B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[tazcat70]

Wonderful Yellow House Farm. You are very correct, sometimes the best starting place is to just start.

 

[hensonly]

Ok, y'all, here I am again! Some of you asked questions, so I'll try to answer them - hope it helps me figure out the best route!

First, wow, you have given me a lot to consider. And in a short time, as the extra roosters have GOT to go soon! The guy who processes my birds slaughters on Tuesdays, so either this Tues or next, they'll go. Now I just have to figure out how many I can keep from a practical standpoint, right now.

Someone asked what my coops are like. Well, one is a three-sided shelter with attached run. The run is roofed. The entire coop, house and run, is 8 x 12. I have to put up tarps around the run at night in winter so the hens don't freeze, which is a pain but works. The other coop is adjacent, they share a fence for part of the run. The second house is 8 x 12, has two chicken doors. the run is T shaped, just under 300 square feet. It would be possible to divide the house and run, except that there is only one gate into the run from outside, and only one people door into the chicken house from outside. I'd need access through the dividing partition, both inside and outside, which would complicate things.

Oh, by the way, before I forget, one of you mentioned something about them maybe starting to lay in May...they've started, three days before they turned five months, I got my first egg. I have three laying for sure, as I've gotten three eggs in one day several times. Of course, there may be more laying that haven't happened to coincide with the three. Anyhow, some eggs are a lovely creamy color, which is what I expected, some are brown, a lighter brown than my sex links lay, but still most definitely brown. They may be from the Orpington hens that came with the Dorkings. Or maybe not. sigh

Anyhow, back to the breeding question: I understand about needing more than one male to avoid inbreeding and to be able to improve the birds I have. I agree with the principle, of course. However - I only have a few white hens, and one is an Orpington and one has feathers on her toes, so if I'm going to breed only to white hens, I sure don't have much variety to start with on that side of the equation.

The reason I got these chicks in the fall was so I'd have eggs from them this spring - I didn't plan to breed this year anyway. So that buys me some time, as one of you pointed out.

So now my question : if i keep one male, as I planned, could I, next spring, perhaps, get another rooster or two and maybe even a few hens from you, Yellow HOuse? Or tgrlilly? Or anyone else withing striking distance? Bearing in mind that though I want to breed only birds that improve the stock I have, I really don't have the time or desire to devote to serious breeding on the level you do it. If you prefer to sell your birds only to serious breeders, that's fine. But if I could just keep one rooster now and get another one or two when I'm ready to use them, that would probably be easier for me. Or keep none of these roosters, use the hens just for eggs, and get some better stock next year. Or any other ideas anyone may suggest. I'm just trying to figure out what my options are, but I only have a very short time to decide. If I'm not going to use any of these roosters to breed my next generation, I'd prefer to have them all go at the same time, before they get "too old" to eat.

Thanks for all your assistance, everyone!

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Hensonly, given you're in NY, a pilgrimage to NH for Dorking would be fairly feasable in the long-term scheme of things.

As for your set up, if you can manage to divide your 8x12 into three sections, it would set you up for a fairly strong program. On of out house, for example, is 16x16, which contains eight 4x6 indoor units, four on either side with a 4' passage through the center. There are 2x4's that serve as verticles between the runs that are covered with chicken-wire with 2' knee walls so that the cocks don't fight through the wire. This is an inexpensive way to create the needed order. Counting 3-4 sq' of space per bird, you can see that you still have room for enough girls to provide eggs, while each pen has a cock to ensure your breeding.

This leaves your remaining, less permanent coop to be an ideal three season growing coop for each year's hatchlings. You mentioned building something tractor-esque. If you had another inexpensive three season set up, you would then be able to separate your cockerels from your pullets as they grow. You would be, as my grandmother would have said, cooking on the front burner.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

What you said is very interesting to me Yellow House Farm. I have been trying to work out how exactly to set up my pens and what to do with the big pen everyone is currently living in. I'd thought of using it as a grower coop and just dividing it in two but if 4x6 units are enough room for breeders (how many do you keep in each pen?) I could fit... 25! of those in my pen.

Not that I think that would work terribly well but I could fairly easily divide it up into 10 or so pens.
I do still want to keep some assorted layers. What can I say, I like colored eggs. I want blue and green and dark brown in my egg basket too.

