Dominique Thread!

[topdog24]

That is a great picture! Love the color contrast!

x2

 

[Sylvester017]

I have 5, 6 week old chicks. The two that have tons of personality are the two Dominiques. They want to be held and stroked all the time. They fly up and land on me when I go into their yard and lay on their sides with their legs in the air when I pet them. I also have two Faverolles, but they are skittish, and one Delaware who does not like to be held. I'm wishing I had all Dominiques. They have a soft little trill when they sit on my lap. They are so sweet.

Chickens are lovely to own and we've had several breeds to try. But anyone who's ever had Doms will know what I'm talking about. I researched Doms before we got our first Dom chick and the descriptions of this breed doesn't do it justice as actually owning them.

Out of all breeds of chicks we've had the Doms were the friendliest, outgoing, curious, unafraid, exploring breed we've ever had the pleasure of having. The chicks will sit on your shoulder or in your hands or snuggle in your clothing or sleep on your warm computer keyboard! As chicks they will look for anything to take a dust bath - a carpet, a bath towel, a hairnet! All chicks will run up to look for treats but get bored quickly and run off again - but Dom chicks will stay around to explore your fingers, your eyeglasses, your hair, and then promptly snuggle down on your arm for a short snooze before the next feather itch wakens them again. Even as chicks they are softer to the touch to almost not being able to feel their soft downy feathers. They are constantly trilling/chirping and do not like to be left alone if you leave their presence and will try to fly after you using their stubby little wings so be sure their pen is covered - they seem to crave human interraction unlike many chick breeds that cower in a corner. Doms expect you to talk to them and they will always answer back - even in a deep roosting sleep they will trill back to you softly if you say something quietly to them. I believe Doms are equal with APA Ameraucanas as the most talkative breeds. They love to carry on conversations with each other and with humans.

We had the privilege of recommending both the Doms and Buckeyes to online friends in Colorado new to chickens who were looking for a hardy snow breed. We recommended they add a roo if they were free-ranging. They have been very pleased with their quad of Doms and they got a couple of Buckeye pullets as well.

Like Ameraucanas the Doms have a sweetness gene in them - difference being that the Doms are slightly less jittery and Amer's are less interested in flock politics and more willing to accept orphaned chicks or injured birds into the flock - but both breeds are alert, predator savvy, good foragers, friendly to humans and flockmates alike. This is a generalization that we have found true in our experience.

 

[Alaskan]

Yep, I love my Dominiques....

This is my first time with them, and I have been very impressed with how fast they are growing and feathering out!

 

[sunnysideup2]

Great story. It's nice to see the difference in the breeds, but my future chicks will be Doms. I'm wondering what Buff Orpingtons are like as pets/egg layers?

 

[griggy]

Great story. It's nice to see the difference in the breeds, but my future chicks will be Doms. I'm wondering what Buff Orpingtons are like as pets/egg layers?

My two Buffs aren't laying yet, they are 15 weeks old, but they are the sweetest of all my chickens. They were funny when they were chicks and always the first one to run up to me when I approached. One of them would routinely climb up my arm onto my shoulder. They are still very friendly and relaxed.

 

[Sylvester017]

Great story. It's nice to see the difference in the breeds, but my future chicks will be Doms. I'm wondering what Buff Orpingtons are like as pets/egg layers?

I watch flicks on different chick breeds. Watched one video of Orp chicks in a pen with Leghorn chicks and a couple of Ducklings. The Leghorn chicks just like their adult counterparts were doing their usual mind-their-own-business foraging while the Ducklings were lazily snoozing. The Orp chicks ran around nipping, pecking, and bothering the foraging Leghorn chicks and pecking and disturbing the sleeping Ducklings.

I was interested in watching a video on Orp chicks to compare them to some other breeds in the same pen because my friend said her Buff Orp layer was quite pushy in her flock.

As chicks most heavy LF are sweet to each other, other chick breeds, and human friendly. However at about 18 months to two years of age the mature heavy fowl begin bullying smaller or gentler breeds in the flock. Even get nasty with each other especially at broody time which Orps tend to be broodies. They are reportedly good egg layers but I don't know how that can be true since they are a broody breed. I would think RIRs, Ameraucanas, Rocks, or Leghorns are better egg layers because they aren't prone to broodiness.

We stay away from the heavy dual-purpose breeds because of feed bill costs. The one that likes to eat that we considered is the Ameraucana because they are lighterweight, not broody, active alert foragers, and are prolific XL egg layers. Also they are definitely friendly pets and kind to flockmates - they aren't political in flocks or prone to bullying like the heavy LF dual-purpose breeds are. The adult dual-purpose or Mediterranean layer breeds try to run from human contact but Ameraucanas, Easter Eggers, and Dominiques seem to crave human attention with or without treats in your hand.

People often get chicks of various breeds of heavy LF and say how sweet they are right off the bat. The real test of a breed's nature is at it's full maturity to watch it's dominance or bullying of other breeds in the same flock. That's when we realized the 7-lb Marans who was generally a quiet bird began bullying the smaller Silkies and attacked one simply because she weighed 5-lbs more than the Silkie and could claw and bully her. We never expected that since so many Marans owners said they had "sweet" birds. The true test of a breed's character is in its adulthood.

 

[daniellecm]

So after 3 days of living outside my girls are loving their coop and have put themselves to bed two nights in a row ! Even sleeping on their roosts.
yay for Doms such smart birds!

 

[Alaskan]

Great Dominique avatar!

 

[daniellecm]

Alaskan if you are referring to mine. thank you very much !
I do adore my little doms. My bigger girl betty is the snuggliest thing ever.
She enjoys cuddle time

 

[Alaskan]

Alaskan if you are referring to mine. thank you very much !
I do adore my little doms. My bigger girl betty is the snuggliest thing ever.
She enjoys cuddle time

Yep, I meant you!