Dominique Thread!

[EastNashChick]

I found where my dom pullet had been hiding her eggs. I blocked her from there (because I could not reach the eggs) and I put a nest box nearby. I have seen her in the nest a couple of times and I have found an egg in there every day for six days. Would she really be laying an egg a day or is it more likely her sister (same age) is laying also? They all look alike....but I have another pair of older dom sisters who lay eggs that look alike. I am happy for the extra egg, I'm just curious if she would lay every day as I did not think they laid that often. Thnx

Mine lay every day in good weather.

 

[vpatt]

Mine lay every day in good weather.

Thank you...when I said they all look alike I meant the eggs that I am finding in that particular nest. Lol.....I am never good at explaining myself.
Maybe my older two don't lay as often because they are older....I don't know their exact age. Good to know these younger girls may lay more than I expected.

 

[song of joy]

I have - And they are smart, active, curious and affectionate I have two from them now, and one's slightly darker than the other, but both are super sweet! !

I have 1 Dominique pullet from Meyer Hatchery. She is smart and very tame, letting me pick her up with no fuss. She began laying at age 24 weeks, and lays 4-5 eggs per week.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

When we first introduced the Dominique pullets to our two remaining adult hens, they quickly developed the nickname of the Clown Unit of the Cirque de Poulet. They are also known as the Keystone Koop. The more dominant of the older ladies felt it was necessary to peck the pullets when they came to close to her, particularly when they were heading for the corners of the run in order to eat or drink. So they took to running *over the backs of the older hens* instead of around them, in front of them, or behind them. It was very, very, difficult and frustrating for the dominant hen because she couldn't peck at them as efficiently when they were running over the top of her. The whole group of pullets would sometimes make a mad dash over her! It was like watching a cartoon.

 

[Sylvester017]

 

[lazy gardener]

I do wish you'd gotten a video of that. I've also seen underlings run over the top of other birds. gotta love it.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

I do wish you'd gotten a video of that. I've also seen underlings run over the top of other birds. gotta love it.

I wish I had, too. Chickens can actually have expressions - not just on their faces, but on their whole bodies. The look on the dominant hen when the pullets would run over the top of her and step on her head was hysterically funny. She'd fluff herself up and try to intimidate them - but if she got them cornered they'd make a mass mad dash over and around her.

 

[lazy gardener]

I had a parakeet that just loved to prance around on top of my cat's head. This little fluff of a bird would stomp all over the cat's head, preen the cat's whiskers and ears, and exclaim, "pretty bird, pretty bird" and sing up a storm all the while. Mean while, the cat would obviously endure the humiliation with ears laid back, and the most miffed expression on her face. (I, of course held the cat in a very loving embrace with her paws tucked in while parakeet loved on the cat!)

 

[Sylvester017]

A question for Dom owners: Are there any other breeds of chicks as talkative outgoing friendly and unafraid as the Dom chicks? Some people who have had Barred Rocks have voiced similarly but then BRs have Dom in their history. I don't remember my BRs ever being as friendly or outgoing as my Dom. Maybe I'm being overly sensitized to Dom chick behavior but most other chick breeds I've had will either freeze still, cower, or quickly run off if you have no treats for them. Our Dom experience is that they go out of their way to socialize with their humans.

 

[centrarchid]

Many dual purpose and meat birds exhibit a similar nature. The egg producers are the ones that tend to be less gregarious. My games are even more engaging than the doms. A big part of the variation may stem from favoritism rewarding some colors for being more interactive.