B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

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Kim,

I think I'll be little help but since no one else has answered, I'll tell you what I do. First, I tell my customers that my chickens are free range which means they eat what they can find and usually that means anything that moves and is small enough to be swallowed. Second, I tell them that if I were to feed the chickens as every customer asks, my eggs would be around $14 per dozen. (Which is what one local organic farmer charges.)

I try to buy local feed by going to a local feed store. It isn't 100% local but if 1/2 of it is then I've made a great contribution.

My feed I buy has no cow meat products added to it. That is a must for my customers since they have all watched the documentaries about what that looks like.

Because feed prices have risen to $14 per bag, I no longer use JUST chicken feed. I have begun purchasing the higher protein content chick feed (one bag) and mix it with a cattle feed our store has that is 14% protein. The protein numbers you wrote in your other posting seems a little high to me. I don't think it has to be quite that high. Especially if your chickens are ranging your yard/pasture.

Hope this helps.

Dave
 
Quote:
I appreciate your input, especially since I haven't received many comments. My Dorkings are not good enough that I would feel right selling hatching eggs, so I need to sell eating eggs to make a little income and help with feed costs. There is a lot of competition here. People seem to either want certified organic eggs or cheap eggs. I'm somewhere in the middle and have trouble finding buyers.
I admire that you buy local and I do think that is important. I can't seem to find many chicken feed ingredients local.
Do you disagree with the protein levels that the ALBC recommends or do you think that the chickens are finding a lot of protein by ranging?
Another reason that I want to mix my own feed is that most commercial rations are mostly corn and have ingredients that I would rather not feed to my chickens.

Thanks
smile.png

Kim
 
Quote:
They have a great website and I love what they are doing. It doesn't sound like they feed extra protein, so I'm assuming that you don't. Do you ever have issues with breeding or hatching? I have and that is one of the reasons that I am concerned that my flock is getting enough nutrients & protein.
I know that some of the top Buckeye breeders say that animal protein is key to having birds healthy enough for successful breeding, but I haven't heard that from Dorking or Delaware breeders. So I'm really curious whether it's an issue for heritage breeds or not.

Thank you for your comments,
Kim
 
Quote:
They have a great website and I love what they are doing. It doesn't sound like they feed extra protein, so I'm assuming that you don't. Do you ever have issues with breeding or hatching? I have and that is one of the reasons that I am concerned that my flock is getting enough nutrients & protein.
I know that some of the top Buckeye breeders say that animal protein is key to having birds healthy enough for successful breeding, but I haven't heard that from Dorking or Delaware breeders. So I'm really curious whether it's an issue for heritage breeds or not.

Thank you for your comments,
Kim

We have only just gotten into raising Dorkings, but we have had Dominiques and Speckled Sussex for a few years and have yet to have protein problems.... we haven't had much trouble hatching, fertility has been good. Depending on the time of year, the birds get what they need from the ground.... between mobile pasture pens and the fact that my boys feed them enough bugs to match their body weight
lol.png
.
 
I appreciate your input, especially since I haven't received many comments. My Dorkings are not good enough that I would feel right selling hatching eggs, so I need to sell eating eggs to make a little income and help with feed costs. There is a lot of competition here. People seem to either want certified organic eggs or cheap eggs. I'm somewhere in the middle and have trouble finding buyers.
I admire that you buy local and I do think that is important. I can't seem to find many chicken feed ingredients local.
Do you disagree with the protein levels that the ALBC recommends or do you think that the chickens are finding a lot of protein by ranging?
Another reason that I want to mix my own feed is that most commercial rations are mostly corn and have ingredients that I would rather not feed to my chickens.

Thanks
smile.png

Kim

I won't say I disagree with the ALBC because they are professionals. What I do say is that being in the field with my birds, there is optimal feeding conditions and there are normal feeding conditions and then there are of course, the old farmers feeding conditions. The optimum protein isn't my biggest concern as I'm more concerned that they have a well balanced diet and that they grow healthy and strong naturally. Free ranging my chickens is the best way I know to do this and in the summer I think of the feed as supplemental and the yard the diet. Winter is a whole different ball game... Also, when I want more eggs, I up the feed protein levels to accommodate for that.

I get around 70% hatch rate in my Leahy. I used to get 80% but it has dropped for some reason. Probably because my eggs are getting older before I set them since I wait to have enough for a tray that holds 104 eggs. I doubt it is feed but it may be... I notice that on the grass, the chicks have more vigor though so not sure how that plays into the equation.

In the pre electricity days, farmers would turn their chickens out into the field and they would ONLY get scraps from the kitchen. That is the extreme and I couldn't imagine that being a healthy way to have birds. Mine seem to be starving to death each night when I replenish their feed rations. They have sleeked down since winter's all you can eat feed but their bodies still have a nice meaty feel to it so they aren't really starving... But, I think most chickens think they are starving even when they have food all the time.

I'm not opposed to corn being fed to chickens... I am really opposed to GM corn being fed to anything around me. Creepy stuff there... Sometimes, I go to the day old bread store and pick up several loafs to give them some diversity. I raise worms for them and feed that from time to time and when it gets to be Japanese Beetle time I will set up traps and drop those babies right into the chicken's pens. I LOVE Japanese Beetle time... Free protein and very, VERY happy chickens. lol​
 
I've been putting this question out to the other breed links but has anyone ever caponized their Dorkings males? I'm curious if you did how you liked the meat and if it was what you would think "worth it".

Dave
 
A SG hen hatched out one lone chick out of her clutch of eggs, yesterday. My roosters are also SG. This chick looks lighter than it should be. What do you think? I may have to take a better photo.
47767_photo.jpg


KIm
 

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