Dominique Thread!

[JustTom]

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I'm actually thinking about attending as a vendor (rabbits, not poultry due to state regs), but I've asked everyone around, including in that thread, and no one seems to have anything other than chicks. Of the breeds that I keep, it seems Doms
are hard to find.

thanks,
tom

 

[WallTenters]

Sorry Tom, we're in Oregon, but I did cross-post your post onto the Dominique Club facebook page. Hope someone on there has some ideas!

 

[gootziecat]

 

[ltrader]

I got my doms from a breeder in Ohio who is probably a few hours away from you. I am south of Pittsburgh, and have some babies who hatched memorial day weekend, I think 2 are boys, if that might be helpful?

 

[moondog425]

Hi , a friend told me Doms are not good layers is that true ? I have been wanting some hens for ever but I dont need freeloaders !

 

[WallTenters]

Our Doms have been outstanding layers. They lay TONS of beautiful, light brown eggs. Their eggs are more a medium/large in size rather than a large or xlarge, but boy do they lay a lot of them!

 

[moondog425]

Thanks Wall, That is what I wanted to hear. I will get a few one of these days...

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[buffalogal]

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Not usually. I do fish nutrition research where diets are made with a range of levels for a given nutrient. Individuals fed diets with adequate level seldom exibit health issues or depressed growth but as nutrient level decreases an increasing proportion but usually not all individuals are affected. Only at extremely low nutrients are all individuals affected. Genetics definantly influences what proportion is affected at a given nutrient level so Waltenters logic is sound.

But since a deficiency means there is *not* an adequate level of a certain vitamin or mineral, I don't understand your point. If the feed is lacking vitamin B2 (as pretty much all grains are without being fortified) not every bird is going to be affected in such an obvious manner. I disagree with you that "Only at extremely low nutrients are all individuals affected." They don't all have to show curled toes or weak legs for the vitamin deficiency to be negatively affecting the entire flock. An individual may look perfectly healthy, and yet never produce a viable egg, which is something that I would consider a serious health issue, especially when you're talking about keeping a breeding flock of purebred poultry as opposed to just buying new chicks every couple of years. Even if you're talking about only a slight decrease in hatchability, over time, the effect is going to be multiplied in each succeeding generation. Culling the one or two that show an obvious symptom like curled toes does nothing to correct the problem, though it does a good job of covering it up. Out of sight, out of mind, eh?

 

[WallTenters]

I do agree with you that individuals will be effected at even small levels of deficiency, even when we can't notice. However, culling those animals that are effected first is not covering up a problem - it's making sure that only those able to survive and thrive on the minimum pass their genes on. I'm not saying we should starve our animals and see which ones survive, but instead if you do have something like this come up where there's a possible deficiency to cull appropriately.

Just to clear things up a bit, I'm not saying you should ignore the fact that the toes are possibly caused by feed. In fact, I recommended the OP of the issue to add some rooster booster to make sure all the chicks are getting more vitamins. If I were them, I'd look at changing feed right away as well.

BUT... I would STILL not use that chick for breeding. Why? Because, if the other chicks in the brood are able to process the feed available, and he is not, he is not as efficiently processing his feed as the other chicks are. Meaning that even if their feed was perfectly acceptable, he would still, on maybe a very very small level, but still, not be processing that feed as efficiently (be it in terms of weight gain, eggs, chick viability, whatever) as the other chicks in that brood.

I'm not saying his toe issues are genetic or aren't genetic, but it really doesn't matter. Don't use that chick for breeding. Again, fix the feed issue, but don't breed that chick, really no matter how nice he is. He might make a good meat bird, but you don't want that feed efficiency issue passing on to other generations.

 

[NYREDS]

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I agree. From all I've ever read crooked toes are more likely to be environmental than genetic but why take the chance? I've never used one for breeding. In fact with the rare exception of the occasional one I miss chicks with crooked toes don't make it from the hatcher to the brooder.