Dominique Thread!

[redrooster99]

I will not be getting my doms, for a few more weeks (haven't ordered them yet) so if any of yall have any breeding pointers, I am more than willing to listen (read).

 

[centrarchid]

Learn the SOP on American Dominiques. First select your breeders and always have backups. Never only one rooster. Use breeding pens where you know the daddy and possibly the mother as well. Begin incubation within 10 days of being laid. Look into how eggs are stored prior to incubation. Learn how to use wing bands and leg bands or toe punches. You need to know is the product of whom.

I keep hens and rooster separate right up until a couple days before egg collection is to start. Helps control stress on hens. Give hens a diet a little richer diet nutrient-wise when collecting hatching eggs.

 

[redrooster99]

Learn the SOP on American Dominiques. First select your breeders and always have backups. Never only one rooster. Use breeding pens where you know the daddy and possibly the mother as well. Begin incubation within 10 days of being laid. Look into how eggs are stored prior to incubation. Learn how to use wing bands and leg bands or toe punches. You need to know is the product of whom.

I keep hens and rooster separate right up until a couple days before egg collection is to start. Helps control stress on hens. Give hens a diet a little richer diet nutrient-wise when collecting hatching eggs.

Ok sounds good. I have one big pen, with a big yard. I also have a raised coop I could put 2-3 roos in, maybe 4. I also have two incubators, but I really only use 1, but can maybe use both, or use one as a hatcher. On the subject of nutrition, as far as I know we can only get 15% layer is there any way I can up there protein (supplements, ETC.) also is there any way I could have one roo ( maybe 2) in with my hens/pullets full time?

 

[centrarchid]

Ok sounds good. I have one big pen, with a big yard. I also have a raised coop I could put 2-3 roos in, maybe 4. I also have two incubators, but I really only use 1, but can maybe use both, or use one as a hatcher. On the subject of nutrition, as far as I know we can only get 15% layer is there any way I can up there protein (supplements, ETC.) also is there any way I could have one roo ( maybe 2) in with my hens/pullets full time?

I try to run one rooster per group of hens. The 1 rooster for every 7 to 10 hens ratio is better suited to larger flocks where you would have at least three roosters in a group. The flock mating system can work but sets the stage for inbreeding when you do not know it is taking place. You can commingle sexes full time but hens will look a little worn sooner each season.


Nutrition. I use a layer ration as the base and supplement with a chick starter (24% protein) to get protein up around 18%. I also try to get greens into birds.

 

[Zone3Dakota]

So, Dom breeders, do you hatch enough chicks from your broodies to repopulate in the spring, or do you order some new stock each year? Does seasonal daylight hours affect this much? (Will the northern folks be able to hatch out enough chicks, as well as southern folk?)

 

[centrarchid]

So, Dom breeders, do you hatch enough chicks from your broodies to repopulate in the spring, or do you order some new stock each year?  Does seasonal daylight hours affect this much?  (Will the northern folks be able to hatch out enough chicks, as well as southern folk?)

My flock has been closed for six years (no new). I produce ten times what is needed to sustain my dominiques and could double or triple that if I had more incubator and brooder capacity. If further north it would delay onset of breeding but not affect end of hatching season. Young need to be at least half grown by first frost for them to handle cold properly under my conditions.

Gamefowl side where hen hatching and rearing is the rule I can still average over a dozen birds in the fall per hen. Replacement rate for hens of those low since productive lifespan can be four or more years.


This all must factor in disease, predator loss, and culling based on SOP and productivity. Chickens have very high reproductive capacities but require more management than other animals.

 

[Zone3Dakota]

With my pigeons, I check under their wings...if they are 'dry' looking, they are good to move to outside loft, as long as they are eating and drinking on their own. I'm not sure what is 'half grown' for chickens, but I am assuming that they need all their feathers in. Do they need more time than that?

I've not been around chickens for forty years, and then it was just raising them up for butchering in the fall. Also, we were in southeastern South Dakota, which is like a banana belt, compared to here. I hope that my questions are not too dumb.

Also, are the breeder and member lists up to date on the Dom website?

 

[centrarchid]

With my pigeons, I check under their wings...if they are 'dry' looking, they are good to move to outside loft, as long as they are eating and drinking on their own.  I'm not sure what is 'half grown' for chickens, but I am assuming that they need all their feathers in.  Do they need more time than that?

I've not been around chickens for forty years, and then it was just raising them up for butchering in the fall.  Also, we were in southeastern South Dakota, which is like a banana belt, compared to here.  I hope that my questions are not too dumb.

Also, are the breeder and member lists up to date on the Dom website?

Breeder list is reasonably up to date.

My birds must be able to tolerate and thrive under almost fully exposed to winter conditions (-13 F). This means no building / overhead protection and wind protection is minimal. Adults can handle such easily but juveniles need to be transitioning from juvenile to adult feather set by the time. This is where chickens deviate from pigeons and most other birds excepting turkeys and other chicken like birds. They go through three set of flight feather before reaching mature weight. I like birds to be a good 90 to 120 days minimum for that first frost.

 

[Alaskan]

I have one nice insulated coop that I can toss young stock into in the fall.... the rest of my coops are colder and uninsulated.

However,

maybe I shouldn't say anything. I might live in Alaska.. but I live where it stays pretty warm... around zero F is the norm. This last winter wasn't a true winter, pretty wild actually. I think we spent almost the entire time in the 20s. We only had about a week and a half of "true" winter.

 

[centrarchid]

I have one nice insulated coop that I can toss young stock into in the fall.... the rest of my coops are colder and uninsulated.

However, maybe I shouldn't say anything.  I might live in Alaska.. but I live where it stays pretty warm...  around zero F is the norm.  This last winter wasn't a true winter, pretty wild actually.  I think we spent almost the entire time in the 20s.  We only had about a week and a half of "true" winter.

I have been watching and found adult birds look better in spring when held outdoors than when confined in groups indoors. Pattern does not hold for juveniles in part because they are replacing feathers during the cold winter interval. The biggest advantage I see with keeping American Dominique indoors during winter is that helps keep the feed bill down and enables hens to produce more eggs. Egg production is also a stressor and my older birds do not need that. The juveniles roar through feed too but also seem to huddle up and appear genuinely cold.