Dominique Thread!

[duluthralphie]

SS= Speckled Sussex? Hmmm. I never thought of my son's SS as "smart." She worked her way to the top of the pecking order quickly, so she's not dumb (a slight bully to other hens perhaps). Most of our flock are Orpingtons, so it's easy to look like a genius next to them. LOL

The kids have fun training our birds & the Dom is the easiest to work with. She's so curious, outgoing, and willing to please. The SS is fearless and will fly up into the kids' fort and even seems to enjoy going on the swings & slides with them. The SS is a lot of fun, but the Dom is our problem-solver and has a longer attention span. With only 2 to compare, I'm guessing I see more indiv personalities than breed specific traits.

I have so many birds, I think I see the stand outs. As a breed, the SS are the friendliest. I know this could very well be just the ones I have decided to breed back over the years having that trait. The SS are by far the most out going.

While the DOM's are not unfriendly, they are not the first to approach me or want to be held. The boys are down right stand offish.

The legbars are flighty as a whole, but there are a few of them that are very curious. The Partridge Chanticler roosters are more friendly than the hens.

But it as a whole they are average. I find a few either way in all the flocks.

 

[centrarchid]

Hen we are watching lay an egg.

Soon we will switch to keeping eggs separate based on mother. Each mother will have 6 daughters with her fall.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

This is Domino, my rescued dominique. He is partially aggressive to humans (I have been training him, and he's much better now than he used to be), and pretty rough towards hens. He sometimes bullies one other rooster in my rooster flock, but other than that he gets along with them fairly well.

 

[Sylvester017]

@Sylvester017
I am guessing it depends on where we look and what we define as barred and cuckoo.

When I look for barring I look at the feathers at the legs or skirt area to see if I can see the barring. I was taught many moons ago ( more moons than I wish I had lived) that is the area that will tell you how strong the barring trait is. If the feathers are not barred there they will be incomplete else where.

Then I look at the tail to see if that have good barring. These areas have become even more important to me since my involvement with the Legbars. They feather out fast and the barring is harder to spot.

Thanks on the U backs. That is an absolute if the bird is to become a breeder here. Combs and waddles are the things I am working on most right now. As I recall they are only 5 points (when judged by points) but they are the thing I notice first. I hate the large waddles. but I am not going to give up body type, size and barring to chase the waddles down.

I had an issue with telescoping combs but I think those are almost gone now from my flock. I would not mind getting a hold of a good rooster with a good comb from a diverse flock to bring into mine. But as of yet, all I find are birds that are closely related to mine (mainly because I sold the chicks to them or their supplier).

Here is the cockerel I showed last fall.

View attachment 1338415

He was best of breed. I can see the "cuckoo" in this picture now. But I also see the barring on the legs (fluff area) and down the hackles.

He's got the most beautiful "V" patterned feathers which must've really impressed the judge(s) because it is so very noticeable -- gorgeous boy!

 

[Sylvester017]

View attachment 1338814This is Domino, my rescued dominique. He is partially aggressive to humans (I have been training him, and he's much better now than he used to be), and pretty rough towards hens. He sometimes bullies one other rooster in my rooster flock, but other than that he gets along with them fairly well.

It takes a little patience and some knowledge of roos to get them to behave. Yours has beautiful "V" patterned feathers too! So glad you rescued him, he has some fine points.

 

[centrarchid]

Something has changed here resulting in major improvement in hatch rate. Two new incubators and experience. By end of this month we should have two dozen American dom chicks going through brooder and at least as many in the incubator. Getting a 100 by July is looking increasingly realistic.

 

[centrarchid]

Another thing I am seeing with the older hens that temperature is much more important with respect to egg production. Temperature needs to be in the 50's F to at most middle 80's F. Outside that range older hens really drop off in egg production.

 

[centrarchid]

View attachment 1338814This is Domino, my rescued dominique. He is partially aggressive to humans (I have been training him, and he's much better now than he used to be), and pretty rough towards hens. He sometimes bullies one other rooster in my rooster flock, but other than that he gets along with them fairly well.

What are you doing to curb the aggression?

 

[duluthralphie]

Another thing I am seeing with the older hens that temperature is much more important with respect to egg production. Temperature needs to be in the 50's F to at most middle 80's F. Outside that range older hens really drop off in egg production.

I have found the same, these 5 degree nights are killing my egg production. Also the hatchability* of the eggs goes down with the temps.



*appears I coined another word.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

It takes a little patience and some knowledge of roos to get them to behave. Yours has beautiful "V" patterned feathers too! So glad you rescued him, he has some fine points.

Thanks! I'm glad too, even though he can be a pain sometimes.

What are you doing to curb the aggression?

Every time he acts like he's getting ready to peck me, I say "NO". If he actually pecks me, I hold him gently but firmly to the ground and also say "NO". He's learned what "NO" means, and often doesn't peck me if I tell him not to.