B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[capayvalleychick]

I keep thinking about the original type of the Dorking. I've been looking for old photographs, but all I can find is a minimal amount of old artwork. I'd love to see a photograph of a Dorking from back when birds of correct type were being shown.

I noticed that, in the 1910 APA SOP, the weights for the Dorking were:
Cock 8 lbs. Cockerel 7 lbs. Hen 6.5 lbs. and Pullet 5.5 lbs.

Compare that to the 2010 SOP:
Cock 9 lbs. Cockerel 8 lbs. Hen 7 lbs. and Pullet 6 lbs.

I wonder at what point the weights were increased and why? Since part of improving type is getting the weight up where it should be, I wonder whether the weights were increased because that was what was being seen in the common Dorking? Or was that an ideal that never actually existed in the breed?

I also need to know how to weigh a chicken accurately?
I have an old scale that came with the barn on my ranch. Anybody know what this was used for?



Kim

 

[ki4got]

I also need to know how to weigh a chicken accurately?
I have an old scale that came with the barn on my ranch. Anybody know what this was used for?

Kim

i've seen similar scales like that for weighing grain and such...

for me, I bought a digital hanging fish scale off ebay for about $5 (from china tho) that will go up to about 50 pounds. I've been weighing my chicks with that, using a modified pillowcase to put the bird in. i made a split in the edge, and ran a piece of cord thru to use as a drawstring to hang it with. put the bird in the pillowcase, pull the drawstring, and hang it. they don't struggle hardly at all, and it's very accurate within 5g. the scale can show grams or pounds.
click here for the ebay auction i got mine from...

 

[Tracydr]

All the Dorkings I've seen from Ideal have not been as good as what I've seen from McMurray's. I do know breeders who have improved upon Ideal stock, but I still would recommend McM over Ideal.

Kim

Thanks Kim, and everyone else who replied. Sorry I haven't been here in awhile. I've been working a killer temp job this month and finally finished. Now I'm getting a bunch of roosters into the freezer this week which will certainly make my neighbors, my family, my hens and me a lot happier.
I'm now finally ready to think about ordering some Dorking chicks or eggs from somewhere. Anybody have chicks or eggs? I seem to always have a broody bantam and would prefer to start with 10 or less. I'd prefer chicks but eggs would be ok, although I need to use a hen since I don't have an incubator. ( one of many items lost in my divorce a few years ago)
I prefer the Red or Colored Dorkings but the Silver are nice, too. I'm not going to show, will be raising for meat. Just want a sustainable meat bird that is also a heritage bird and love the looks of the Dorking. They remind me of my OEG Bantams in a way, plus I love the short legs, rectangular body and 5 toes.
anyway, I'll probably end up getting on a hatchery wait list if I can't find somebody who has eggs or chicks but I'd really prefer ordering from somebody here.
Please send me a PM is you have anything. Tracy

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Dorkings originally, and perhaps always, had three different weight groups: Coloreds at 9lbs for males and 7lbs for females, Silver Greys at 8lbs and 6lbs, and Whites at 7 1/2lbs. and 5 1/2lbs. This is held well into the 20th century. I'm not exactly why the change in the Standard went through or why. I'm not sure that the SG and the Whites ever hit the 9/7 scale.

 

[Tracydr]

So, after really looking around, I think I'm going to go with Ideal. I really don't want to order 25 chicks. I simply don't have the space, even to add that many meat birds to the order. ( which I'm hoping to use the extra Roos for)
I'm going to go on the waiting list and hope I get them before it's too hot here in AZ.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Dorkings originally, and perhaps always, had three different weight groups: Coloreds at 9lbs for males and 7lbs for females, Silver Greys at 8lbs and 6lbs, and Whites at 7 1/2lbs. and 5 1/2lbs. This is held well into the 20th century. I'm not exactly why the change in the Standard went through or why. I'm not sure that the SG and the Whites ever hit the 9/7 scale.

I'm going to have to weigh mine, 8lbs and 6lbs for Silver greys? That is 3.6kg and 2.72kg respectively which I can imagine mine being close too. However, the Australian Standard calls for mature hens to weigh 3.6-4.55 kg, while roosters should weigh 4.55-6.35kg. That's 8lb - 10lb hens and 10lb - 14lb roos! That's going to take more work... :/ Yellow House, just curious, any idea what your largest roos weigh?

 

[Yellow House Farm]

I'll weight them this weekend to see.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

I'm back from weighing! Thank you Yellow House, will be interesting to see.

I'm very disappointed in the body condition of my birds, the extreme hot weather has affected them more than I thought. My poor hen who just got of the nest a few days ago (blue band) is terribly thin. I need to get them out on the paddock and build them up again.

The results are:

Roo, 3.4kg or 7 1/2 pounds

Hen, red band, 2.5kg or 5 1/2 pounds

Hen, white band, 2.5kg or 5 1/2 pounds

Hen, blue band, 2.7kg or 6 pounds (amazing she's the heaviest, she's in much poorer condition than the other hens)

So way underweight for the standard over here but great according to yours as all of them would need a lot more condition before they went on the show bench.

Out of interest I weighed my big boy from the layer coop (he's a crossbred) and he's 4.5kg or 10 pounds! I knew he was big but wow, he's the minimum standard weight here! The mind boggles at the size a heavy weight roo would be!

 

[ki4got]

I need to make another bag to weigh mine with... apparently the younger dog thought it was a chew toy! LOL then i'll weigh the big guy and his 2 girls, see where they're at.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Oh I didn't use a bag, I wouldn't have been popular!

I use bathroom digital scales and an airline dog crate since my cat crate isn't big enough. I weighed the crate empty and then with a bird in it, subtract the known weight of the crate and tada! Easy chicken weighing.