B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[Alaskan]

To state the painfully obvious: 1. google him. 2. Click on links found.
I believe the Heritage Exhibition Turkey thread has his 2013 list posted. His hatchery sells chickens, turkeys, ducks,geese, and possibly a few things I have forgotten.

I have tried googling......

I found his 2012 list of Turkey, his address and phone number,

But not a list of his chickens, their prices, or pictures,

 

[ronott1]

I have tried googling......

I found his 2012 list of Turkey, his address and phone number,

But not a list of his chickens, their prices, or pictures,

I have seen Urch discussed before--regarding the pictures. I was told that they were Show Quality and to not question it.

I would still like to see pictures.

If you can get Chicks from him do it. The rumor is that he is going to retire soon.

 

[sandiklaws]

I have seen Urch discussed before--regarding the pictures. I was told that they were Show Quality and to not question it.

I would still like to see pictures.

If you can get Chicks from him do it. The rumor is that he is going to retire soon.

Bought a wonderful Tom slate turkey from him a couple years ago, he was excellent quality for the money spent

 

[BGMatt]

Thanks for the great info Sazbaby and Sydney Acres! In our flock we have two Silkie Roosters we use for breedinot for protection thats why i was asking. Our dogs are not the problem actually our dogs love to lay out there by the chickens and watch them like a rooster!! but we have people that dont to a great job of keeping there dogs under control... which might take all the chickens. What would you recommend for the best breed of rooster?

I would not recommend relying on a cock bird to protect the flock. It's a very "romantic" notion but not very practical. Also keep in mind it is OUR duty to guard our birds, you can't fault other people for not training their dog to leave prey (chickens) alone when they don't own them (honestly, legal or not shooting a dog over a chicken is just silly), again it is YOUR respnsibility, and mine as flock owners to defend our flocks. It's about good management, something that is often lost on people these days.

The best defense is good fencing. 4-6' with a wire apron around the bottom on the outside to protect from animals digging in, and a hot wire 6-8" below the top of the fence to stop anything from climbing in.

 

[BGMatt]

I have tried googling......

I found his 2012 list of Turkey, his address and phone number,

But not a list of his chickens, their prices, or pictures,

Call him. I believe it's $7 or $8 a chick, there is a price list found by searching for Urch/Turnland Poultry Price List. As far as pictures, just remember, a lot of serious breeders do not have time to go running around taking pictures to please newbies. Duane is Hall of Fame breeder, he does have a lot of breeds so not all of them are the best in the world, but even the worst he has is miles above hatchery stock. I have three Dorkings from him and they seem to be coming along pretty well at around 4-5 months.

 

[Alaskan]

Thanks everyone for the Duane info, that answered lots of questions.

 

[kimberly35042]

Duane is very nice and will mail you a price list if you call him. I spoke with him earlier this year. I get the impression that he isn't internet savvy and would take bets he doesn't have a digital camera. I caught him in the house around lunchtime.

 

[kimberly35042]

Quote:
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[ronott1]

Duane is very nice and will mail you a price list if you call him. I spoke with him earlier this year. I get the impression that he isn't internet savvy and would take bets he doesn't have a digital camera. I caught him in the house around lunchtime.

Yes. I got an email from his wife.

It is best to call.

 

[Sazbaby]

Also keep in mind it is OUR duty to guard our birds, you can't fault other people for not training their dog to leave prey (chickens) alone when they don't own them (honestly, legal or not shooting a dog over a chicken is just silly), again it is YOUR respnsibility, and mine as flock owners to defend our flocks.

Yes... but... you >>>>CAN<<<< fault other people for letting their dogs run loose to terrorize other people's pets and livestock at will, especially those that have been caught doing it previously. Anyone who thinks their dog won't return to a farm where they had fun chasing and killing a chicken (or a cat or a sheep or a calf... etc) and do the same thing again is fooling themselves. It's not the dog's fault (it's just instinct), it's the owners fault. People need to take responsibility for the actions/outcomes of their dogs' behavior if they are allowed to go off their property unsupervised. And while it might seem "silly" to shoot a dog over *a* chicken, you have to consider that rarely just one chicken is killed but more often it's several, sometimes an entire flock decimated, and what are the chances that the owner will handle the dog any differently in the future? Consider the "going rate" here locally for a young laying hen or one about to lay, which is around $12-15 depending on the breed. I like dogs just fine, but I can tell you that once I've lost a couple of birds at this value and have to look at reinvesting money and possibly waiting months (paying for feed in the mean time) for them to be productive, the option of shooting the dog starts to become much more plausible and necessary since our local animal control/law enforcement folks have no role in it. Also consider pack mentality if dogs run in small groups, killing an entire *large* flock is a definite reality. This adds up to hundreds of dollars very quickly, as well as the loss of valuable genetics for so many people. The other concerning thing is that often times when a dog is caught in the act, their adrenaline is going so strong and they are so caught up in the moment that it can be impossible to get them to cease and desist, no matter the yelling/throwing stuff/ect to try to get them to stop, and shooting them becomes the only way to stop the carnage. I personally have spent well over $1000 in fencing, chargers, and materials to build secure coops, and I just hope the dogs never get through. I seriously doubt that any of my neighbors with dogs running loose have any appreciation for the money we've put into our flock, and they would indeed go ballistic if their precious little pooch got shot for such behavior, but I also seriously doubt that I'd ever get reimbursed for losses by them either, without taking them to court. Yes, I do keep a .22 and a shotgun by the back door, for whatever needs arise, and in my mind, that (as well as our fencing) is just me defending our flock, just as you say, it's indeed my responsibility, for sure. I will try my hardest to resist any further ranting on this topic, but it is a serious pet peeve of mine and a big problem where we live. You could argue that dogs don't kill livestock, it's their *owners* who allow it to happen, sort of like guns don't kill people....