Dominique Thread!

[DraigAthar]

Interesting thing to note with respect to hen rearing by American Dominique hens. Most of mine abandon chicks by 4 weeks.

Interesting. My Dom broodies have all clung to their babies for 8 weeks. I think they would have stuck with them longer if I hadn't separated them, heh.

 

[ambergordon]

Hey guys! I have four laying Dominiques and one recently has gone broody, YAY! We really want some more chickens around here! Last time I had a hen laying, she abandoned them about a week before they were due to hatch, and I'm not sure why. We separated her in a dog crate and she was still in the hen house. I don't think I separated her early enough (the other girls were laying eggs on her, and she would "steal" them for herself) she was laying on a clutch of 24! Hopefully this time we'll get it right. We did receive 7 New Hampshire chicks -straight run- in March (4 roosters and 3 hens), so I'm interested to see how these chicks come out. For some reason I wasn't thinking that the NH would breed with the Doms, boy was I wrong. We did have a Dominique rooster, and he was the most beautiful but unfortunately he was extremely aggressive toward my 3 year old . Anyways, great to see a thread about Dominiques!!!

 

[centrarchid]

Interesting. My Dom broodies have all clung to their babies for 8 weeks. I think they would have stuck with them longer if I hadn't separated them, heh.

Do you recall when the hen stopped clucking? That is a time when a major change in maternal mental state occurs. Even past that time some hens will defend the interest of their offspring against other chickens, but they will no longer risk themselves in the face of a predator.

 

[DraigAthar]

Do you recall when the hen stopped clucking? That is a time when a major change in maternal mental state occurs. Even past that time some hens will defend the interest of their offspring against other chickens, but they will no longer risk themselves in the face of a predator.

You mean the 'here's food, come get it!' cluck? The broodies have done that up through 8 weeks, if I leave the chicks with them that long. I haven't tested their dedication to their offspring by exposing them to predators, though, so I can't really speak to that.

 

[centrarchid]

You mean the 'here's food, come get it!' cluck? The broodies have done that up through 8 weeks, if I leave the chicks with them that long. I haven't tested their dedication to their offspring by exposing them to predators, though, so I can't really speak to that.

You are describing tidbit call which is a guk-guk-guk. "Clucking" I mean as in call hen uses to have chicks follow her like when chicks are small. No predator testing required to distinguish.

 

[DraigAthar]

You are describing tidbit call which is a guk-guk-guk. "Clucking" I mean as in call hen uses to have chicks follow her like when chicks are small. No predator testing required to distinguish.

I'm sorry, I didn't receive a copy of your momma hen glossary when I joined the thread. I'll be sure to pay close attention to the next broody Dominique I have with chicks older than 4 weeks, to see if she bothers to call her chicks back to her when no predators are around.

 

[centrarchid]

I'm sorry, I didn't receive a copy of your momma hen glossary when I joined the thread. I'll be sure to pay close attention to the next broody Dominique I have with chicks older than 4 weeks, to see if she bothers to call her chicks back to her when no predators are around.

I had no intention to offend, rather clarify.

 

[buffalogal]

I had no intention to offend, rather clarify.

Maybe you could post a short video of a hen making that call?

 

[centrarchid]

Maybe you could post a short video of a hen making that call?

That can be done.

 

[Jharper]

Here's my Dominique hen after one of my EE's.