B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[vnsseed]

I finally have a 2nd blood line of Red Dorkings, from Dick Horstman, due to hatch this weekend. So, hopefully I will be able to start getting serious about Red Dorkings this summer. I am still working on improving my Dominiques, as well, but will be dropping my Speckled Sussex breeding program in 2012 so I can put more focus on Dorkings. I really love everything about the Dorking breed, and have learned so much from this forum. I'll post pics of the new chicks this weekend.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

We work with the Dorkings in four families.

Dave, how have the reds been doing up your for comb health?

 

[vnsseed]

We work with the Dorkings in four families.

Dave, how have the reds been doing up your for comb health?

Surprisingly well! Better than my Sussex. One of my roos has a small amount of discoloration on one of the tips, but it looks like it will be fine.

We are hoping to get at least one more blood line, but aren't in a rush... I have something to work with for now and I want to start with good stock.

 

[X2Farm]

This certainly is a nice beginning. Everything seems to be aimed in the right direction. The second photo, that of the lone female, is a good indicator. I think this is the general state of Dorkings right now. She has the strong, angular appearence. The color pattern is basically correct. You can see the need for depth, length, and bulk. The ear lobe of that female appears white. Still, everything seems poised for progress. I think it's just a question of hatching heavy and culling heavy.

Do you have another cock/cockerel? It would be cool if you did because it would set you up to have an extended breeding plan. You'd be able to carry on for multiple generations without going outside your flock. Otherwise, there are some specific line-breeding schemes you could follow if you had the housing.

Is this your only variety? It's great if it is, starting out with too many varieties leads to waste. If you get these Reds up and kicking you'll know all there is to know, and you'll have the ability to focus on the fine details, which only arise wtih specialization.

I find that I'm rather excited for this up-coming hatching season. It seems that there are some interesting, focused, disciplined breeding flocks emerging that could really start to bring this breed to the next level.

Best,

Joseph

Thanks Joseph. I really like these birds, and also think they'll be a good starting place for me. They do all need to bulk up, coming off moult, long confinement and several lice attacks (a never ending problem here, ugh!) took thier toll, unfortunately.

I wish I had another cock bird. He is my only one, unfortunately, and that does limit a little bit.

I actually REALLY wanted to work with Coloreds, and did infact get 2 colored hens with this quad, but it appears game was added into them a few generations back, based on type and one of them has a very gamey looking head and slate legs.

So I reckon I'll be working with Reds, since its what I have.

I had thought about going with a single mating system to start with. It would give me a very good idea of what traits these birds throw. It could also allow a bit better pairings next season either line breeding by pair or crossing offspring cockerels back to different base stock hens.

Of course, all this requires these girls actually lay eggs.. which they're not right now. I'm keeping my fingers crossed they start up here soon. I'm thinking of putting lights on them, which I'd rather NOT do, but I'd also like to get them somewhat grown before our scorching weather sets in, as past experience has shown me young birds don't grow as well in the heat down here.

 

[ki4got]

Thanks Joseph. I really like these birds, and also think they'll be a good starting place for me. They do all need to bulk up, coming off moult, long confinement and several lice attacks (a never ending problem here, ugh!) took thier toll, unfortunately.

I wish I had another cock bird. He is my only one, unfortunately, and that does limit a little bit.

I actually REALLY wanted to work with Coloreds, and did infact get 2 colored hens with this quad, but it appears game was added into them a few generations back, based on type and one of them has a very gamey looking head and slate legs.

So I reckon I'll be working with Reds, since its what I have.

I had thought about going with a single mating system to start with. It would give me a very good idea of what traits these birds throw. It could also allow a bit better pairings next season either line breeding by pair or crossing offspring cockerels back to different base stock hens.

Of course, all this requires these girls actually lay eggs.. which they're not right now. I'm keeping my fingers crossed they start up here soon. I'm thinking of putting lights on them, which I'd rather NOT do, but I'd also like to get them somewhat grown before our scorching weather sets in, as past experience has shown me young birds don't grow as well in the heat down here.

have you thought about trap nesting? that would allow you to colllect from all the girls at once, just mark the egg when it's collected who it came from.

