Dorkings are very tough to breed because the chicks are not hardy and so few survive to adulthood. So I started crossing them with other birds with desirable meat traits then crossing the offspring back to the Dorking's. My first and current attempt is with Red Rangers. I took some pictures I can share.
The patriarch, My lead Dorking Rooster. He isn't show quality he has an error in his Comb but he is the only Male I have and so far no pure Dorking males I hatched have made it to adulthood. I do not care about show quality I want high meat quality.
Not the best focus but one of the few Adult Female Dorking photos I have a picture of from in front, when I arrive with a camera they walk away and avoid me.
Young Dorking Pullet that was hardy enough to survive. Seems I can only get a small percentage of female to survive and no males. So I started crossing them with Red Rangers. And BTW the crossing tastes great, I ate all but one male. Kept the females for breeding.
Here is the Patriarch with his daughters, Their offspring are being raised currently with the oldest batch out of the brooder already.
Here is one of the Dorking x Red Ranger crosses dust bathing, you can see the Red Leakage in this grey pattern that is an Incomplete Columbian pattern.
The Fastest Growing male from the Dorking x Red Ranger crossing, He was bred back to my Dorking Hens. I did not keep as many offspring of this crossing because the variables in pattern was quite vast. I kept more of the reverse crossing.
Here he is with 2 silver grey dorking where I crossed him back.
ignore the solid black chick, its not one of the crossings... These guys are 3/4 Dorking 1/4 Red Ranger. This batch is still young and just now out of the brooder. you can see one has serious red leakage but most have none or very little, Some even have the salmon breast of the Silver Grey Dorking while others (not in picture) have a Columbian pattern, most hare halfway between.
Here is one chick from the Crossing using Pure bred Dorking hens and a crossed Rooster. The patterns from this particular breed back are far more Diverse. Than the back crossing using a Pure bred Dorking Rooster.
The last 2 pictures are just more pictures from the 3/4 Dorking 1/4 Red Ranger using the Pure Bred Dorking Rooster. I have about 25 of those in total. I will be breeding these back to the Pure Bred Dorkings again after I breed them with 4 toe birds to see which one have the 4 toe recessive trait. All those chicks will be given away on Craigslist as Barnyard Mix, or sold for $1 a piece straight run and I will accept any offer. I only want to see if the Dorking I used has the 4 toe recessive trait.
.... eventually I will have Columbian patterned Dorkings from this crossing and multiple Cross backs. Those are known as light Dorkings. I may even have Red Dorkings and Buff Dorkings if I choose to. Not really wanting that now but things change.
@CGilbert After this I will be Breeding Dorkings to a Recessive White patterned chicken and breed that back. It may lead to pure white Dorkings... I haven't started that project yet and the final product is a long way off.
