Dominique Thread!

[Cowpoke]

Hi Gardenlady2,

Mine slow down in fall, due to molt and continue the slow down ( I think due to shorter daylight hours) in the winter. They pick back up in the spring and summer.

Jedijinx,

When you "set some eggs" did you have a broody Dom hen, another breed of hen, or a bator?

 

[Sylvester017]

I am just starting out with Doms, and have not been able to get good breeding stock yet, so these two hens, although far from the SOP in color and size, have many other admirable qualities. They were sturdy, good layers, so I set some of their eggs. Of 15 eggs I set from these two, only 2 failed to hatch. Every chick was up and running around within minutes, and they are still quite the characters now at 6 weeks. I can't wait to see how they turn out by spring.

A fellow I spoke with off of the American Dominique website said the nature of the chicks continues into their adulthood. If they are active, talkative, outgoing, curious, unafraid, crave human contact as chicks it continues throughout their lives. I love just about all chicken breeds but after having a Dom I understand what other Dom owners are talking about - how positively different Dominiques are from other breeds. The Doms are probably the only breed I have enjoyed from chickhood. Other breeds I have had come running for treats, get bored, and run off again. But the Dom chick will hang around to explore your fingers, your eyeglasses, your hair, chirp softly to you, then plop into the palm of your hand to take a snooze. Adorable little things!

 

[gootziecat]

Just curious, but has anyone bought or see Duane Urch's Dominiques?

 

[Delight in Dominiques]

My line is 75% Urch blood. He has a old line and they are nothing like birds you see here for a hatchery. He has kept good type and size. Feathering is close and excellent width. Color on the males need a lot of work . Am I going to get the pleasure of talking with you at the Maryland Shoe this weekend?

 

[centrarchid]

My line is 75% Urch blood. He has a old line and they are nothing like birds you see here for a hatchery. He has kept good type and size. Feathering is close and excellent width. Color on the males need a lot of work . Am I going to get the pleasure of talking with you at the Maryland Shoe this weekend?

Where or from whom did Urch acquire his birds?

 

[Alaskan]

Just curious, but has anyone bought or see Duane Urch's Dominiques?

some time this spring/summer someone posted some pictures of the chicks they got from Urch.

I tried to order from him this year...but he sold out.

 

[gootziecat]

John, I'm hoping to make it but it depends on the weather. I'm looking forward to talking Doms with you.

 

[JediJinx]

"Set" meaning, set them in the incubator. None of the hens have gone broody. Since my adults are sick, the young ones are still stuck in the garage until we can sort out what is going on with them

Also, I wanted to share something really cool about my doms. My first batch were some pullets from Meyer hatchery, which I raised along with some OEG chicks. When they were about 6-7 weeks old, I got the opportunity to get a nice Dom cockerel for them. When I got the cockerel (who was a couple months older) I was surprised how grown up he was compared to the little girls. Being not all that smart, and not having any fences at that point, I went ahead and introduced them to him after a couple of days. "Rudy" the young roo was happy to have the company of other chickens, and he did not seem to care how small they were. They treated him like a father, and he watched after them like a hen would. The OEG chicks would even jump onto his back when they were spooked. Really cute. I gradually increased the time they were out with him until they were sleeping in the coop with him at night. I would peek in and see them all clustered under his wing on the roost. I wonder if he would ever someday take over the weaned juvies IF any of the hens ever do raise up chicks in the run. So far, my rooster has been the most "broody" of them all.

 

[vpatt]

"Set" meaning, set them in the incubator. None of the hens have gone broody. Since my adults are sick, the young ones are still stuck in the garage until we can sort out what is going on with them Also, I wanted to share something really cool about my doms. My first batch were some pullets from Meyer hatchery, which I raised along with some OEG chicks. When they were about 6-7 weeks old, I got the opportunity to get a nice Dom cockerel for them. When I got the cockerel (who was a couple months older) I was surprised how grown up he was compared to the little girls. Being not all that smart, and not having any fences at that point, I went ahead and introduced them to him after a couple of days. "Rudy" the young roo was happy to have the company of other chickens, and he did not seem to care how small they were. They treated him like a father, and he watched after them like a hen would. The OEG chicks would even jump onto his back when they were spooked. Really cute. I gradually increased the time they were out with him until they were sleeping in the coop with him at night. I would peek in and see them all clustered under his wing on the roost. I wonder if he would ever someday take over the weaned juvies IF any of the hens ever do raise up chicks in the run. So far, my rooster has been the most "broody" of them all.

Oh, I want a roo like him!

 

[Sylvester017]

Just curious, but has anyone bought or see Duane Urch's Dominiques?

Where or from whom did Urch acquire his birds?

some time this spring/summer someone posted some pictures of the chicks they got from Urch.

I tried to order from him this year...but he sold out.

Someone on this thread a while back said Mark Fields from dominiquechickens.com is helping Cackle Hatchery with selective Dom breeding. Cackle bantams are from the old Beauty Line and I believe someone said Mark is helping Cackle to better develop their LF as well as bantams. If I were to get nice birds I'd want to try Cackle if Mark is helping to perfect their Doms or my 2nd choice would be Privett Hatchery in New Mexico since I've often seen their chick stock at my feed store where the owner primarily sells to the surrounding poultry and egg industries and/or will incubate eggs for a fee. He's been doing it for over a decade and his Privett chick stock is nice. I got a Dom pullet from Privett via him. What's nice about going through a hatchery like these two is that you have the choice to vaccinate or not. Not too many private breeders offer that choice because of the expense to immunize just a few chicks and leave it to the customer to take care of those issues after they receive their non-immunized chicks. A hatchery has a big enough operation to immunize 100's of chicks at a time where a smaller private breeder couldn't offer it as cost-effectively. Cackle has a City/Town special for as few as 5 chicks of one breed for a flat price shipping included with your choice of all pullets if you wished. Just throwing out more Dom sources out there for your perusal.