Dominique Thread!

[topdog24]

You both came to the right place for answers, I have Dom chicks a few months old and are nice and easy to deal with, i only have 9, but a total of 77 of several breeds,Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Red Sex Links, Black Australorps, Black Sex Links, White Leghorns, and EEs, the DOMs are by far the calmest of them all, I do not have a DOM Roo but judging by waht i have seen and heard, they are more docile than most if you can provide them with ample running room or total free range is even better as with many breeds.

 

[gootziecat]

Topdog, grow those cockerels out a while before making judgment. As I stated, a lot will depend on the strain/line and where they were bred.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'd love to hear further input, especially from flocksters who've had both Dom and other breed roosters. My one experience with Dom roos was not very encouraging, but they were hatchery stock, and I had a total of 6 cockrels and 5 pullets. (3 of the cockrels were Doms) It was a learning experience about the importance of a grow out pen! Actually, all of the boys from this batch were vicious hoodlums to each other and to the pullets.... again, the value of a grow out pen can not be over emphasized!!

 

[Delight in Dominiques]

Dominiques have always been known as a docile breed. Years ago one of the strain I had put in my line had some cocks that would be glad to take a piece of me, when set in breeding pens. But I always looked at the fact that I always had the advantage over a 7 pound bird and I consider it to be normal behavior for a chicken. I have seen my hens be more aggressive towards me when I try to break them from being broody or a when I get between a hen and her chicks.

 

[Sylvester017]

Privett Hatchery and a few others have California Grays. They aren't an APA breed, but they are a well behaved, non aggressive, non-broody white egg layer.

We aren't into hybrids or created sexlinks. I looked into CA Grays a couple times - my folks had them in the '40s but I'm not taking any more chances with something that has Leghorn or BR in its history. I love those breeds but not for my current gentle backyard flock.

I want a really docile small breed for my backyard flock without being bantams and my DH really liked the looks of the Breda - he takes care of the birds almost completely so I let him choose the breed after I researched a list of docile white egg layers. We've had our order in with the breeder who's hatching them for us next Spring. Hopefully it will be a good decision to get not only a beautiful rare breed but a good-natured one too. We don't live in snow so their vulture hocks and feathered feet should do well in our climate.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

We aren't into hybrids or created sexlinks. I looked into CA Grays a couple times - my folks had them in the '40s but I'm not taking any more chances with something that has Leghorn or BR in its history. I love those breeds but not for my current gentle backyard flock.

I want a really docile small breed for my backyard flock without being bantams and my DH really liked the looks of the Breda - he takes care of the birds almost completely so I let him choose the breed after I researched a list of docile white egg layers. We've had our order in with the breeder who's hatching them for us next Spring. Hopefully it will be a good decision to get not only a beautiful rare breed but a good-natured one too. We don't live in snow so their vulture hocks and feathered feet should do well in our climate.

Cal Grays are NOT a hybrid; they are a true breed as they breed true. They are sexable in the same fashion that Barred Rocks and Dominiques are sexable - and for the same reason.

I don't know why people confuse them with a sex-link hybrid since they were a deliberately created secondary breed. They generally tend to rank fairly low in the pecking order, but I don't know about putting them - or any other non tufted breed - in with Polish, Silkie, etc.

 

[Sylvester017]

Cal Grays are NOT a hybrid; they are a true breed as they breed true. They are sexable in the same fashion that Barred Rocks and Dominiques are sexable - and for the same reason.

I don't know why people confuse them with a sex-link hybrid since they were a deliberately created secondary breed. They generally tend to rank fairly low in the pecking order, but I don't know about putting them - or any other non tufted breed - in with Polish, Silkie, etc.

I don't believe the CA Grays are APA accepted? Like I said folks had them in the '40s and I've also been around Babcock Leghorns since childhood so I want to go a different direction. The CA Grays were created for production, interested only in food and sex, and not much else. They aren't particularly personable but for a production bird are probably a calmer flock bird than actual Legs but still wouldn't chance mixing a created bird from Legs and BRs since we've had them all before too. Thanks for the input though

 

[Sylvester017]

I agree with the langshans, actually. The problem I had with mine was that she didn't lay eggs very often and when she did, there was problems with the shells... And the rooster randomly died of a unknown cause...

Yeah, my dominique Pepper went broody last year, she hatched a layer mutt chick that died of an unknown cause as well- although we believe it may have been the guineas we had- a shame that the chick had to die that way- was hoping to test how well it laid eggs and start a project...

That's a pic of Pepper the dominique and Cheerio the Orpington

You stole my name - I wanted to name our next Dom "Pepper" !!! Not very original I know but very cute

 

[The Yakima Kid]

I don't believe the CA Grays are APA accepted? Like I said folks had them in the '40s and I've also been around Babcock Leghorns since childhood so I want to go a different direction. The CA Grays were created for production, interested only in food and sex, and not much else. They aren't particularly personable but for a production bird are probably a calmer flock bird than actual Legs but still wouldn't chance mixing a created bird from Legs and BRs since we've had them all before too. Thanks for the input though

Neither are Breda Fowl, nor are Iowa Blues, and a number of other birds.

CA Grays show interest in a lot more than food and sex - they are interested in the usual social life of being a chicken, are much calmer than Leghorns, and are actually quite personable. But yes, they do get into foraging.

That said, go with the Breda fowl - I was only making a suggestion, not an injunction.

 

[Sylvester017]

Neither are Breda Fowl, nor are Iowa Blues, and a number of other birds.

CA Grays show interest in a lot more than food and sex - they are interested in the usual social life of being a chicken, are much calmer than Leghorns, and are actually quite personable. But yes, they do get into foraging.

That said, go with the Breda fowl - I was only making a suggestion, not an injunction.

The sweet little CA Grays are not rare nor being bred for APA acceptance - only being used as production fowl. But the Breda, Iowa Blues, etc are being worked on for APA approval. Speaking of Iowa Blues they remind me of the beautiful Daisy Belle or Norfolk Grey. Beautiful feather patterns.

I love Legs and BRs but just not for my current backyard group. I've been disappointed too many times mixing assertive breeds with my gentler girls and need to go a different direction. I absolutely adore Doms but not too sure about adding them to my gentle mix in a couple years. It all depends on how well the Breda meld with the Ameraucana and Silkies. The Breda kind of tend to stick with each other or around humans so that's why I want to try them - the hens aren't known aggressors like the Med's classes. As a last resort I'll go with LF Doms since I am very familiar and in love with them. I just have so many pink egg layers that I needed some white for variety. Some of the family wants the pink, some want the white, and we like the blue eggs for ourselves.

We tried the Marans for chocolate eggs but she was a nasty personality in our small flock and her eggs were neither chocolate nor big - seems like chocolate layers are mostly assertive types so we re-homed her. Even if chocolate layers don't lay very chocolate eggs there are still interesting patterns on them with speckles or half-dark/half-light brown, or plain brown ones - however the breeds are mostly heavier, larger, assertive types like the Marans, Wellies, Barnies, Penes, or Empordanesas and we've passed on getting any of them while we have a gentle-natured flock.