B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[ki4got]

Quote: someone on the dorking breeder's club last year stated that they were in the process of importing some birds, I thought maybe that was the same person...

 

[capayvalleychick]

The only hatchery sources for Dorkings in the US are MMCM, Ideal, Stromberg's (Duane Urch birds in disguise), and Sand Hill. Any other folks are selling birds from these sources, which means same quality with a middle-man mark-up. All are hatchery quality birds. Dick Horstman has combed his birds with birds from a gentleman in VA. They are of OK quality. If there are any even moderately SQ Dorkings in America, they are in the Reds, Whites, and SGs. There are no elite SQ Dorkings in America, at least within the public ken, nor have there been for multiple decades.

I agree and am glad that you responded to that post, because I was shaking my head in disbelief, especially after looking at the website.

However, I am taking exception to your statement above. There are breeders who have been breeding for enough generations that their line can be considered their own - not hatchery. You are correct that there are no top exhibition quality Dorkings in existence at this point in time - but IMO there are breeders that have bred their own Dorkings, that are at least a step above hatchery quality.

To name a couple... Mary Wetterstroem in FL and Liz Munro in Canada. Liz is the person who imported Dorkings from Holland. I've been admiring her original SGDs for some time. No, neither person has "SQ" Dorkings, but they both have been working hard to improve their line and deserve more respect than to be lumped in with people who have hatchery quality Dorkings.

I've said this to you in a pm on the Dorking Club but I'm going to say it again. It's insulting to the rest of us, those of us who are serious breeders of Dorkings, and are earnestly doing our best to breed to the SOP, when you frequently imply that - aside from Dick Horstman and you and maybe Rudy - there are no other breeders with Dorkings that are any better than hatchery stock. Even if it's true, it's disparaging and discouraging.

someone on the dorking breeder's club last year stated that they were in the process of importing some birds, I thought maybe that was the same person...

 

[Alaskan]

So, are all of Stromberg's chicks from Duane Urch?

 

[ronott1]

So, are all of Stromberg's chicks from Duane Urch?

No, only the ones that say Show Quality.

Order those from Urch--It is much less expensive.

I have his current price sheet somewhere

 

[Alaskan]

Score! I have SO WANTED THAT!

 

[ronott1]

Score! I have SO WANTED THAT!

I am happy to help!

I am a chicken enabler....

 

[Yellow House Farm]

I agree and am glad that you responded to that post, because I was shaking my head in disbelief, especially after looking at the website.

However, I am taking exception to your statement above. There are breeders who have been breeding for enough generations that their line can be considered their own - not hatchery. You are correct that there are no top exhibition quality Dorkings in existence at this point in time - but IMO there are breeders that have bred their own Dorkings, that are at least a step above hatchery quality.

To name a couple... Mary Wetterstroem in FL and Liz Munro in Canada. Liz is the person who imported Dorkings from Holland. I've been admiring her original SGDs for some time. No, neither person has "SQ" Dorkings, but they both have been working hard to improve their line and deserve more respect than to be lumped in with people who have hatchery quality Dorkings.

I've said this to you in a pm on the Dorking Club but I'm going to say it again. It's insulting to the rest of us, those of us who are serious breeders of Dorkings, and are earnestly doing our best to breed to the SOP, when you frequently imply that - aside from Dick Horstman and you and maybe Rudy - there are no other breeders with Dorkings that are any better than hatchery stock. Even if it's true, it's disparaging and discouraging.

Hmmmm...that's because you're reading too much into it, and not reading in progression with what I said. I was discussing hatcheries and my references were to hatcheries, which if you reread the paragraph which gave you offense, you'll notice that the very first sentence in the paragraph made it clear. The hatchery in question is a "hatchery" not a breeder. I made specific mention of Dick's birds because they have at least the possibility of being a different line as opposed to other hatcheries/pseudo-hatcheries (such as this one).

