Know anything about Dorkings?

[Tinkerchick]

I want to get some Dorkings but I'm not sure where to get them. I don't know too much about them either just that they lay white eggs.

 

[TreyClark281]

huh?
ducklings?
or really dorklings lol.

 

[ozark hen]

I looked them up as I had never heard of Dorkings before. Interesting chickens. Seems they are gentle and good brooders. Gorgeous birds. Apparently, you can find them at hatcheries if they are not all sold out right now. You may have to wait till spring if you can't find any locally. good luck to you.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Dorkings are wonderful birds and getting more popular all the time. Along with Faverolles, they are one of my favorite breeds. They are an excellent table bird and have gotten good press in the last couple of years, along with the increased interest in heritage breeds in general. I got my silver grey Dorkings from Murray McMurray and was lucky enough to get some really beautiful birds. They have lovely dispositions, but are sometimes bullied by more aggressive chicken breeds. I would say they lay a tinted egg. The silver grey is the most commonly found color, especially from hatcheries. There are breeders working on other colors in this country, like the reds. You have to do a little more work to find a breeder, if you want better looking birds or particular colors. Sand Hill has many colors, but sells out early in the year. I think even MM is sold out for the year. Feathersite has pictures and links. Henderson's chart has a lot of information on them, along with other breeds. There is also an msn group for Dorkings. Poultry Press has a lot of show information in it and ads.

It probably won't surprise you to learn that I have been thinking about getting more Dorkings and looking into sources this year.

Here are some links:

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGD/Dorks/BRKDorks.html

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/pages/poultry_catalog.html

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/

http://groups.msn.com/Dorkings

http://www.poultrypress.com/

 

[Tinkerchick]

Thanks for all your info.
Great information Woodland Woman. I really appreciate it.
I am definatly getting some as soon as I can.

 

[greyfields]

I know Dorkings have an extra toe! They are an ancient breed which I know was brought to England by the Romans. A very popular backyard meat bird cross is an Indian Game (we call them Cornish) on a Dorking hen. They are allegedly as tastey as you can get.

 

[herechickchick]

We had Dorkings this year and they were wonderful! They are lovely birds with a very sweet nature and very beautiful. Ours came from Murray and were wonderful. We sold all of them and kept one, Ofelia. When my roommate moved out she took Ofelia with her and I miss her all the time. I will definitely get another for myself! I promise you will love them.

Here is Ofelia

And here they are as babies

Adam

 

[speckledhen]

Adam, Ofelia is just gorgeous! I love her coloring. I'd miss her, too.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

I know a Silvery Gray Dorking rooster that lives nearby and he's very friendly - even eats treats out of my hand. He's not too loud either, either crowing or clucking. His glossy black/green tail feathers are 21" long! I took one that he shed and measured it!

 

[Blondie]

Here's my dorking. She's very friendly and fat.