Dominique Thread!

[THeelChickinKY]

That sounds almost identical to how we integrate new hatches, and it works really well for us, too.

 

[Sylvester017]

I just got her yesterday. She is 6 months old. She wasn't very socialized and her owner was an old women who couldn't catch her. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get her to be friendly? She is also picking on my other chickens, should I just let that happen?

This is just us but here's what we do with new pullets. I order juvenile pullets and not chicks so my birds can be anywhere from 10 weeks to 5 months old when I get my shipped bird. We keep a new bird quarantined in the house in her own large dog kennel - for health safety/disease reasons we keep new birds quarantined from our outdoor flock until we get a clean exam from our vet's office or until the bird is at least 5 m/o before putting outdoors. We've received everything from socialized pullets to wild outdoor pullets so we've experienced the whole spectrum of personalities. The socialized birds that have been handled by the breeder before shipping are easy to tame and usually are following us around the house by the end of their first day with us. The spookier timid wilder birds we leave alone in their 4x4 dog kennel - they will spook the first few times we fill their feed and change their water. Usually within the first week and definitely by the 2nd week they will start running up to the kennel door when they see us because they associate us with "food." We leave the kennel door open for the new pullet to come out on their own terms and we basically ignore her and we walk softly around the house. Each day the timid bird will venture out a bit further. We will toss a grape, or a cooked shrimp, or a mealworm to entice the pullet to understand that humans are good. Before another week goes by the pullet will tug at our clothes or shoes asking for food, or will jump on the bench and sleep next to us, or follow us around the house. She trusts us because we are not trying to pick her up, or chase her, or hold her down. We currently have a new Breda pullet who like any chicken breed is wary about getting touched or picked up yet in the evening she'll snuggle up to me on the computer bench and over a few days got used to me petting her for longer and longer periods of time and then it was easy to pick her up (the judge's hold) and carry her to her kennel - chickens are usually easier to handle at roost time. It takes about 2 weeks to socialize and gain the confidence of a wild outdoor pullet and only a day or two with a previously socialized bird.

When we get a clean bill of health from the vet we start taking the new pullet outdoors with a rabbit fence between her and the outdoor flock so they see each other during the day. After a week or two of this socialization outdoors we put the new pullet in the flock coop at roost. We've always put the new pullet in a large nestbox with a screen so the flock can see the new pullet but there is no physical contact. In the morning we take the new pullet out of the screened nestbox to wander on her side of the outdoor fence and if we have a gentle older hen we will put her in the fence with the new pullet to see how the integration goes. By the 3rd night we put the new pullet in the nestbox and remove the screen and in the morning pecking order gets established and usually the integration goes somewhat smoothly. A new pullet always has a learning experience to learn the pecking order. I used to mix gentle non-combative breeds with assertive heavier dual purpose breeds but have since re-homed all the bigger birds to keep a gentler temperment flock - less drama. Putting a new pullet into an established flock should not be a sudden abrupt experience and we prefer socializing our new additions with humans before integrating gradually into an outdoor flock.

As I said this is how we like to introduce a new pullet and I'm sure most will agree that gradual is better than sudden integration. Get a new bird calmed down around humans and she'll feel safer foraging around outdoors with a protective fencing while seeing the flock she'll eventually become a part of. Doms are really sweet birds and if taken the time to tame will be less spooky or combative.

 

[Lois from KY]

Great looking rooster. We have a Dom rooster too and ours is more compact and muscular. I know he's purebred Dominique. He has a rose comb. Do they vary in body like that?

 

[Alaskan]

Great looking rooster. We have a Dom rooster too and ours is more compact and muscular. I know he's purebred Dominique. He has a rose comb. Do they vary in body like that?

yes, they can vary quite a bit depending on which breeding line they are from.

post a picture!

 

[centrarchid]

How high up are you folks having your American Dominques roost? In the past I have had them almost 20 feet up in trees although that was not sustainable in the face of predator management. I have also had them roost about 7 feet up which is pushing their limits for reaching in one flight from ground. Most I have currently are roosting at most four feet up although some cocks are kept in pens to roost a whopping 12 inches above the ground. My suspicion is roosting height above ground may be related to breast meat mass of birds approaching 20 weeks of age.

 

[Alaskan]

Mine roost at 5 feet

 

[Zone3Dakota]

How high up are you folks having your American Dominques roost? In the past I have had them almost 20 feet up in trees although that was not sustainable in the face of predator management. I have also had them roost about 7 feet up which is pushing their limits for reaching in one flight from ground. Most I have currently are roosting at most four feet up although some cocks are kept in pens to roost a whopping 12 inches above the ground. My suspicion is roosting height above ground may be related to breast meat mass of birds approaching 20 weeks of age.

At first I thought, more breast muscle, higher perching ability. Then I thought, more breast meat, no jumpy fly high...

So, which way do you mean? I can see it either way!

Also, an 8 ft fence would contain them? (really pointless question, in reality, they'd need a run cover, anyway, here.

 

[centrarchid]

Most of mine kept free-range up to age of interest. Barn soon to be built will enable roosts as high as 12 feet although lower be cheaper. Based on observations horizontal flights from elevated pens, more breast means more capacity for flight within range of breast sizes I have.

Part of getting to roost does involve jumping. They do vary in terms of leg muscle tone with respect to activity level.

 

[JediJinx]

We have various roosting heights, the normal roost is about 3.5 ft high that the hens use, but the outside fence is 7 ft and the cocks have no problem getting straight up there. The youngsters have one about 18 inches off the ground so no one hurts a leg.

Lois from KY I would love to see a pic of your Dominiques. You are not too far from me.

 

[centrarchid]

I have never had a bird damage it leg going up to or down from a roost. Injuries to legs may be attributable to something else. Mine seem to have a little more difficulty flying up at roost time in part because crop is full which can mean a nearly 10% increase in weight. Reduced light levels may also be a factor.