B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[melissaG]

You didn't clutter the thread at all! Temperament is a hallmark of this breed and this is a great place to discuss it.

Eggxactly!

 

[pysankigirl]

You didn't clutter the thread at all! Temperament is a hallmark of this breed and this is a great place to discuss it.

exactly! one of the reasons I like them so much is their temperament. historically english and great temperament.

and English games are historical, too, but you don't see me getting any of them!

 

[Alaskan]

BGMatt, did you think I was being snarky?

I did mean it, I find the discussion about the temperament quite interesting.

For me, temperament is a BIG determining factor over whether I want to raise a breed or not.

I don't have any Dorkings right now, but I want two or three quality breeds next year, and start breeding quality birds, breeding to their standard but always with a big focus on vigor and temperament.

I very much dislike it when chickens eat each other. I am not that happy when they pick at each other's feathers either.

The stuff you are talking about, as well as everyone's responses are important to me. Informative.

 

[Sydney Acres]

BGMatt, did you think I was being snarky?

I did mean it, I find the discussion about the temperament quite interesting.

For me, temperament is a BIG determining factor over whether I want to raise a breed or not.

I don't have any Dorkings right now, but I want two or three quality breeds next year, and start breeding quality birds, breeding to their standard but always with a big focus on vigor and temperament.

I very much dislike it when chickens eat each other. I am not that happy when they pick at each other's feathers either.

The stuff you are talking about, as well as everyone's responses are important to me. Informative.

I totally agree. Temperment is so important. I won't have a breed that is too mean to enjoy.

BGMatt, if your Dorkings were hunting each other's blood feathers, as opposed to attacking to fight, then my Dorkings also did this as chicks. Can't remember the exact age, but I think it was around 6-8 weeks old. I had them on standard chick diet, 18% protein. When I increased the protein by mixing in 1/3 game bird starter (30% protein) I got some improvement, ~50% resolution, but it was still a serious problem. I later added a small amount of baked fish or dried kitten food to their meals, and the problem stopped in all but one cockerel within 2 days. I think this breed, or at least the line I have (2012 Sandhill Reds), needs some meat protein in addition to the plant proteins in standard chicken diets. Once I let them outside to free range over 10 acres, I stopped the kitten food/fish supplements, since they were hunting their own prey (bugs, baby mice, whatever prey the barn cat didn't finish or they could steal from her, etc). The problem has not returned, so they either outgrew it, or they're getting enough animal protein outside to make cannibalism unnecessary. The one cockerel that never stopped the behavior was culled, specifically for that reason (otherwise, he would have been rooster #2). He was terrorizing and destabilizing the flock.

 

[ki4got]

So, are Dorkings as a breed known for being real aggressive about picking on other fowl? Or is it just this line that I have? I have had to do more rearranging and isolating and more young birds bloodied this year than almost anytime in the past 20 years (I had one line of Jersey Giants that were this way too). The only common denominator in all cases has been the Dorkings were involved.

mine are super mellow and tolerate other birds/breeds quite well. but then, they're also not confined, but free ranging. so when someone has a tiff, they work it out and the loser goes somewhere else in the yard... I have rooster squabbles frequently. usually between the sfh, blrw and cochins. rarely are the dorkings involved. (I should mention none of these squabbles ever ends in serious bloodshed. mostly just unfurled umbrellas and lost of jumping around. LOL)

 

[dorkings]

Kim, great pictures of your dorkings from February. I waited until the end of April to hatch some of our dorking chicks because it had been so cold up here. I ended up culling the rooster after the hatch because he threw three 4 toed chicks and he was so darn mean to us. I was super excited to get 7 girls and only 3 roosters. We now have a new 8 month old rooster in with the girls and he is such a nice boy we have harmony once again.

 

[speedy2020]

Here are my rose comb Dorking at 3 months. The pullets are colored, but I am not sure about the cockerels.

 

[LilyD]

I just had to share for others who order from Murray McMurray Hatchery. I ordered an order of 25 Silver Gray Dorking roosters from them, because I was light in the rooster area since my dorking hens were having problems laying fertile eggs. They sent me money back saying they could only give me 21 chicks. I got the chicks and upon first looking at them I thought wow a lot of these chicks are girls not boys. Then I read on here and people were saying the McMurray Dorkings tend to have darker features even in the boys so I figured I would wait and see what they turned out to be.

Now they are 4 weeks old and many of them don't even have combs at all and are very definitely developing a rosy colored breast. Out of the 21 I would have to say that more than 1/2 are girls rather than boys.

Has anyone else had this happen or is this just a fluke.

I have also noticed that even with handling the chicks from McMurray are much more timid than the chicks that I have seen for Silver Gray Dorkings before. I don't even need to open the brooder, if I just walk into the barn they will all run into the corner of the brooder and pile up on each other. I am handling them daily but boy it seems like even with that they don't get any better. Hopefully once they are older they will be less flighty.

 

[kimberly35042]

It seems like the McMurray chicks were timid for a while, but treats warmed them up into a swarm of tiny velociraptors in no time. They still didn't care to be handled, and I'm ok without cuddling chickens so we're good.

Now they are several months old and friendly and docile. They run when I call to feed them which is nice when you need to put them somewhere without trying to catch them. All in all, I like them a lot. The cockerals are adolescents now, but not one of the 5 have tried anything that will get them a crockpot before fall.

 

[kimberly35042]

Quote:
BGMatt, would you mind sharing what someone pm'd you? Are you saying the cochins might have been the problem? Are they also LF?

I had toyed with getting a couple of cochin hens, but I only want the dorkings for the breeding project.