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wsmith said:
Thanks! Not bad for a 24 week old. Can't wait to see him in the spring. He should be magnificent.
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Agreed. I am curious, what factors were considered when you settled on Doms? Right now I am seriously hooked on devoting to Speckled Sussex and Silver Leghorns when I am better prepared, the first due mainly to my own previous experience with them and the latter to the limited but positive impressions I have of them. Just wondering how you settled on Doms.
 
Pozees said:
Agreed. I am curious, what factors were considered when you settled on Doms? Right now I am seriously hooked on devoting to Speckled Sussex and Silver Leghorns when I am better prepared, the first due mainly to my own previous experience with them and the latter to the limited but positive impressions I have of them. Just wondering how you settled on Doms.
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Why Doms? Well first of all, they fit into our other hobby, which is Revolutionary War Reenacting. The American Dominique is our oldest American breed, which can be traced to small flocks in the 1700s. Second, they are an Heritage breed that is starting to see a come-back, and need dedicated breeders to help preserve the breed. We got barred rocks partially from American Dominiques. Thridly, they are the single most friendly breed I have run across. They don't lay the best, compared to Leghorns, they aren't the biggest, they don't grow as fast either. But they are efficient. After they stop growing, they don't eat much. And they will continue to lay throughout the winter, albeit less that during the summer, without added lighting. Their rose combs don't get frostbite as easily either.
 
dennarahl said:
That's a pretty boy! I accidentally got some Doms from Big R 2 months ago (thought they were BRs til I got home), I hope my boy is that pretty.
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Big R gets their birds from Privett Hatchery I think...... The males I got from Cackle have too large combs, and appear a little course. I don't know what Privetts will look like grown. I will have hatching eggs available in the spring.....#23 is from a show line out of Virginia, and before that from show breeders in NY and OH.Good lines.
 
wsmith said:
Why Doms? Well first of all, they fit into our other hobby, which is Revolutionary War Reenacting. The American Dominique is our oldest American breed, which can be traced to small flocks in the 1700s. Second, they are an Heritage breed that is starting to see a come-back, and need dedicated breeders to help preserve the breed. We got barred rocks partially from American Dominiques. Thridly, they are the single most friendly breed I have run across. They don't lay the best, compared to Leghorns, they aren't the biggest, they don't grow as fast either. But they are efficient. After they stop growing, they don't eat much. And they will continue to lay throughout the winter, albeit less that during the summer, without added lighting. Their rose combs don't get frostbite as easily either.
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Wow, that is a good fit! I was just reading on another thread that one of the reasons pure, long-line traceable Heritage breeds are harder and harder to come by is their generally slower rates of maturity. I did not realize Doms had a reputation for friendliness, that is certainly an important consideration, and really underscores your decision to cull #11. One of the traits anyone should breed for (at least in my opinion) is temperament. I can't wait to hear/see how your first hatch goes! If you get fertile eggs in Deember and January will you hatch that early?
 
Pozees said:
Wow, that is a good fit! I was just reading on another thread that one of the reasons pure, long-line traceable Heritage breeds are harder and harder to come by is their generally slower rates of maturity. I did not realize Doms had a reputation for friendliness, that is certainly an important consideration, and really underscores your decision to cull #11. One of the traits anyone should breed for (at least in my opinion) is temperament. I can't wait to hear/see how your first hatch goes! If you get fertile eggs in Deember and January will you hatch that early?
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I follow the Heritage Large fowl thread and also the OT thread as well. Saw your post there the other day.

Right now the plan is to separate the breeders sometime in March. Fertility goes up as the temps get warmer, and I'm not adding supplimental heat in the coop. My thought is to hatchout one batch first to verify fertility, then hatch more and sell fertile eggs according to interest. I already have orders for chicks and eggs. One egg order is going to some old friends in Woodland WA. The chick order is local, just off Old Pueblo Road, about 12 minutes from us. Another local guy has been thinking about it, but he likes fast growing chicks like cornish X, and Doms don't fit that bill. You can get 3 groups processed in the time it takes one Dom group to be ready!

This batch of pullets we have now are the most personable chickens I have ever seen. Maybe it's the strain they come from, maybe its the fact that Beth was with them every day while they were little. Who knows. I know that the roosters have a reputation for sometimes being aggressive, which I have experiecned, but with only one out of the 12 that we kept for meat and to sell. That's only 8%. We also know thattendencies towards mildness / aggressiveness can be inherited, so #11 is going away. Too bad he looked so good, but not as good as #23!

As #23 will be with us for a while, we need a name for him..........
 

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