B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[dalalune]

Let's face it, none of us are in this for the money. Most of the time we are just trying to convince our spouses that we are not spending too much on this hobby and waving a $50 bill under their noses every once in a while helps us be allowed to have dorkings at all.

If you are doing it for the money (profit) that would probably make you a hatchery; and we all know that is a whole ‘nother ball o’ wax!

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Well, there you go. Nothing like a little situation definition. "'I see' says the blind man". That was clarifying and helpful.

 

[pysankigirl]

Everyone has the right to breed how and what type wish BUT: the purebred gene pool of QUALITY birds is NOT increased by breeding "BACKYARD" chickens of unknown parentage. Unless you keep them separate for the breeding season, there is NO WAY you will know absolutely certainly which are purebreds and which are not.

Ok, not trying to step om anyone's toes - I just hope that those who breed mixres, don't sell the chick as purebreds, no matter how gorgeous they are.

No one was saying they were doing that. The people in question WANTED mixes. And if you only have Dorking Roo's running loose and the other non-dorking chickens lay brown or blue eggs, than you can. that's one nice thing about the fact that dorking eggs are white!

 

[greenhorn]

but until such a time, i don't see how it's anyone else's business what i do or why. that is between me, my chickens and my customers.

You asked what to do with the eggs so you shouldn't go off when you get honest sensible answers. This is a Dorking thread, I and others gave you a response that a real Dorking breeder would offer. What did you really expect? People here are trying to preserve the breed so when you ask if you should hatch mutt eggs you should already have known what the logical answer was going to be......

You say you know a lot about breeding and have a real cool little link in your sig about it. Yet you don't seem to take breeding seriously. How difficult would it be to pen up your best rooster with your best 2 hens (of the same colors) and collect a few good eggs instead of hatching a bunch of mutts. You would be able to spend your time and energy focusing on creating something worth while rather than just muddying up the gene pool worse than what it already is.

If you your customers will buy mutts they surely would buy pure breed birds. You don't have to sell them for much more than 5 dollars.....

You asked, you got good answers.

 

[sandiklaws]

OK... since some are already crossing and since I am interested in re-introducing the gene into a composite breed that contains Dorking, I am hoping some folks on this thread can help me. I am looking for Dorkings and/or Dorking cross eggs to hatch and use in an out cross project to improve Faverolles. I have 2 great F1' pullets that I will be using this year, and have passed on my F1 cockerel to hopefully assist in re-building the white LF Faverolles, however, I am still interested in getting Dorkings w/ straight comb genes, crosses with white skin are also good, and if they carry beard or feather leg genes so much the better. If you happen to have some eggs you would be willing to ship, please pm me w/ what you would like for them... meat qualities and hardiness are especially needed, all culls will be eaten, all pure stock will be passed on to others (if worthy) after being used in my program.

Thanks

 

[greenhorn]

OK... since some are already crossing and since I am interested in re-introducing the gene into a composite breed that contains Dorking, I am hoping some folks on this thread can help me. I am looking for Dorkings and/or Dorking cross eggs to hatch and use in an out cross project to improve Faverolles. I have 2 great F1' pullets that I will be using this year, and have passed on my F1 cockerel to hopefully assist in re-building the white LF Faverolles, however, I am still interested in getting Dorkings w/ straight comb genes, crosses with white skin are also good, and if they carry beard or feather leg genes so much the better. If you happen to have some eggs you would be willing to ship, please pm me w/ what you would like for them... meat qualities and hardiness are especially needed, all culls will be eaten, all pure stock will be passed on to others (if worthy) after being used in my program.

Thanks

Oh god.....

 

[ki4got]

Quote: Everyone has the right to breed how and what type wish BUT: the purebred gene pool of QUALITY birds is NOT increased by breeding "BACKYARD" chickens of unknown parentage. Unless you keep them separate for the breeding season, there is NO WAY you will know absolutely certainly which are purebreds and which are not.

Ok, not trying to step om anyone's toes - I just hope that those who breed mixres, don't sell the chick as purebreds, no matter how gorgeous they are.
actually, yes, i can tell. because my wyandottes have rose combs (thus the chicks do too), the buff orpington's chicks are buff, and the easter eggers have dark legs and pea combs. so pretty easy to tell once they hatch which ones are which. the mutts are sold off as chicks and i raise the pures.

 

[cukooformarans]

Our 5- week old red dorkings had their first field trip in the yard today. They spent 30 minutes scratching in an ant bed. I have never had any of my chickens spend that much time at an ant bed. Is that normal for dorkings?? Even our dog left them alone, which was exciting! Looking forward to seeing them grow!

 

[Kilsharion]

Our 5- week old red dorkings had their first field trip in the yard today. They spent 30 minutes scratching in an ant bed. I have never had any of my chickens spend that much time at an ant bed. Is that normal for dorkings?? Even our dog left them alone, which was exciting! Looking forward to seeing them grow!

I don't know about it being specific to Dorkings. My Barred Rocks and my EEs have decimated about every ant hill I have, especially once they discovered the larvae down below the initial scratch or two.

 

[cukooformarans]

Wow! That is awesome! Maybe I have just never noticed. It was great because my four/year old says she is their chicken mommy (we incubated shipped eggs and she says they have to have a mommy) and the chicks attacked the ant bed after an ant bit her. So now she says they were taking care of their chicken mommy. LOL I don't have the heart to tell her that is just what chickens do!