, 7 pullets and 6 cockerels. There is quite a spectrum in color and temperament, but that was expected. Of the 6 cockerels, one is near excellent - good color, conformation, and size at 9 months, with a little more attitude than I would like but not unacceptable. He is very protective of his girls, and is learning to be an excellent flock leader from the older roosters. Another cockerel has excellent color, conformation, and a perfect attitude (nickname - lap rooster), but is a little smaller than ideal. The other four will be culled but are not horrible examples of the breed, just not what I want for my breeding program. Overall, I think I got a good foundation to move forward and breed for improvement.

Of the pullets, 2 of the 7 reds are more the CD pattern than the RD pattern, but those 2 pullets have excellent conformation and size. That makes me wonder if Sandhill's CDs, while having imperfect color, might have wonderful conformation overall. Since the CDs don't easily breed true for color, wonderful conformation and size might be the best recommendation you can find. (And all the girls are really sweet. I can't go out to the pasture without them milling around my feet begging to be picked up, or flying onto my shoulders.)

Ordering from Sandhill is different than from other businesses. I understand their reasoning and don't mind their setup. Others will find it uncomfortable. It is what it is, and if you aren't comfortable with it then you probably shouldn't use them. Personally, I admire what they are trying to do and like supporting those efforts with my business, despite the lack of customer service and time delays. But it's definitely not for everyone.

I agree, fortunately I live only about 30 minutes from Sandhill so I just drive up to get chicks. I have also had good luck with their reds and their Cuckoos. Look up Glenn Drowns history and you will find he is an amazing man, who also recently wrote Storey's Guide to Raising Poultry. Sand hill is not really an hatchery , as their whole focus is about conservation. Also they are very honest about the quality of their birds and state if they are not up to standards. Because of the summers heat and drought they had a low crop of reds, so I bought two amazing young rose comb red dorking roos from him. I would say the Cuckoos are not quite as nice as the reds, but I got some amazing chicks from them when culled and bred carefully.

 

[cbnovick]

A couple of pictures of my favorite 2012 hatched pullet.




I young male that I like.

Great to see some breeder work on these heritage Dorkings in white!! NICE birds

 

[cbnovick]

Jwhip, I like her body and her head.

So you have the Rocks and th White Dorkings, anything else?

He has New Hamps too. I am incubating a few dozen of his cross of German Line onto Good Shephard American line right now...hatch date around 02/19/13. Very excited to add a few of these to my flock and offer the rest.

.

 

[capayvalleychick]

I am bummed. Looks like Spike died without progeny after all.

Sorry. I wish you better luck in the future.

 

[BlackPanther]

i agree, as chicks, their personality STUNK! couldn't wait to get them OUT of the house! but as adults, they're the first ones to run up and mug me for breakfast! ok, they're the second ones. the cochin babies (with tannish dorking pullet in the lead!) are first. LOL

that little dorking pullet (daughter of one of my sandhill girls) is pecking me at the back of my pants the whole way up, urging me to walk faster. LOL and the first one to jump on the bucket once i start filling it.
every morning i pick her up and stuff her in the feed bin so i can finish scooping the mix, then put her back down so she can harrass me down the drive to where i scatter their feed... quite a character.

LOL very sweet. This made me smile