The Dorking Breeders thread

[RhodeRunner]

I went back and looked at some of the Google mentions from "speckled dorking" just out of curiosity. Seems that they were related to, or the same as, the grey dorking. I've heard of grey dorkings but never seen one. Not sure they still exist in any numbers. I found a blurry picture of one of my "speckled". Upon further review, they weren't the same as yours.

Not the same based color, but they still have the genetics for the mottled feathers. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
If you want Dorkings from YHF, you need to get them this year. They are planning to stop their breeding program and rehome their flock. There may be a reconsideration, but that is the last plan that I heard.

 

[Chestnut]

SA, do you know why? I thought he was making great progress with the Dorkings.

 

[Sydney Acres]

SA, do you know why? I thought he was making great progress with the Dorkings.

Yes, he was making wonderful progress. I'm not sure why he wants to stop. I have heard that he wants to work with another breed, but I'm sure there's more to it.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Sorry to hear about Yellow House. He has some of the best White Dorkings around.

We started with Red Dorkings last year. The Roger Tice line out of Oklahoma. Its the same line that won at the 2014 Ohio National. Some of his flock went to the Heritage Poultry Conservancy aka P. Allen Smith. We acquired a breeding quad. Very gentle birds and great producers!

Here is our adult quad of Red Dorkings. Not a good angle on the male, but is excellent quality. We are hatching every egg they lay this season.

 

[kittydoc]

I am very excited to see this new thread, thanks Joseph!

I got some Sandhill non-standard Dorkings that needed more work than I wanted to invest in 2012. Last year I got young adults from Mr. Urch, and chicks (saved 2 pullets) from McMurray. However, hatchability was not as good as I expected this winter/spring. I am optimizing their diet, (hopefully, but am going to get the ration tested before I brag about the specifics, smile) and will do test matings this autumn of my cock with all 3 females to see if one female has stronger embryos/young chicks than I have produced thus far.

Last year, I weighed chicks frequently in an effort to spot culls as early as possible. This year, I am wing-banding all chicks coming out of the brooder and weighing at 12, 16, and 20 weeks, to cull the poor-doers before test pairing all survivors.

If anyone has a chicken feed ration they consider particularly good, I would love to know the "recipe." Thanks.

Best wishes,
Angela

Hello Angela,

I feel standard 16% protein layer feed, plus a handful or two of 30% or higher cat food daily to each group of breeders (4-6 birds per pen). I also add powdered vitamins to their water. At minimum, this has improved shell quality in the ones that were having issues, and certainly isn't hurting the breeds/colors that are naturally more hale and hearty.

I'm going to start using fermented feed, but just for my Bielefelders to start because they consume frightening amounts of feed. Many find that fermenting feed makes it more absorbable, and a friend reports drier poop (always a plus!).

Just my two cents' worth.

 

[kittydoc]

Does anyone have any non-standard light grey (Columbian/Deleware patterned) Dorkings? I have a couple of chicks coming from Sand Hill in about 10 days. Any photos of chicks would be particularly appreciated. While some in the order are four-toed, many of us purchased Dorkings. The red Dorkings should be easy, but I'm not sure about the rest. I really wanted Silver Greys, but they were sold out until fall (or maybe for the year). I like the Columbian/Delaware pattern in my Light Brahma, and thought it would make for an unusual Dorking. I'm hoping for a pullet and a cockerel, but if not, I'll have friends locally who have other colors and hopefully we can swap or at least do some breedings so I can hatch some eggs if I get two pullets. If I get two roos, I'll probably shoot myself! Though my luck is turning better. My Bielefelder hatch was 7 F and 4 M, and I sold the extra 2 M immediately.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Dirt Farmer]

Does anyone have any non-standard light grey (Columbian/Deleware patterned) Dorkings? I have a couple of chicks coming from Sand Hill in about 10 days. Any photos of chicks would be particularly appreciated. While some in the order are four-toed, many of us purchased Dorkings. The red Dorkings should be easy, but I'm not sure about the rest. I really wanted Silver Greys, but they were sold out until fall (or maybe for the year). I like the Columbian/Delaware pattern in my Light Brahma, and thought it would make for an unusual Dorking. I'm hoping for a pullet and a cockerel, but if not, I'll have friends locally who have other colors and hopefully we can swap or at least do some breedings so I can hatch some eggs if I get two pullets. If I get two roos, I'll probably shoot myself! Though my luck is turning better. My Bielefelder hatch was 7 F and 4 M, and I sold the extra 2 M immediately.

Thanks for your help!

I think this farm experimented with Light Grey a few years ago. You could try to contact them. I don't know them; most chicken people like to talk chickens, and may have a photo or two.
http://truenorthfarm.ca/mistral-gris/

 

[neopolitancrazy]

Hello Angela,

I feel standard 16% protein layer feed, plus a handful or two of 30% or higher cat food daily to each group of breeders (4-6 birds per pen). I also add powdered vitamins to their water. At minimum, this has improved shell quality in the ones that were having issues, and certainly isn't hurting the breeds/colors that are naturally more hale and hearty.

I'm going to start using fermented feed, but just for my Bielefelders to start because they consume frightening amounts of feed. Many find that fermenting feed makes it more absorbable, and a friend reports drier poop (always a plus!).

Just my two cents' worth.

Hello, Mary. At the time I wrote the quoted post, I was fermenting a locally milled, non-GMO, 20% protein feed and offering granite grit and oyster shell free choice. I dug around on the internet, and found recommended rations for hens of different types and purposes, published ~ 1990. I was surprised to discover much higher recommendations for methionine in "meat-type" breeder hens than in egg-type breeders, and of course the recommendations for breeding hens were higher than for laying hens. My local feed, despite advertising itself as using fishmeal for protein, was woefully deficient in methionine, and I switched to Purina's Gamechick starter, the only premixed ration I could find with sufficient methionine. (The reformulated Flockraiser is sufficient.) I thought my flock was doing well with the first feed, but they positively bloomed when I switched to the gamechick formula.

Fast forward to autumn of 2014, I could not get any fertile eggs out of my Dorking hen, no matter which male I penned with her. I went to a local show hoping to find someone else who raised Dorkings, but found 2 juvenile pair of nice Blue Laced Red Wyandottes. The Wyandottes are doing nicely,(laying well, adding frame size and muscling,) on the gamechick starter, (30% crude protein,) though I am growing out their pullets on Flockraiser, (20% crude protein.)

The brooder certainly stinks more this year than last, but I am not sure I can attribute that to feeding dry crumbles. I also have more chicks, each with greater appetite, fed a different ration, so too many variables have changed to blame the smell on non-fermented feed. I am adding probiotic powder to their water, so they should still have good development of their gut mucosa. I can attest that last year, the poop fell through the coated wire floor but this year, it tends to stick to the mesh, plugging up the holes. ick.

Best wishes,
Angela

 

[Sydney Acres]

Quote:
I agree, I don't think that the standard chick starters have enough nutrients for Dorkings. I also have been using mixes of Gamebird starter and Flockraiser, starting with a goal of ~25-26% protein until 8 weeks, then decreasing as they grow but never lower than 20% until a year old. Gamebird Layena (20%) is a good option for layers, but it only comes in crumbles (but they are large crumbles, not fine like the starter) unless you live in the SE U.S, where it is available in pellets. Additionally, they get fruit/veggies/flax seed/leftover meats/etc almost daily, plus oyster shell free choice and free range all day, so lots of extra nutrients there. So far I have not had any fertility problems with that diet.