 

[X2Farm]

have you thought about trap nesting? that would allow you to colllect from all the girls at once, just mark the egg when it's collected who it came from.

Actually no I hadn't as its not really feasible for me. Between the dairy, the beef herd and the sizable garden I've got my hands full and wouldn't be able to (or remember for that matter!) to check on them enough to make it worthwhile...and it takes away from foraging time, and doing some fertilization work for me too

Thankfully I have enough empty coops to seperate everyone. That is the good thing about forced downsizing.. lots of open housing

 

[capayvalleychick]

Poultry Palace, looked for your Dorkings in the show today, saw the Dorking cages empty.

Such a disappointment! I was so looking forward to seeing them. Hope all is ok with you,

Kim

 

[DaveK]

ok, but how many trios do you have set up (per color, if you have more than one)? and do you have a system for choosing who is bred back together of the birds you choose for the next breeding?

Hi Karen, A lot of this will just sort of evolve for you as you go along and can foster, hopefully, progress. You'll figure out how many matings you want and who to keep and how to use them for the next season. A lot of what you end up doing will depend on the results of your present efforts. I will say that I have never been comfortable treating my "breeding units" as puzzle pieces so no pre determined plans about how to proceed after starting. Again, your present results will help determine your future course. I would advise breeding from as many males as possible. Same number of birds sired by one cock is a lot fewer genetic possibilities and options than that same number sired by 3-4. If you want a somewhat longer breeding season switching males between different groups of hens that suit them can also be useful. It's all in your goals and how involved you want to be with a breeding program. I will strongly advise one thing though, for anyone starting out or who does not yet have their facilities in something of permanent order. Figure out before the first eggs are set how many you can actually raise to an age and size when at least a bit of culling can be done. There won't be much, usually, that you can cull for before those youngsters are fairly well grown. Trays full of eggs are pretty and pulling them out of the incubator crawling with chicks has no comparison. But I have time and time again seen interest and enthusiasm take a big hit because all of a sudden setting every egg still being laid resulted in too many birds, too little space to raise them as they should be and a bigger feed bill than the owner might be comfortable with. No good raising 85 or 150 of something in a facility geared, by accident or design, for 40 or so. Well raised stock is always a great deal more pleasure as well as expressing it's genetic background to the fullest. So well raised stock is in the end the easiest to accurately evaluate for the future. Plan ahead as to how many fairly grown up birds you can accommodate and feed. Numbers may not be huge but I'll wager that if the stock is at all worthwhile you can and will make progress and it'll be a lot of fun.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Dave, you have some great points. I've been doing the 'chick shuffle' moving groups out of the brooders and into pens outside. I've been looking at my layer pen hens and the pens with my cute little bantie crosses in them and thinking I should sell them so I can use those pens for my Dorkings too. I guess I'm a lot luckier than some as I have plenty of space to raise large numbers. I just need to make sure I have enough predator proof pens and keep an eye on the feed bill.

 

[ki4got]

Thanks Dave, Like RareBreedFancier, I have to 'shuffle' to get chicks from brooder to outside pen to free ranging, but also have plenty of room to work with, and *knock on wood* little to no predator issues so far, short of my egg stealing standard poodle LOL. but all he's found so far are the misplaced bantams' eggs, since the dorkings are penned.

I can handle about 20-25 chicks at a time, with about a month between hatches. that gives the last brood time to acclimate to the outside pen and free ranging before they get booted to the 'big bird' coop, so the next younger group can go into the outside coop. no chicks hatched this go-round (cochin bantam) except a couple mutts, so until my roo starts getting back to work on his own girls I'll have time to work on the breeding sheds.

and again, like RareBreedFancier, I'm paring down on the nonessential birds. odd breeds, mutts, etc (anyone want some coturnix quail?). the bantam cochins are staying but they will be mostly free ranging unless i want eggs from a pair here and there, then i'll have a few smaller coops they can go in. finishing building my quail/chick pen today, and it's simple enough I might make another one next week... basically a 2x4x8 wire box with hinged lid and plywood enclosed end, with a modified plastic tub for bedding and heat lamp or nest, as the situation demands. it'll be easily movable, with a wire floor in case the ground isn't perfectly level (which is often here on my mountainside LOL).