Dominique Thread!

[Sylvester017]

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.

TeeHee - so true about Dom feathers!
One other breed we notice have a pleasant sniff test to their plumage -- our Bearded Silkies have a clean smell to their feathers too.

 

[McChooky]

I only have 3 but they run the flock lol

 

[McChooky]

My original flock of Doms had 5 but its down to 3 now.

 

[Sylvester017]

@ChickensComeHome2Roost Dom hens are incredibly unique for their people-friendly personalities, as chicks unafraid of humans, talkative from chicks to adulthood, protective of the flock (ours chase after cats that don't belong in the yard), many breeds love to be lap chickens but Doms thrive on human interaction, and so much more. It hurts to lose any precious hen but it really hurt for us to lose 2 of 3 Doms.

Our Doms all came from a local feed store who got their chicks from Privett Hatchery, New Mexico. But I'm sure all Doms share characteristics no matter what hatchery they're from. I'm not a breeder but in my younger days I would've picked Doms for sure.

NOTICED YOU USED A DOG HOUSE -- we had 5 of them at one time -- down to 4 but I think we'll give another one away as it seems they are just spider catchers

 

[McChooky]

I ordered 10 dom pullets (because they're rare) and was disappointed when the hatchery couldn't fill the order and substituted some with barred rocks without asking me. I sold all but 6 of the chicks thinking one was a cockerel but it ended up being a barred rock too lol

 

[MiddleAmerican]

I ordered 10 dom pullets (because they're rare) and was disappointed when the hatchery couldn't fill the order and substituted some with barred rocks without asking me. I sold all but 6 of the chicks thinking one was a cockerel but it ended up being a barred rock too lol

Yeah, that would’ve ticked me off for sure!

 

[Sylvester017]

@ChickensComeHome2Roost Seems like hatcheries are just as anxious to get rid of their surplus chicks as breeders are -- whether customer wants substitution Barred Rocks or not! I mean, some people like their BRs but nothing compares to the overall positives of Doms once you've owned them.

Mankind is breeding chickens heavier (look at the commercial Cornish Cross), more egg prolific (Hybrids, Leghorns, RIRs, etc), and these poor hens are spent and dead by 5-years. Give me a medium or small size bird w/ potential broodiness, and less egg prolific so I can enjoy the birds (and even eggs) over a longer lifespan.

Hope you got your $$$ back from the hatchery that sent you the wrong order. Try Privett Hatchery in New Mexico sometime. Or go to a private reputable Dom breeder. I haven't got a bad personality Dom from Privett yet. But like all breeders' woes if you're breeding for perfection expect a lot of failures. Over and over I've read about the frustrations of breeders taking years to breed that one special bird to produce a line perfect for show.

As for me, I just love my hatchery Doms for their personalities, calmness (as adults), talkativeness, trainability, flock compatibility, soft feathers, clean smell, active foraging, and I can go on and on and on - teehee! I love that as chicks they are so automatically human-friendly -- they seem to crave human interaction.

 

[McChooky]

My friend who I split the order with dragged his feet and never submitted photos so he never got a refund then predators got his. I still feel bad about that. I have 3 of my doms and love everyone of them. They're hardy chickens but impossible to find unless you order them.Most people don't care if their chickens forage or not so we're forced to select from breeds that lay every day and die young.I ordered brown leghorns as a last resort this spring. I'm hoping they won't lay everyday and die in 3 years

 

[Winderdear]

My friend who I split the order with dragged his feet and never submitted photos so he never got a refund then predators got his. I still feel bad about that. I have 3 of my doms and love everyone of them. They're hardy chickens but impossible to find unless you order them.Most people don't care if their chickens forage or not so we're forced to select from breeds that lay every day and die young.I ordered brown leghorns as a last resort this spring. I'm hoping they won't lay everyday and die in 3 years

I hope all your birds live long, happy lives, and that you have better luck adding more Dominiques to your flock in future

They might be closer to you than Privett, so I thought I’d just mention, I got my Dominique from Meyer Hatchery and couldn’t be more pleased with her! She is an avid forager. In fact, just today she was scratching through the leaf litter looking for grubs, and unearthed a salamander. I think she jumped a foot in the air when she saw it!

 

[McChooky]

I hope all your birds live long, happy lives, and that you have better luck adding more Dominiques to your flock in future

They might be closer to you than Privett, so I thought I’d just mention, I got my Dominique from Meyer Hatchery and couldn’t be more pleased with her! She is an avid forager. In fact, just today she was scratching through the leaf litter looking for grubs, and unearthed a salamander. I think she jumped a foot in the air when she saw it!

Thank you! I feel the same and hope your chickens live a long and happy life and give you lots of eggs! My flock wouldn't be the same without my barred hens ! One day I will order them again but I can't order any more chicks for a while.lol