B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[Mrs MIA]

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It's late, and I'm frazzled, but did you send me the tracking number?

 

[tgrlily]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

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It's late, and I'm frazzled, but did you send me the tracking number?

It was in the shipping notification from the USPS. I just emailed it in case you can't find it.​

 

[Mrs MIA]

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It's late, and I'm frazzled, but did you send me the tracking number?

It was in the shipping notification from the USPS. I just emailed it in case you can't find it.

Color me blushing... LOL! I must have accidentally deleted the email, cuz I can't find it now.

Thank you for the resend! I'll keep tabs on it, but I'll head to the PO this morning anyway.

 

[rtroxel]

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Rudy, really enjoyed the website and the images of your Dorkings as well as the Cochins. I remember George Opperman and what at that time were very large partridge. But back to your red Dorkings. Nice, solid, deep bodied birds. Their young will be a lot of fun to watch develop. I was surprised at the idea of the reds having a reputation for lacking vigor etc.. That sure wasn't the case when we had them though it was some time ago. Back then a lot of the red Dorking folks kept, bred and actually used their Dorkings. They were a homestead breed for many and long before the term became fashionable. Great looking, meat, plenty of eggs and there were some, like a lady in upstate New York, who hatched all their youngsters under the broody Dorking hens. I see Joe has mentioned the rose combed colored and that was another interesting thing about the reds. There seemed to be nearly as many rose combed birds as the single combs.

I think that lot of the hatchery stock that people get is mediocre. Lots of lines have also become inbred. (Side note: If you are hatching enough young and putting enough selection pressure on your line, it should never lack vigor due to inbreeding.) Or they don't select hard enough for vitality and then people get these chicks that die easily and have strange problems. I took 22 Dorking chicks to my outdoor brooder last week straight from the incubator. I feed and water them once a day. There were 15 chicks in the brooder from previous hatches. I haven't lost a birds yet. Competition is high, but food and water are available. They are little fighter. They just push their way right up between the bigger chicks!

 

[TOL Chick]

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TGRlily sent eggs a couple weeks ago and I'm waiting on baited breath for them to hatch. I've go a very special momma hen setting outside who is going to inherit these babies. I lost 3 of the Reds that came from Sandhill when the mom's abandoned them for some weird reason... so strange. Luckily I went out in time to put chicks back into their brooder pen and return the mothers to their task. They have been fine since then... Who knows what happened. ???

Anyway, I am so excited about these babies and am thinking this is going to be an awesome flock of Red Dorkings!!!!!! YEAH!

I hope they're doing well!! The eggs you sent are doing great! Sorry that you lost some babies.

I have 4 new Red Dorking babies from Jen's eggs ----- All girls!!! What are the odds of that??

That is AWESOME! I want PICTURES PLEASE

 

[tazcat70]

Renee how are your eggs doing?

 

[tgrlily]

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Which ones?! The Reds hatched!

The SGs are doing great! They have a week to go. I won't candle the White & Colored eggs till at least Sunday. I set them last Friday.

How are yours doing?

 

[Urbanfarmerkc]

Have you guys had any problems with Sandhill Pres chicks? I have over 300 chicks right now and have not lost but a few and those were because I helped them out of the egg and they were weak when they were born. I put the Sandhill under mom hens and those are great moms but I've lost over 5 out of 20... There are other chicks with them that I hatched and those are fine too... ??? Very discouraging...

I usually don't use medicated feed but have bought some and have started feeding it today... maybe it was stress or a bacteria they picked up... Sure hope they didn't give my others anything!!!

Will keep you informed.

Dave

 

[tazcat70]

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Which ones?! The Reds hatched!

The SGs are doing great! They have a week to go. I won't candle the White & Colored eggs till at least Sunday. I set them last Friday.

How are yours doing?

Mine are doing good.. would have been doing better if I wasn't an idiot! I just got a sportsman and I am not used to setting so many...and I was candling. I think I pulled out some that were ok. By the time I did the eggtopsies they weren't alive....but darned if they didn't look about the right age!

. So I have decided if it doesn't stink...it stays. At least until day 18 when I candle. I am so sick over it.

 

[tgrlily]

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Try adding some vitamins & electrolites to the waterer. It might just be stress from shipping.