Farming and Homesteading Heritage Poultry

[Natalijaasbj]

I started reading this amazing thread, but read only 10 pages.
I have a question to Bob, if he is STILL here - why did you pick DORKINGS? Was it because of the quality of meat mostly?
I do not care so much about eggs as I do about meat. And I think the taste of Black Copper Marans is the best. But I am not an expert. I just started raising heritage breeds. I could not believe the richness of the taste of my 7 months old BC Maran! I tried Orpington, but I can tell Maran was much better, That's why I wanted Marans in the first place - I heard about them as being gourmet fowl in France.
Is the taste of Dorkins close of that of to the taste of marans or is it more "gentle"?
Anybody can chime in and let me know about Dorkins.
Thanks!

 

[newbie32]

I started reading this amazing thread, but read only 10 pages.
I have a question to Bob, if he is STILL here - why did you pick DORKINGS? Was it because of the quality of meat mostly?
I do not care so much about eggs as I do about meat. And I think the taste of Black Copper Marans is the best. But I am not an expert. I just started raising heritage breeds. I could not believe the richness of the taste of my 7 months old BC Maran! I tried Orpington, but I can tell Maran was much better, That's why I wanted Marans in the first place - I heard about them as being gourmet fowl in France.
Is the taste of Dorkins close of that of to the taste of marans or is it more "gentle"?
Anybody can chime in and let me know about Dorkins.
Thanks!

Bob passed away

 

[AletaG]

Is the taste of Dorkins close of that of to the taste of marans or is it more "gentle"?
Anybody can chime in and let me know about Dorkins.
Thanks!

See if you can find YellowHouseFarm on the Heritage Large Fowl thread. He's a Dorking specialist, and has some A-mazing advice.
We lost Bob a couple of weeks ago. I wish a mod would make some adjustments to the first page of his threads to let people know... I'll go ping somebody.

 

[Laingcroft]

See if you can find YellowHouseFarm on the Heritage Large Fowl thread. He's a Dorking specialist, and has some A-mazing advice.
We lost Bob a couple of weeks ago. I wish a mod would make some adjustments to the first page of his threads to let people know... I'll go ping somebody.

He specializes in White (rose comb) Dorking and just started a thread on them, currently near the top of page three. Very good pics and he's very knowledgeable. There are also threads on Red Dorkings and all Dorkings. That one is B.Y.C. Dorkings

 

[Natalijaasbj]

oh no((( I am sorry!
I hope they will let people know, but I understand it will take time.
Actually I would love to talk to YellowHouseFarm. I meant to talk to the guy who grows Dorkins. Now I remembered that Bob was mostly RIR guy.
I started from the mixed heritage flock. Some Marans, some Chanteclers, some Lavender Orpingtons(I know they are not yet considered heritage), and couple of Dorkins.
But tragedy stroke in my flock. I lost half of my flock to Mareks. Some we ate, and some are still left. We did not have a chance to try to eat Dorkins. But only one female left.
I got some RIR and Australorps. Mostly as a working birds -for meat and eggs, nothing fancy - on Craigslist. They are 10 days old.
BUT... Next spring I am going to get a good stock again from some very reputable breeder. I am thinking BC Marans and New Hampshire.
I also have a question - how do you protect birds from Mareks? DO YOU VACCINATE?
I TOOK MY FIRST BIRDS FROM THE BREEDER WHO DID NOT BELIEVE in vaccinations, but it is very hard to see the beautiful birds just perishing in your eyes. So I got vaccinated RIR.
How do you deal with Mareks? As I know it is very common here in Pacific Northwest.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: THis is Josephs thread.

@ Nat--- I'm sure Yellow House will around as soon as he can-- this can be a busy time of year--Bob Blosl passed away, but we still have many knowledgeable and helpful people like Joeseph to carry on.

 

[Laingcroft]

THis is Josephs thread. 

Sure is.

He started the other one for just Dorkings. First post shows dressed chicken (for the table) as well as some stock

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Good to mention that-- I had forgotten. Need more coffee.

Lots of dorking info here too of course!!

 

[GhislaineDel]

Posting to subscribe. I, too, am primarily interested in meat as I'm allergic to chicken eggs. That's why I have ducks!

 

[Arielle]

Posting to subscribe. I, too, am primarily interested in meat as I'm allergic to chicken eggs. That's why I have ducks!

I have always found this to be an intersting phenomenon: Allergic to chicken eggs but not the meat. Looove duck eggs, just so darn hard to crack open. But worth it.