Dominique

[1Matt]

I just came across Dom's from Bob's Biddies. Anyone have any experience with them from there? How do they look, would they be a good start for breeding SOP? Does his variety have good broodiness and mothering ability? I have been searching for this breed for years and they have been a real challenge to find especially at his prices. I think this would be the right place to post this? It was a toss up between here and the hatchery portion...sorry admins if I am in the wrong place.

 

[365username]

I have no experience on him, but this is the perfect place to post this!

 

[Kiki]

Do you happen to have a link to his website?

 

[1Matt]

Do you happen to have a link to his website?

https://www.bobsbiddies.com/breeds-pricing/

 

[centrarchid]

I keep American Dominques and breed them to meet the SOP.

How serious are you about a breeding program? What kind of space and time can you devote to it?

 

[centrarchid]

I just came across Dom's from Bob's Biddies. Anyone have any experience with them from there? How do they look, would they be a good start for breeding SOP? Does his variety have good broodiness and mothering ability? I have been searching for this breed for years and they have been a real challenge to find especially at his prices. I think this would be the right place to post this? It was a toss up between here and the hatchery portion...sorry admins if I am in the wrong place.

@aart needs to show you how to indicate your location.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

Hopefully you have a place to put 25 birds...Let us know how it works out, maybe some pics of your Dominiques later on...

 

[1Matt]

I keep American Dominques and breed them to meet the SOP.

How serious are you about a breeding program? What kind of space and time can you devote to it?

I am looking for a good start for a beginner (small) breeding program. I don't have much land yet only an 1 1/4 acres but it will change in the future. What I was asking is if his chickens would be a good start like....something if I mess up I wouldn't be out of much. I don't want to fight the problems with big commercial hatcheries which breed just for numbers. And I don't want something to perfect that if I mess up somewhere learning what a "perfect" dom is that I set myself back many years. I would be brand new to this. That is why I was asking about bob's biddies...at $3 a pullet and $1.50 for cockerals plus $35 shipping with a min order of 20 in the later months. I wouldn't be out of much money for my beginning learning flock. Also where I live at we have golden eagles, coopers hawks, red tails (don't know if they like chickens) and the newest addition bald eagles. This whole (sort of) free range thing would be new to me since we have always used chicken tractors to keep our chickens from predators. We will be using electric fence around the back yard to keep the flock in and out of the neighbors yard. But as I said I am just wanting to get my feet wet at this breeding thing and trying to breed at the standard of perfection to the best of my newbie ability with a small flock of birds. I doubt I will be able to do much to keeping with perfection with a small flock of birds but it will be a learning experience until I am able to get more land somewhere else in the future. Everyone has to start somewhere.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

All of the hawks/eagles above like chicken, everything likes chicken(for breakfast, lunch and supper). Ask these folks about how to predator proof your coop so that when not free ranging that they have some protection from predators. I have invested a lot of my time in my birds and hate loosing any of them to a predator. Good luck with your birds and let us know how it works out...

 

[centrarchid]

Before you get into things too deep I would construct a couple coops with attached runs so you can keep more than one flock even if each only a couple of birds. Never let more than one flock out at a time to prevent total loss. Look into setting up with hotwire fencing of some sort to keep raccoons and like from getting your birds. Can address further this evening by linking relevant threads.

I would not start exclusively from Bob's stock, even from the worlds best shoe flow flock either. You do need to nail down how many birds you plan to over winter each year and be able to consume over production each growing season.