I've considered instead of them having them in their own separate pen, the possibility of dividing them up between my Dorking breeder pens. I like the idea of pair or trio mating but it's hard on the hens. With my colored layers in with them, the hens would have less wear and I'd easily be able to tell the difference between eggs. This would be particularly useful this coming spring when I have so few birds and I'd like to mate them as pairs. I'd be interested to hear what others think if this idea.

I'm thinking as 3 seasons grow outs building portable 'hoop houses' from concrete re-enforcing mesh (reo), covered in chicken wire and up on skids so I can put them out in the paddock and they can get plenty of fresh grass and I can run electric fence around them to keep the local foxes out. How much room per bird would they need? That will give me some idea of how many I'll be building.

I have good news on my cockerel, he's finally filling out (20wo) and getting heavy! He still has plenty of breast to grow and I couldn't weigh him as the scales need a new battery but he feels heavier than my 8 pound cat.

Only just started crowwing too! Is late crowing a normal Dorking trait? If it is I like it!

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Hi Rare Breed Fancier! Thanks for you message, and I'm happy to give you some thought....but I'm being told it's time to watch a movie. You have some neat ideas though, indeed. Just think 3-4 sq' pf flour space per bird, not including access to an outdoor run. 4x6=24 24/4=6= 1 cock and 5 hens...not so shabby. This is their indoor facility and assumes access to an outdoor run, which increases their lived floor space.

EVERYBODY:

It's time to join the Dorking Breeders Club. Clubs form an important centrifugal force for the upkeep of a breed. A newsletter just came out, and we're gearing up for another. Membership is growing, let's spread the word and join ourselves. Jim Parker, who is also secretary of the Polish Breeders Club is owrking hard. It's easy as pie and darned inexpensive. Send $10.00 to:

Dorking Breeders Club
% Jim Parker
3232 Schooler Road
Cridersville, Ohio 45806

We still need more officers and district show directors.

When you send info please let us know what you raise and what/if you sell and how. As we are learning, it is critical for us to develop a powerful breeders directory for the location of stock. We cannot achieve this goal without membership. If you frequent other Dorking sites, spread the word.

Thank you for your ddedication.

Joseph

 

[Urbanfarmerkc]

Hi everyone,

I had thought after getting my Red Dorkings that I'd trade out my Silver/Greys, but alas, the Silver/Greys have grown on me. So, I guess I keeping both colors. Anyway, here is the quandary. I have only one rooster with my 9 hens. That means, that if I want to avoid mutant chickens, I need to have a rooster that isn't related. I live in Missouri (close to Kansas) does anyone have suggestions on where I can either trade a good rooster or buy hatching eggs/chicks to raise to breed with mine next year?

These are hatchery stock but to be honest, they came out REALLY nice. I was shocked. My roo is a little long in the leg but has great body type and meets a lot of the requirements for APA. I wouldn't win on a show line with the best of breeders against me but he is my old boy keeps his own. Some of my hens are TOP quality. I'm impressed with them. So, I'd like to perpetuate the good with quality rooster.

I appreciate any suggestions or help you might have.

Dave

 

[heritagehabitatfarms]

witch hatchery did they come from???

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[Yellow House Farm]

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You also do not need to breed him to all of your hens. You could choose the best one or two hens and then use those progeny with you unbred hens. if they are worthy or if they are all that is available to you.

 

[DaveK]

YHF has a good idea as well as the fact that your Dorking stock needn't be unrelated. It just needs to be quality and you have described them as worthwhile. If you wanted to use a number of hens you could make two pens. Cockerels from one pen bred back to hens from the second pen will not be breeding a mother if that matters. It would be pretty well impossible to keep a good flock of birds from having some or a fair degree of relation to each other. As far as good points that's desireable. As far as mutants just keep breeding, be sensible about matings and think of the road ahead and judge by results and not so much on a belief that the breeding may be too tight. If the original stock, the matings and the culling and selection are sound so should your birds be. And YES! the silvers while not flashy as some do grow on you.

Good Luck.

 

[Urbanfarmerkc]

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Ideal Hatchery