B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[DaveK]

Hi Ron,
No disrespect taken. I think almost everyone who breeds dorkings in the us nowadays needs to know how to take criticism, because lets face it compared to other breeds such as modern games, call ducks etc that the poultry shows are overrun with the dorking needs a lot of work. for example when I look at my flock i could imagine that if they were a more common breed where high quality stock are readily available, well they would all be considered pet quality birds. but as it is, when i compare my birds to the birds i have seen in pictures of stock from mcmurry and sand hill i can see that my birds are better on average. In fact I am often left in somewhat of a conundrum when it comes to shows as I want the SGD to be represented but i am also aware that other breeders will look at my birds and not recognizing how rare they are think that I am a poor poultry breeder. I finally made the decision a while ago that I am going to show them anyway as long as the bird does not have a disqualification. That said I still get annoyed when i overhear talk putting my SGDs and stew pot in the same sentence. Makes me want to make some snide comment about their tiny little chicken that they paid $200 dollars for not being worth the $3 they spent to enter it, if it were anywhere except the showroom. Well thats enough of me ranting.

Welcome to the dorking discussion Lino. i am interested to hear about what the dorkings are like in germany. What is the most common variety (color) there?

If the birds are of good quality and the general impression screams DORKING!!! then show them and have fun. Judges are regular folks like the rest of us and not endowed with higher powers. So just like the exhibitors some will be more knowledgeable and familiar with any given breed than others. Listen, pay attention but use your own two eyes and experience. Know what you have for the most part at least before entering. Do not depend on the judges to formulate your breeding program. So many times we hear I will see what the judges think. That is fine to a point but in the end we have to have some decent idea of what is wanted, what we actually have and where we want to go. WE are the breeders exhibiting our work. I feel it should be a safe assumption that we know a bit about what we are doing. You have expressed some satisfaction with your birds and program. Then be off and enjoy the show, naysayers and all LOL.

 

[Lino]

Coloreds used to be known in England but everything nowadays seems to be too much on the silver side and more along the lines of what we might call "dark" Dorkings. There's a lovely hen from England posted and discussed a ways back.

Hello DaveK,

very interesting.
Just yesterday I read 'The book of the Dorking' by H.H. Stoddard from 1886.
According to the book (page 18) you only find black and white colors at the Colored Cock, but no strawcolor on neck, back, saddle or wings is mentioned.
The historic English Colored Dorking therefore seems to me identical with the Dark Dorking as I know them from Germany.

 

[plantcityhomestead]

APA recognized colors are silver grey, red, colored, cuckoo and rose comb white.

i recommend checking out http://dorkingbreedersclub.webs.com as there is a lot of info about the various varieties there.

Thanks, it is nice to know I have options. When I checked the APA site it only listed 2 colors. I really look forward to learning from all of you.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:

Hello DaveK,

very interesting.
Just yesterday I read 'The book of the Dorking' by H.H. Stoddard from 1886.
According to the book (page 18) you only find black and white colors at the Colored Cock, but no strawcolor on neck, back, saddle or wings is mentioned.
The historic English Colored Dorking therefore seems to me identical with the Dark Dorking as I know them from Germany.

it's interesting, I'm seeing on p 10 of the same book,

but, as Lino pointed out on p. 18 the description is that of the "Dark" dorking, not the colored as the SOP has it today.

and no mention in the book is made (that i found) of red, though the red is considered one of the oldest colors.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:

Thanks, it is nice to know I have options. When I checked the APA site it only listed 2 colors. I really look forward to learning from all of you.

actually, it's listed several times depending on bantam or LF...
single comb clean legged (silver grey, colored), rose comb clean legged (white) and English (silver grey, colored, red, white)
i thought cuckoo was also accepted, but i'm not seeing that listed. i may be wrong, but thought for sure it had been.

 

[Lino]

Quote:
it's interesting, I'm seeing on p 10 of the same book,

but, as Lino pointed out on p. 18 the description is that of the "Dark" dorking, not the colored as the SOP has it today.

and no mention in the book is made (that i found) of red, though the red is considered one of the oldest colors.

Yes, the book only mentions the Coloreds, Silver Grays an Whites; and clearly prefers the Colored, as they are presumably the earliest (others believe the Whites) and the bigger ones.

 

[capayvalleychick]

I want to show the Dorkings I plan to purchase. Which colors are accepted for showing? I have been reading conflicting information, and would like to have it clarified before I buy my chicks.

Thanks,
Cindy

Cindy,

If you plan on showing, you really should buy a copy of the current SOP. According to the 2010 APA SOP, accepted Dorkings are White, Silver Gray, Colored, Red and Cuckoo ( Single comb, Rose comb). There is a lot of great information that applies to all fowl in the first section of this book and it's really a necessity to have if you plan to show and be successful at it.
My biggest mistake as a novice breeder was thinking that I didn't need the SOP because I didn't want to show. What I didn't realize was that, if you don't breed to the SOP, you end up with birds that aren't really true to type. It's helpful with breeding as well as showing. So, I now am using the SOP as a tool in my breeding program to preserve heritage breeds as they have been and should be.

Since you are in FL, a good source of Dorkings would be Mary Wetterstrom.

Best wishes,
Kim

 

[plantcityhomestead]

Cindy,

If you plan on showing, you really should buy a copy of the current SOP. According to the 2010 APA SOP, accepted Dorkings are White, Silver Gray, Colored, Red and Cuckoo ( Single comb, Rose comb). There is a lot of great information that applies to all fowl in the first section of this book and it's really a necessity to have if you plan to show and be successful at it.
My biggest mistake as a novice breeder was thinking that I didn't need the SOP because I didn't want to show. What I didn't realize was that, if you don't breed to the SOP, you end up with birds that aren't really true to type. It's helpful with breeding as well as showing. So, I now am using the SOP as a tool in my breeding program to preserve heritage breeds as they have been and should be.

Since you are in FL, a good source of Dorkings would be Mary Wetterstrom.

Best wishes,
Kim

I am planning on ordering the SOP, but I just started thinking about showing a few days ago. Looking at everyone's pictures on BYC of all breeds, I think that I am going to start my flock over from scratch. There is a huge difference in a good chicken and an acceptable one, and I want more than just eggs now.

It is funny that you would mention Mary. I have been emailing her the last few days, and just found out she lives just a couple of miles from my house. I can't wait to see her chickens.

Cindy

 

[ki4got]

I am planning on ordering the SOP, but I just started thinking about showing a few days ago. Looking at everyone's pictures on BYC of all breeds, I think that I am going to start my flock over from scratch. There is a huge difference in a good chicken and an acceptable one, and I want more than just eggs now.

It is funny that you would mention Mary. I have been emailing her the last few days, and just found out she lives just a couple of miles from my house. I can't wait to see her chickens.

Cindy

ok i'm jealous... I've been emailing her too, and really want to see her birds but she hasn't sent any pics yet.

 

[plantcityhomestead]

ok i'm jealous... I've been emailing her too, and really want to see her birds but she hasn't sent any pics yet.

We are going to get together soon. I will take pictures if it is OK with her.