Dominique Thread!

[Faraday40]

Can Doms get issues with weight? For the past 2-3 months Bubbles no longer looks like her old sleek self and I'm worried that it's affecting her health. I sometimes see her breathing with her beak open after running &/or after eating. Her comb also looks sort of purple at those times, so I'm very concerned. It's not like they get a lot of treats but when I put down their feed dish, Bubbles is the 1st to eat due to being top hen. Same thing when scratch grains are thrown around. It's a feeding frenzy & she grabs as much as she can and then pants afterwards. The rest if the flock engages in the same behaviors but are breathing & looking normal / healthy. Bubbles is laying and her face/comb are normal color the rest of the time.

 

[duluthralphie]

Can Doms get issues with weight? For the past 2-3 months Bubbles no longer looks like her old sleek self and I'm worried that it's affecting her health. I sometimes see her breathing with her beak open after running &/or after eating. Her comb also looks sort of purple at those times, so I'm very concerned. It's not like they get a lot of treats but when I put down their feed dish, Bubbles is the 1st to eat due to being top hen. Same thing when scratch grains are thrown around. It's a feeding frenzy & she grabs as much as she can and then pants afterwards. The rest if the flock engages in the same behaviors but are breathing & looking normal / healthy. Bubbles is laying and her face/comb are normal color the rest of the time.

Current Photos, please.

 

[Sylvester017]

Can Doms get issues with weight? For the past 2-3 months Bubbles no longer looks like her old sleek self and I'm worried that it's affecting her health. I sometimes see her breathing with her beak open after running &/or after eating. Her comb also looks sort of purple at those times, so I'm very concerned. It's not like they get a lot of treats but when I put down their feed dish, Bubbles is the 1st to eat due to being top hen. Same thing when scratch grains are thrown around. It's a feeding frenzy & she grabs as much as she can and then pants afterwards. The rest if the flock engages in the same behaviors but are breathing & looking normal / healthy. Bubbles is laying and her face/comb are normal color the rest of the time.

Poor sweet Bubbles! I can't imagine the worry you're going through! She's not just any sweet chicken -- she's an actress and a STAR! And your family has invested so much time and love into her.

My first reaction because of the combined respiratory issue/ purplish comb at the same time is an immediate visit to my vet who's been seeing my chickens for 6 yrs. Sick chickens will continue putting on a brave front as normal as possible when they are ailing and will cover hidden issues for days until it slows them down. Vet's will have the proper diagnosis and medicines while as an amateur I can only misdiagnose. There is a BYC section "Emergencies/Diseases/Injuries and Cure section that might help in the meantime.

I go to the vet if one of my girls doesn't show improvement in 24 hours. Such small birdie bodies succumb faster to maladies than larger animal bodies so don't hesitate to take Bubbles for a vet visit. Not cheap but you do have a lot invested in that little birdie. There was a time when DH and I sat up all night with our horribly wheezing 2-lb Silkie "Mini" and thought for sure we'd lose her by morning. The minute the vet's office opened we rushed her to him expecting she'd be euthanized -- but he gave the correct injection and oral medicines and within a day she was toodling around like nothing had happened to her. Of course we kept her indoors while she was recuperating and finished her oral medicines. She suffered one respiratory issue each year for about 3 yrs in a row and each time we knew not to hesitate and took her immediately to the vet. Usually temperature changes, wet weather, etc would bring on symptoms and we were aware what to watch for so that the issue didn't become severe like the first time we went through it with her.

The issue with our little "Mini" taught me not to rely on my own diagnosis re my girls. Injuries are so much easier to deal with because I can see those and usually treat those myself (I still go to the vet even for those because I'm a worrier) but I like to get confirmation from the vet. My little "Mini" was my problem health child all her life. She used to scratch so hard in the nestbox before laying her eggs that she ripped out toenails and a couple toes and we had to line the nestboxes with plexiglass to prevent splinters -- she would complain for hours before laying her little eggs -- and ultimately at 6 yrs old the vet had to euthanize her for a bleeding ovarian tumor. I came to really adore that spunky little Silkie for pulling through so many health issues in her little life but not without my vet's assistance. A pic of one of Mini's missing toes.

