Dominique Thread!

[Sylvester017]

Well, i went ahead and ordered 25 large fowl straight run from Cackle. It will be an experiment, as we've not had chickens at all, or at least since i was a kid. If it were not for a change in finances, we would have driven across two states, basically, to get some breeder stock. Plus, since this is going to be a 'first', i really didn't want something unfortunate to happen to 'someone else's' birds.

I don't know of any knowledgeable 'chicken judges' in the area, so will probably depend on posted photos to help with culling. Might be that i'll need to purchase a good show bird to build my future flock around, so if anybody has one to spare next year, please keep me in mind.

Many thanks to Calvin Walsh for answers to my emails.

Chicks are due here, about the end of the month. We have lots to do, setting up brooder, moving and repairing our seventy-five dollar 8' x 10' shed.

With Mark Fields consulting Cackle Hatchery to improve both their LF and bantam Doms I would love to see posted pics of your birds from chicks to juveniles to adults!

 

[COPlains]

I am in a similar situation here! 15 Dom chicks arriving from Cackle the end of the month, and I haven't even closed on the property yet! (next week) I have seriously over planned everything but am sure I will still get a "surprise or two"!

I plan on using the MHP ( I think it means Mama Heating Pad) method and raise them indoors for a few weeks until I can get the 6 X 8 coop and massive run(s) built. I have been really reading up on the permaculture theories and I will post pics as I go!

This site and its members are an awesome resource and makes me confident that it will all work out fine!

 

[Alaskan]

I am in a similar situation here! 15 Dom chicks arriving from Cackle the end of the month, and I haven't even closed on the property yet! (next week) I have seriously  over planned everything but am sure I will still get a "surprise or two"!

I plan on using the MHP ( I think it means Mama Heating Pad) method and raise them indoors for a few weeks until I can get the 6 X 8 coop and massive run(s) built. I have been really reading up on the permaculture theories and  I will post pics as I go!

This site and its members are an awesome resource and makes me confident that it will all work out fine!

Sounds like a great deal of fun!

Are you in Colorado?

I would suggest planning in wind protection. And don't forget lots of ventilation.

Permaculture is awesome.

Are you doing it whole hog? Using compost to heat your home etc?

 

[Zone3Dakota]

With Mark Fields consulting Cackle Hatchery to improve both their LF and bantam Doms I would love to see posted pics of your birds from chicks to juveniles to adults!

I finally figured out how to take pics with my phone, so i have that part of the chore covered. Will need to read up on how to get the pics 'here'.

Which hatchery did your birds come from?

 

[Zone3Dakota]

I am in a similar situation here! 15 Dom chicks arriving from Cackle the end of the month, and I haven't even closed on the property yet! (next week) I have seriously over planned everything but am sure I will still get a "surprise or two"!

I plan on using the MHP ( I think it means Mama Heating Pad) method and raise them indoors for a few weeks until I can get the 6 X 8 coop and massive run(s) built. I have been really reading up on the permaculture theories and I will post pics as I go!

This site and its members are an awesome resource and makes me confident that it will all work out fine!

I tend to overplan, too, but projects take so much longer than my overplanning, here, that i try not to get too far ahead of myself. My 'plan' for chickens has taken 2 years to get this far. We're in our sixties, now, and have slowed a bit...

HOPEFULLY, we'll have some runs built before the ground freezes in the fall. Else, most all the cockerels will hit the freezer far earlier than i want. I'd like to keep them long enough to see them mature. Of course, all depends on how many chicks survive the trip and what sex they be.

 

[Sylvester017]

I finally figured out how to take pics with my phone, so i have that part of the chore covered. Will need to read up on how to get the pics 'here'.

Which hatchery did your birds come from?

Our one Dom chick was from Privett Hatchery ordered thru our local feed store before I was aware of Cackle Hatchery's enlistment of Mark Fields' assistance to improve Cackle's stock. I'm still debating Cackle's City/Town Small Order Special of 3 chicks - except I'm zoned for only 5 hens, no roos and I already have 4 hens. Sadly, I'll have a long wait before I can get any more chickens or figure a way to give away 2 of 3 Cackle Doms after they grow out to POL. I'm just so happy with the 4 hens we have now I'm afraid to add any more - I cycled thru 13 chickens in 5 years to get the compatible group of breeds we have now. A couple years ago we lost our one Dom before POL but we absolutely adored her outgoing curious unafraid people-oriented temperament. According to a breeder from the old American Dominique website he said the Dom's chick/juvenile personality of friendliness is throughout their adulthood too. Amazing breed! When we lost our Dom we decided to try a Breda which is another smaller large fowl breed and found her to have the same outgoing curious unafraid friendly temperament of a Dom. Healthy chickens have a surprising long life but if we were to lose one of our older hens in the near future we will get another Dom again. I am really loving the lighterweight breeds of chickens after cycling through so many heavier breeds of layers which seemed to like bullying our lighterweight gentler breeds. For our small backyard keeping the breeds at 5-lbs-or-under has been working well for us.

 

[COPlains]

Yes, Northern Colorado Plains. Windbreak development is my other huge project! Placing the coop and runs slightly south east of the house is about all I can do for now! As far as the ventilation, open (hardware cloth) eaves and an open bottom door design should do it. I also plan on the East side opening up into a giant screen door for when summer hits. I am not into the permaculture "advanced course" but it sure gives one a lot to think about!

Zone 3, good luck with your projects! You need to find a helper that likes fresh eggs!

 

[Faraday40]

I am in a similar situation here! 15 Dom chicks arriving from Cackle the end of the month, and I haven't even closed on the property yet! (next week) I have seriously over planned everything but am sure I will still get a "surprise or two"!

I plan on using the MHP ( I think it means Mama Heating Pad) method and raise them indoors for a few weeks until I can get the 6 X 8 coop and massive run(s) built. I have been really reading up on the permaculture theories and I will post pics as I go!

This site and its members are an awesome resource and makes me confident that it will all work out fine!

I have chicks hatching in mid March & am also thinking about making a Heating pad broody cave like you mentioned. Then I found a an old infant pack n play which should work well for brooding chicks in our garage. (I'll probably still keep them indoors for the 1st week or two, but my hope is that they can get out of our living room by April. Normally I hold off on chicks until May, but I really like the idea of them feathering out quicker.)

 

[centrarchid]

I have not seen brooding temperature impacting how quickly the chicks feather out. Only impact I have seen is when brooder temperatures are too high the down on body is lost prematurely.

 

[Alaskan]

@COPlains

I know lots of people like open eves, I found that in my chicken shed, it caused the wind to rush in, kind of a funnel, swirling wind.

Anyway, I blocked off the open eves, and kept the strip of open venting that is right below my poop boards. That works great. I do get some tiny bits of snow that blows in, but never much.

In my bantam coop I put in higher venting, on the two short ends of the coop. I really want to block off the lower vent (just above roosting chicken head height), and keep only the one higher vent. The higher vent is the width of the coop by about a foot high.

Another option is to build a Woods coop. Those are excellent, and have all of the winter venting on the front, no where else. That helps to stop drafts, but still give good fresh air.

Read my coop pages... If you get lots of wind, as well as lots of snow, there are many things to think through before building.