Dominique Thread!

[Faraday40]

Poor Dana -- she layed two bloody eggs in two days. She's six-yrs-old so I don't want to see her go through this. After losing a sweet Silkie years ago to a bleeding ovarian tumor I don't want to go through a similar experience again. It's probably nothing to worry about but when one is attached to one bird for so long one can't help but feel bad.

Two bloody Dominique eggs and one small Silkie egg in the middle
View attachment 3556861

I've seen that before but it was always a one time fluke. How's Dana now?

 

[Winderdear]

Hello all! I had no idea this thread existed, but if it’s a place to share cute Dominique photos then I must join in!

Here’s my little one. Her name is Juin (French for June), and she is honestly the most charming little troublemaker. She’s lightning fast and full of energy! About 6-7 weeks in these photos:




(Finally tired out after having me chase her out of a patch of poison ivy, lol)

She has the cutest little soft voice, more of a meep than a peep. Is that a breed or individual thing? I wonder how it will change as she matures. She reminds me of a muppet

 

[Sylvester017]

@Winderdear Our Dominique was one of 3 chicks when we got them at about 3 days old.

At about 2 weeks or so -- these chicks are unafraid, people-friendly, talkative little peeps from Day One! -- our surviving "Dana" is the more whiteish chick at the front.

The other two pullets died at one year old and another at 2 years old from heatstroke (they were laying an egg in over 100 degree weather and each died right afterwards)! "Dana" was never a prolific egg layer and has escaped egg-laying in the hot summer months each year, thank God! She's always been my favorite because she was so much smaller than her sister peeps and seemed to have chick pasty butt when we first brought 'em home -- I thought being so little and having pasty butt that Dana would be the least likely to survive but she's 6 years old now!

Our 3 Dominique pullets had blue eyes until about 6 months old and gradually the eyes turn a normal adult reddish-orange. The blue eyes are so pretty I think.

Adult eye color reddish-orange w/ dark pupil center

 

[Sylvester017]

I've seen that before but it was always a one time fluke. How's Dana now?

Hi
Dana layed two eggs in a row that were bloody and then the rest were fine -- although not much bigger than our Silkie eggs. But that's okay -- I'd rather have Dana alive then get bigger eggs. She's never been a prolific egg-layer and I believe that helps a hen survive a longer and better lifespan anyway .

 

[Winderdear]

@Winderdear Our Dominique was one of 3 chicks when we got them at about 3 days old.

At about 2 weeks or so -- these chicks are unafraid, people-friendly, talkative little peeps from Day One! -- our surviving "Dana" is the more whiteish chick at the front.
View attachment 3604404
The other two pullets died at one year old and another at 2 years old from heatstroke (they were laying an egg in over 100 degree weather and each died right afterwards)! "Dana" was never a prolific egg layer and has escaped egg-laying in the hot summer months each year, thank God! She's always been my favorite because she was so much smaller than her sister peeps and seemed to have chick pasty butt when we first brought 'em home -- I thought being so little and having pasty butt that Dana would be the least likely to survive but she's 6 years old now!

Our 3 Dominique pullets had blue eyes until about 6 months old and gradually the eyes turn a normal adult reddish-orange. The blue eyes are so pretty I think.
View attachment 3604421



Adult eye color reddish-orange w/ dark pupil center
View attachment 3604422

I’m sorry you lost your other two girls, that must’ve been heartbreaking! Poor babies

I know what you mean about loving your chick for being smaller. My Juin has always been a bit runty, and her tinyness just makes me d’aww over her even more. The littler they are, the more lovable!

I completely agree about the blue eyes, I think they’re beautiful! I can already see the color change happening though, they really grow up so fast!

 

[Sylvester017]

@Winderdear I think you are going to really really really love your Juin. Doms are the most people-friendly, talkative, calm, adult hens. As youngsters they are extremely peppy but turn into calm loving adults if socialized daily.

