Dominique Thread!

[Zone3Dakota]

Sylvester, are those your new hatchery chicks? They grow so fast. Did you order straight run?

 

[pipAchick]

Hi folks. Had no idea this thread existed,so happy!
I'm a big fan of this breed.
Tracked some down a few years ago&been working on traits ever since. Kids won best in show with a few of our girls two years ago. 15 of my 31eggs set for April hatch are Dom eggs-eeek! I'm drawn to the kindness of this breed, pretty patterns&wonderful egg laying ability.
Its a larger bird to hold&cuddle but my kids love them!
Big Papa

 

[Zone3Dakota]

We're not much into 'pet' chickens, here, but it is good to read that Dominiques are good with the kids. ...and that they are good eggers!

 

[pipAchick]

We're not much into 'pet' chickens, here, but it is good to read that Dominiques are good with the kids.  ...and that they are good eggers!

Chickens are to hopefully prepare our kids for "work". Its my kids job to help clean pens,feed/water,get eggs& money from eggs or chicken sales goes straight into their accounts. Its nice knowing the little ones won't get attacked trying to complete chores.

Far as production-has out laided all the other breeds we've tried so far. Even in Jan&Feb I'm so grateful I still have eggs to collect as my friends gripe about feeding their non-laying breeds.

 

[Alaskan]

Ditto here too as to children.

I am a firm believer that good kids are kids that work hard, and are allowed to fail, and then fix their mistakes by themselves.

All of my kids have their own animal chores, I have enough chickens that each kid has their own pen that they are responsible for.

And yes, because of that it is important that roosters are well manered. My youngest kid is now 7, so it is no longer as vital that the roosters are kind, but it was vital when they were little.

And yes, the Doms have been great.

 

[gosselinfarm]

Have to add that I as well marvel at the breed. I only have 5 hens but get 4-5 eggs each day. Both hens as well as rooster are social and very easy to handle. We butchered 4 cockerels and the meat was plentiful and tasty. Just a polite and beautiful bird to have on the farm. I swapped out roosters and am waiting 4 weeks to make sure the eggs are no longer fertile from the last guy then looking forward to getting some eggs into the incubator! I certainly will never be without my Doms.

 

[Alaskan]

Have to add that I as well marvel at the breed. I only have 5 hens but get 4-5 eggs each day. Both hens as well as rooster are social and very easy to handle. We butchered 4 cockerels and the meat was plentiful and tasty. Just a polite and beautiful bird to have on the farm. I swapped out roosters and am waiting 4 weeks to make sure the eggs are no longer fertile from the last guy then looking forward to getting some eggs into the incubator! I certainly will never be without my Doms.

I agree.

 

[THeelChickinKY]

Yes, just have to agree - Doms are such perfect birds. Whether or not you ask for it, you may end up with some pets, there! Ours are such cuddles and are quite insistent on our affection when we're out with them.

 

[THeelChickinKY]

*cuddlers

 

[Zone3Dakota]

My kids are grown and gone. But, occasionally, other's little kids come by. OMG, if our baby pullets end up producing eggs like that, we'll have WAY too many eggs. I figured that they would slow down for the winter, or even stop (and they might where we are located) and that we could freeze the 'summer' eggs so that we'd have lots of scrambles and quiches in the winter. Good thing that the neighbors are excited to get the eggstras.