Dominique Thread!

Quote:
That is interesting. I gave away a linebred Hyman cock a couple of months ago and the new owner told me the bird had attacked a coyote and literally rode it out of the yard and down into a nearby canyon. She thought for sure the bird was a goner, but he came strutting' back and proceeded to breed *everything* on the place with feathers. I guess there's noting like a little dust up to boost the old libido.
 
Quote:
That is interesting. I gave away a linebred Hyman cock a couple of months ago and the new owner told me the bird had attacked a coyote and literally rode it out of the yard and down into a nearby canyon. She thought for sure the bird was a goner, but he came strutting' back and proceeded to breed *everything* on the place with feathers. I guess there's noting like a little dust up to boost the old libido.

The Hymans like to fight dog but dog does not mean business. My Hyman's would come up short against coyote that was even half interested in eating. None-the-less it is a pretty sight seeing the doms displaying those barred wings like an ostrich does trying to drive off a lion.
 
Quote:
That is interesting. I gave away a linebred Hyman cock a couple of months ago and the new owner told me the bird had attacked a coyote and literally rode it out of the yard and down into a nearby canyon. She thought for sure the bird was a goner, but he came strutting' back and proceeded to breed *everything* on the place with feathers. I guess there's noting like a little dust up to boost the old libido.

Just wow. I guess letting my Dominique-cross boys patrol the yard was a better idea than I thought, lol. My boys escort me across the yard every morning and afternoon. I say they are escorting me so no dragons attack* me along the way. So far no dragon attacks and I make it safely to the pens with the buckets of food. My rooster escorts then eat the food that drops outside the fences.

*I tell the children to not reveal that we don't have dragons here. The roo boys are VERY serious about their job!
 
Quote:
These are nice. What are they drinking there - cherries with ice? Looks good!

yes! they love it..... I just took some mixed berries from the freezer and popped in some ice water the birds LOVED it, they liked bobbing for the berries...heehehehe
 
Quote:
That is interesting. I gave away a linebred Hyman cock a couple of months ago and the new owner told me the bird had attacked a coyote and literally rode it out of the yard and down into a nearby canyon. She thought for sure the bird was a goner, but he came strutting' back and proceeded to breed *everything* on the place with feathers. I guess there's noting like a little dust up to boost the old libido.

Just wow. I guess letting my Dominique-cross boys patrol the yard was a better idea than I thought, lol. My boys escort me across the yard every morning and afternoon. I say they are escorting me so no dragons attack* me along the way. So far no dragon attacks and I make it safely to the pens with the buckets of food. My rooster escorts then eat the food that drops outside the fences.

*I tell the children to not reveal that we don't have dragons here. The roo boys are VERY serious about their job!

Our broody Dom stood between "her chicks" and two large dogs with wings spread this summer. So it's not just the roos. (The hen not the dogs had wings spread
wink.png
)
 
Last edited:
My Dom chicks are about 2 months old. I was unable to put other, younger chicks in with them when they were 4 wks old. They picked on them unmercifully. Now the young roo wants to dominate any other bird it can. I know this is normal to some extent, but this kid walked up to a full grown Orpington roo and tried to fight him. I like that the breed has some chutzpah but is this a little over the top?

Outback hatcher, thanks for sharing your photos with us.
 
Last edited:
My free range doms and to a lesser extent dom crosses are not making me happy when it comes to muscle deposition. Both groups are being reared along with American games and American games x red jungle fowl. The pure American games can almost keep up with doms in respect to putting on frame, although when it comes to putting on muscle mass the games and game x red jungle fowl crosses win hands down. Feed is rationed mix of layer pellets and chick grower with balance of intake coming from foraging largely on mixed pasture of red clover and fescue. All birds eat good amounts of clover and clean up chick grower but layer pellets just do not seem to turn the doms' crank. The games and game crosses seem to be more effecient at converting plant forage into usuable nutrients. I could increase chick grower ration, which would greatly improve dom performance, but would like to transition from chick grower into a formulation based largely on intact grains instead of the layer pellets. Problem is do not know what age doms can tolerate intact grains as a major component of diet. They are more tolerant than my games but that is not detailed enough.
 
I have been taking mine off chick grower around 10 weeks and raise them on a local mill's grower/finisher. I like it because it is not medicated and they seem to do real well. Most of my birds are on range also, being as yours red clover and legumes and fescues. On the ckrls 12 to 20 weeks I mix in scratch (wheat, oats, barley and some corn with their grower and I have not seen any problems. Most of the ckrls that I cull I usually notice not alot on muscle mass on the breast area even up to 18 weeks. The Dominique being a Heritage breed develops their legs and wing muscles at a quicker rate, which gives me alot of weird looks from guests that are served my chicken barbeque. Here are some 16 18 week ckrls from Stichler's flock last year on the spit. You can see what I mean about the lack of breast meat. These birds cleaned weighed in around 3 to 3 1/2 pounds. But than again cocks from this flock at 14 months top almost 8 1/2 pounds which I feel are too large. John

50799_chicken_on_the_spit.jpg
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom