Dominique Thread!

[centrarchid]

If predators are not an issue, then let her do as she pleases. If nocturnal predators, then confine her at night so varments can not reach through wire to grab her or bitties. She may have trouble first few nights geting bitties to follow her up ramp.

I am feeding a hen on nest. Never done that before and do not know what effects to be realized. Feed her well away from nest and where she roosts with chicks. Even feed residue will attract attention of oppossums.

 

[mprivett]

Nocturnal predators generally are not a problem, especially since they roost in an enclosed coop that is elevated. But I was thinking of keeping the chick feed and water up in the coop with them for easier access instead of down on the ground....but not sure how messy this would be (the mature chickens have pellets and water underneath the coop on the ground). I usually let the chickens out to free range when I get home from work and on weekends.

Do you think I still need to separate the other chickens from the mother and chicks? I'm worried about pecking....

 

[centrarchid]

I have not been in practice of confining hens brooding chicks with general population for same concerns you have. Free range not a problem since hen can move away from non-brooding flock members if needed. My grandfather occasionally kept hens with chicks confined in run but life was tuffer on chicks and low ranking hens were not as consistently successful at rearing broods to independence.

 

[buffalogal]

Quote:
I'd say all pullets.

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
I have a rescued dominique as well. She is the sweetest little girl but is having a hard time. She now lives with 10 RIR hen's & 1 RIR cock that chase her away. Hopefully, they will accept her one day.The roo does take care of her thank god.

 

[zekii]

I ordered these at a local feed shop, they were suppose to be all pullets ... I'm thinking they look more like Roos ...
might be my 1st meat birds if they are all Roos !!!

What do others think ??

 

[chickpeaz]

I ordered 5 Dominique pullets from Welp to arrive in early May. They're my mom's request. I don't think she's ever seen one -- she just knows someone who has them and they think they're the bees' knees, so she had to have some of "her own" (except they'll be living at my house and I'll be caring for them -- you know how that goes, right?). I teased her that I was just going to get her some Barred Rocks -- they'd be much cheaper, and she'd never know the difference --

But I did get her the Doms she wanted.

So if I love them, great...and if not, they can just be Mom's #$%^@# Chickens.

 

[Delight in Dominiques]

Chickpeas,You are pretty brave for posting on the dom thread that they look just like BRs! LOL That has been a problem for over a hundred years now. The sad thing is I don't think this problem will ever go away. Would take a lot of dedication from alot of people to set this fowl straight. Also Zekii it looks like from your picture that you will have plenty to eat here in a couple of months. Congrats to NYreds on his auction of dominique hatching eggs. great birds. Put 16 four week old pullets out in the brooder coop yesterday. Figures temps dropped down into the 20s Changing out frozen water in the mornings the last two days. Rude awaking for them. Also had a hen give up on her eggs on day fourteen. Two are expected to hatch in the incubator tomorrow, out of 11. I have plenty in the incubator due to hatch in the next week for 4-H kiddos for the summer shows. Soon the temps will be up, best to all, John

 

[chickpeaz]

LOL John -- I don't want anyone here to think I'm disparaging their favorite breed! I just meant that my mom, who knows nothing about chickens of ANY kind, wouldn't know a BR from a Dom (or probably from a silver laced anything) -- "All those black and white ones are mine, right?"

 

[sewandgrow]

I lost this thread for awhile. Don't know how I do that. A computer Geek I am NOT. Niether am I a photographer. I tried taking a few shots of my 3 chicks a few minutes ago & they are awful. I am using a point & shoot that I can actually use, but will take better pictures when my husband gets up & shows me how to use his Rebel.

These are the only 3 Dominiques I have right now but I am getting some hatching eggs soon & will try again. I am trying to decide what sex they are. One is feathering out alot mpre than the other 2 does that mean a pullet like in the Marans?