dominque crosses

[centrarchid]

I am considering a long term project involving selective breeding of dominique chickens. The goal is to generate a strain with the following characteristics that differ from the pure dominiques I have now: lighter build, harder feathers, physical and mental capability for flight, darker eggs, improved cold tolerance and ability to forage effectively to supplement a whole grain feed mix (no vitamins and suboptimal energy) with plants (i.e. clover) to meet vitamin and balance of energy requirements.

I will be incorporating old english games (as male only) and California grey and cuckoo marans. The latter two breeds in particular are subject to change. They are intended to improve egg production (size and number) while the latter will incorporate genes for darker eggs.

Has anyone crossed dominiques with either California greys or cuckoo marans? I am looking for a little insight about what to expect.

 

[Chris09]

Question-
Have you had good quality dominques?

I ask this because most of what you want in your bird you will get from a good quality dominque.
I dont know how dark you would like your eggs or how harder feathers....


I will say you will always have to have/ or should supplement feed your birds with a good poultry feed..


Chris

 

[RAREROO]

Chris do you have any pics or links to what a show quality dominige looks like ? I have saw pics before of thiner birds birds that look more like what the OP is describing and I have seen pics of really large ones that look basicly like Rose combed barred rocks and I really dont know which one they are supposed to look like.

 

[Zahboo]

"Notice that the Barred Plymouth Rock is a heavier bird than the Dominique. It also has a deeper body and lower tail carriage. The Dominique is “more upright” than the Plymouth Rock. This upright carriage combined with the body shape gives a stately appearance to the Dominique."
http://www.dominiquechicken.com/Dominiques_and_Barred_Rocks.html

http://www.dominiquechicken.com/The_Dominique_Standard.html

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
Thank you so much !!!!!! That is what have been wanting to see, Dom photos from the Standard.

 

[Zahboo]

There's a ton of info on that site

 

[Chris09]

Ill have to get a picture or two of my dominques but I did find these..
Not My Birds

Large Fowl Rooster. http://www.poultrypress.com/images/american/DominiqueLargeFowlmale.jpg

Large Fowl Rooster German www.ultimatefowl .com /wiki/index.php?title=Imageominiques_haan.jpg
Large Fowl hen Greman www.ultimatefowl .com /wiki/index.php?title=Imageominiques_hen.jpg

Chris

 

[RAREROO]

Thanks Chris

I would love to see some pics of yours if you can get some.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
I try to get some tomorrow... (If it is not raining)

Chris

 

[ChickFarmer]

Chickens don't get much in the way of protien from forage because they lack the digestive enzime that brakes down plant protien. Wild chickens get the protine from bugs. Problem is unless you live in a tropical climate bugs arn't plentifull year round. You can raise black soldier fly larva for your chickens and they have the missing digestive enzime in large quantities. Forage is important for the sake of vitamins and minerals.