Our Dana is very good with our two Silkies -- only at feeding time or treats she can be pushy but not really mean like Cuckoo Marans or Buff Leghorns we've had before. Actually all 3 of our adult Doms were great around Silkies and actually defended one old Silkie from an aggressive Cuckoo in the flock. Our Doms also chased stray cats out of the yard too.

We've had a total of 4 Doms over the years and loved them all. Our Doms never went much beyond 5 lbs so their egg size was in the medium range. Our Dana got up to 7.3 lbs but that was when she had bumblefoot and wasn't exercising or foraging. She's back down to her 5 lb range again now that she's over the bumblefoot episode.

Some breeders may be trying to breed lines of better layers with bigger eggs but I'm afraid that would just change the great personality of our current Doms. Dom pullets have such a beautiful U-shape back and such a variety of pretty rosecombs with leaders at the comb's rear (each with a different comb design that helps me tell the Doms apart). I love the variety and designs of the combs -- some really bumpy while others less so, some leaders hug the skull while others stick straight out in back -- all so different and wonderful.

Post more pics of Juin as she grows up. They grow up WAY too fast!

 

[Winderdear]

@Winderdear I think you are going to really really really love your Juin. Doms are the most people-friendly, talkative, calm, adult hens. As youngsters they are extremely peppy but turn into calm loving adults if socialized daily.

Our Dana is very good with our two Silkies -- only at feeding time or treats she can be pushy but not really mean like Cuckoo Marans or Buff Leghorns we've had before. Actually all 3 of our adult Doms were great around Silkies and actually defended one old Silkie from an aggressive Cuckoo in the flock. Our Doms also chased stray cats out of the yard too.

We've had a total of 4 Doms over the years and loved them all. Our Doms never went much beyond 5 lbs so their egg size was in the medium range. Our Dana got up to 7.3 lbs but that was when she had bumblefoot and wasn't exercising or foraging. She's back down to her 5 lb range again now that she's over the bumblefoot episode.

Some breeders may be trying to breed lines of better layers with bigger eggs but I'm afraid that would just change the great personality of our current Doms. Dom pullets have such a beautiful U-shape back and such a variety of pretty rosecombs with leaders at the comb's rear (each with a different comb design that helps me tell the Doms apart). I love the variety and designs of the combs -- some really bumpy while others less so, some leaders hug the skull while others stick straight out in back -- all so different and wonderful.
View attachment 3607635
View attachment 3607667
View attachment 3607668

Post more pics of Juin as she grows up. They grow up WAY too fast!

Your girls are so cute! Thank you for sharing so much about what I can expect as she grows up. It’s hard to imagine her becoming calm some day, she’s such a little hooligan right now! She’s already super loving, and I’m glad to hear that won’t change

I definitely will post more pictures as she grows up! Here’s a picture of her sunbathing yesterday evening:



Her barring is so pretty. She’s molting and I keep finding tiny barred feathers everywhere which I can’t help but save because they feel so precious!

 

[Sylvester017]

@Winderdear Our Doms have had super soft feathers -- not as course to the touch like other breeds. And for some reason their feathers never smelled either. That must be the reason Pilgrims used the feathers for pillows and blankets, eh?

I put a Corningware dish in the chicks' Kiddie Pool with grit and they decided to use it as a dust bath -- I miss these friendly little girls! Other breeds run away but these chicks ran right up to us and stood on top of our shoes to get as close as they could to us.

The 3 girls became lap chickens. If we sat down they immediately jumped into our lap.

To this day "Dana" continues to jump into DH's lap the minute he sits down! She wants lap time every day to feel "special."

 

[Sylvester017]

Doms have a V-shape design on their feathers unlike Barred Rocks who don't seem to have this distinctive Dom pattern:

 

[Faraday40]

Here's a weird but true fact:
Doms smell better than other chickens. They have a clean, after-the-rain scent. My other chickens have an earthy smell. I noticed this one day during cuddle time. Of course after noticing, I began sniffing chickens and asking others to do the same. Go ahead and try. They do have a more pleasant smell.