I hope you get Bubbles issue resolved soon - GL!

 

[Sylvester017]

They’re beautiful!! We got her at a local feed shop. They told us she was a barred rock, but she looks exactly like your doms!

Are you aware that Barred Rocks were engineered from Dominiques originally? In the very early 1900's Dominiques had both rosecombs and straight combs and the Dom fanciers couldn't agree about which comb should be set as the standard for the Dom breed. The group that liked the straight combs broke off from the rosecomb group and formed their own new breed calling them Plymouth Barred Rock and over the years crossbred Malay and/or Cornish Game to increase Barred Rock's dual purpose status. Meanwhile the Dom group kept the Dom cuckoo feather pattern and rosecomb without crossing breeds to keep the Doms as genetically original as possible. Because Doms and BRs are related from the past you'll sometimes find some very friendly outgoing BRs similar in temperament to the Doms. I've had both breeds and found I like the medium size of the Dominique w/ consistent outgoing personality. BRs can be nice but they are a heavier bird and not always consistent in good temperament. JMHO

 

[Faraday40]

We got Bubbles b/c DD liked the looks of the black/white striped chickens. I went to a friend's house who had BRs & they seemed very "pecky" toward each other & humans alike. They were the bullies of the coop and even the family never tried to hold them. I reached in to remove an egg from a nest & one hen almost drew blood. (OMG! I never experienced a mean HEN before.) After that day, I decided we'd never own a BR. I read that Doms were "friendly" so we got some eggs through the mail - just so DD could have her striped chicken. You know the rest of the story.

I ran outside & snapped a few pics of Bubbles today (nothing pretty & excuse the mud). The only thing my untrained eye can see is that she looks overweight - for a Dom.

When picked up she also pants. Comb didn't go purple, but she seemed uncomfortable.


Last summer

 

[Faraday40]

Here's the new Dom baby. Hoping for a female but I'm still not confident.

 

[centrarchid]

Here's the new Dom baby. Hoping for a female but I'm still not confident.
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Look male-ish in last image.

 

[centrarchid]

Setting up for real chick production this round. Already have about 20 embryos with confirmed development. Targeting for about 100 reared through at least fryer size. I hope to have 36 pullets by fall and about six cockerels.

 

[Sylvester017]

@Faraday40 Looks like Bubbles might have a crop issue interfering with her respiratory breathing? I still think she needs a vet visit to be sure -- she's had the respiratory issue for more than 24 hours. My Doms will get big crops by end of day before roost but that's normal by evening. Does Bubbles have that big crop all day long? Experienced chickeneers know how to deal with crop issues in their chickens and even do surgery but I'm not experienced enough to do such treatments.

I hope your new chick is female. Everything except the fuzzy white back points to female so this one is a real puzzler. I only wanted one Dominique and had to settle for a chick late in the hatching season -- but since one chick alone doesn't do well I knew I would have to get at least two chicks -- then what if one died as chicks often do so I got 3 Dom chicks and figured for sure at least one had to be a pullet. Well, ALL 3 chicks survived, I now have 2 more Dom pullets than I originally wanted, but I wouldn't trade any one of the 3 now. They are full of personality, are dynamo layers, and add some new pep into an old flock! They are finally enjoying their new dust bath sand!

(The Cuckoo Breda "Char" is the one with white earlobe)

 

[Delight in Dominiques]

Easter hatch, 79 total from 2 pens. Moat of these will be sent off for a 4-H project. This hatch date was also set for me to have pullets to select and grow out for the Dominique club of America's National that will be located at the Ohio National on November 10 and 11th. I expect this to be a big event for the Dominque Club with cash money awards for best of breed in LF and bantam. This show should be a meet to attend as there should be good numbers in both. Hope to see you there!