Dominique Thread!

[Amer]

Too much trouble in processing them. Besides we sell them for five bucks and they are skinny little bantams. Believe me, I'm think they even process Leghorns bantams too.

 

[holm25]

There were bantam Dominiques at Ohio International. I also bought Buckeye bantams.

Who were the Buckeyes from?

 

[Sylvester017]

Too much trouble in processing them. Besides we sell them for five bucks and they are skinny little bantams. Believe me, I'm think they even process Leghorns bantams too.

To sell $5 for bantam cockerels is a good deal plus your birds would be hormone and antibiotic-free. Even if they are going to be used as someone's dinner -- because, have you ever seen how expensive the tiny Cornish Game Hens sell for in the supermarket?

Ever since we've had backyard hens it's been hard for us to think of eating chicken meat because we've come to get really attached to how wonderful and practical pet hens can be if you have the right breed so we get very sad about eating chicken meat. Some breeds are just plain aggressive while some breeds are mostly docile and it's the docile or calm breeds that we invest in for our pet flock. Kinda dumb, since people consider chickens as "they're only chickens" but we love our birds. We chose to have chickens as our one and only kind of pet rather than a dog or cat and we never regretted the choice. Chickens can be just as sweet a pet and provides eggs as a bonus.

My DH won't eat even our mean birds and will find forever homes for them LOL. There was one Marans we had that was so mean she challenged the sweet alpha White Leghorn who promptly put the Marans in her place, so the Marans turned towards being mean to the two little Silkies. I didn't realize what she was doing to the Silkie on the roost perch but then we caught her attacking another little Silkie and we immediately re-homed the Marans in a friend's layer flock -- but that's one mean Marans I wouldn't mind processing but DH was too soft-hearted and found her a forever home instead.

When we first introduced the Cuckoo Marans the Partridge Silkie (next to the Marans) still had plumage but we noticed the Silkie was losing some body feathers and just thought she was molting.

At first we thought the poor little Silkie was just molting because her feathers were gone and just her under-down was visible.

After the Marans began openly attacking both Silkies in the yard is when I stupidly realized the poor little Silkie was being eaten alive by the Marans during roost. I was new to a backyard flock and felt so bad not figuring out what was going on! This sweet little Silkie is still with us 6-1/2 yrs later in spite of the abuse she went through.

This is the same Partridge Silkie today -- she is molting and definitely there is a difference in the natural molting process compared to the pictures above of her being eaten alive.

 

[Faraday40]

This is one pretty silkie. I love her coloring. Is that "partridge" ?

Around here, most people can't own roos so I end up only selling the females. When I hatch a sexlinked male, he goes as a free "packing peanut" to anyone who's willing to grow him out. I use to give all our extra males away until I realized just how much time, love, care, & $ we were throwing away. This year we changed that.

If a chick is over 4-6 wks old before I can tell gender, I simply keep him to grow out for ourselves. Our handyman/ neighbor was willing to teach me. I still cannot do the actual kill, but I can help with the rest. I know that our birds lived a much better life here with us than any commercial chicken. I cannot eat chicken right away, so I store them in the freezer until I'm ready.

Chickens are a decent investment (emotionally & financially). The only people who can say, "It's just a chicken" are usually people who don't own them. They do make awesome pets, have fun personalities, and give us eggs, fertilizer, feathers, & entertainment. It's never easy processing a rooster - even a mean one - but it's nice to know that they were well cared for & their life was not wasted.

 

[Amer]

My dad grew up with meat chickens, and though we get attached to some, not all. The only reason we don't butcher them is it takes a long time. I used to be squeamish about it, but now I understand it's all part of the husbandry, ever since we had to cull a sick Dominique bantam hen. I got my bantam Buckeyes from a guy that I forgot the name of

 

[Chickassan]

I can't cull anyone even the jerks. My flock is teeny tiny so when i do add new ones it's only two or three so that makes finding places where extra roos or rarely a jerk hen can go easier.

 

[Amer]

Yeah, my flock is tiny too, but some of the chickens aren't a breed we need. Turns out the guys name is Aaron Baker, look up Baker Acre farms on Facebook.

 

[holm25]

Yeah, my flock is tiny too, but some of the chickens aren't a breed we need. Turns out the guys name is Aaron Baker, look up Baker Acre farms on Facebook.

I figured it was Aaron. He raises some really nice Buckeyes. The Bantams Buckeye were most likely birds he was selling for his daughter. She breeds the Bantam and he breeds standards. But he could have a few of his own Bantams I suppose

 

[Chickassan]

If i was raising to sell it would be different, it would have to be. I do plan on trying to sell a few faverolles chicks in the spring but with them being such spotty layers i doubt I'll have to do anything culling wise.

Yeah, my flock is tiny too, but some of the chickens aren't a breed we need. Turns out the guys name is Aaron Baker, look up Baker Acre farms on Facebook.

 

[duluthralphie]

Can you guys show pictures of these Dom's you are culling? I like to see what others cull the boys for.