When I said this: "If there are any even moderately SQ Dorkings in America, they are in the Reds, Whites, and SGs. " Yours were some of what I had in mind. I didn't mention you, but then again I didn't mention, us, Rudy or Dick in that statement--thus neither did I exclude you. As to your comment: "when you frequently imply that - aside from Dick Horstman and you and maybe Rudy - there are no other breeders with Dorkings that are any better than hatchery stock." This is an assumption on your part, and it is incorrect. I enjoyed the photos of your birds. You'll also notice that I did not elevate mine above the Reds or the SG's--including yours. When I mention those birds, it is as sources for stock. I don't tell people to go to you because I've not ever been under the impression that you are actively working to make stock available: shipping chicks, etc... Are you? Did I miss that? Or are you just being sensitive?

And to the point that you are admiring stock, that's great. Your eye is not mine. I have a very critical eye, and I'm harshest at home. When I look at current stock, whether it be Rudy's, Dick's, yours, mine, what I've seen of Mary's, I see stock in need of improvement. I don't see show quality, and I don't "admire" any of it. I see potential, and I see building blocks. When there's actually a Dorking that can take Champion English in good competition, I'll admire it.

Now that we're all offended, the only reason I chimed in here at all, which I try to avoid because of this very sort of silliness, was for the sake of beginning lurkers who might be coming here for advice, it would be a shame were they to get a false start by ordering from this "hatchery" believing in any way that they are ordering SQ stock imported from Britain. So, with that, back to lurking.

 

[Sazbaby]

Not to completely change the subject... but I had chicks hatch earlier this week! After a bit of a fiasco that made me worry that nothing would survive, we have 7 chicks hatched and a happy first-time mama hen! These are from eggs I got from Karen (KI4GOT), I believe the eggs are from red and sg dorking hens (Do you have colored hens too? My memory fails me...) and if I remember right, possible roos are red and sg dorking, an EE, BLRW, and slightly possibly a SFH youngster. All 7 chicks have 5 toes on both feet and single combs. Two look likely red, a few look sg, and two are very light, faintly colored (last 2 pictures are of these little pastel ones). Any guesses on what I'm looking at here? Excited to have cute little ones running around again, but again frustrated to have to wait a few weeks for those breast feathers to come in...

 

[ronott1]

Not to completely change the subject... but I had chicks hatch earlier this week! After a bit of a fiasco that made me worry that nothing would survive, we have 7 chicks hatched and a happy first-time mama hen! These are from eggs I got from Karen (KI4GOT), I believe the eggs are from red and sg dorking hens (Do you have colored hens too? My memory fails me...) and if I remember right, possible roos are red and sg dorking, an EE, BLRW, and slightly possibly a SFH youngster. All 7 chicks have 5 toes on both feet and single combs. Two look likely red, a few look sg, and two are very light, faintly colored (last 2 pictures are of these little pastel ones). Any guesses on what I'm looking at here? Excited to have cute little ones running around again, but again frustrated to have to wait a few weeks for those breast feathers to come in...

Dorking chicks are amazing!

 

[ki4got]

Not to completely change the subject... but I had chicks hatch earlier this week! After a bit of a fiasco that made me worry that nothing would survive, we have 7 chicks hatched and a happy first-time mama hen! These are from eggs I got from Karen (KI4GOT), I believe the eggs are from red and sg dorking hens (Do you have colored hens too? My memory fails me...) and if I remember right, possible roos are red and sg dorking, an EE, BLRW, and slightly possibly a SFH youngster. All 7 chicks have 5 toes on both feet and single combs. Two look likely red, a few look sg, and two are very light, faintly colored (last 2 pictures are of these little pastel ones). Any guesses on what I'm looking at here? Excited to have cute little ones running around again, but again frustrated to have to wait a few weeks for those breast feathers to come in...

best I can say, since I know what they came from potentially, is wait for them to mature and we'll see what you've got. LOL yeah I know from your many emails, waiting isn't your strong point. (just teasing).

all single combs is a good thing. that weeds out the Wyandotte and ee's. other than that, I would say the red and sg are obvious, the lighter golden ones could be golden cockerels (heterozygous for silver). but for now it'll just be a waiting game.

if you WANT more EE chicks, I've got a BUNCH of weebies in the brooder. 8) think you got all the pure eggs and I hatched all the ee/'dotte mutts.