What can you tell me about Dorkings?

[CallMeMealworm]

Hi!
USA here.
So we've been planning our flock for a year now and we're at a point where we decided to add four more birds for various reasons, egg color, broodiness, etc, just stuff our flock was missing that we wanted. We just want layers not meat birds.
One of the birds is a silver Dorking hen and I'm trying to learn about them and would love to see pics.
Maybe this isn't so great to admit, but I ordered from Meyer hatchery, so if anyone has any Meyer birds, please post.
Anyway, I know they are large fowl who lay white eggs, but don't know much about their personalities.
Thanks for any info

 

[nuthatched]

@BlueBaby

 

[BlueBaby]

I have a group of 8 of the Silver Gray Dorking's that came from the Murry McMurry hatchery. They are entertaining for sure. They will eat black ant's and bee's. They don't seem too smart though, so I don't feel that they would be good for free-ranging. My 7 pullet's should be starting to lay egg's soon. They are supposed to be a large fowl, but they are the smallest breed that I have over here.

 

[Heritage Hen]

I used to own a flock of silver grey dorkings from Murray McMurray until last year when I sold the flock of 8 to make room for red dorkings. No, they're not too bright, but mine were free rangers and after the stupid ones died off, the smarter ones were left and I hadn't lost one of them in 2 years and I live in bear, grey fox, bobcat, coyote, racoon and skunk territory. One of my girls actually was attacked by a bobcat and lived to tell the tale. I had to do a home job of stitching her up since her leg was pretty well gashed open, but she healed up nicely and went on to her new home so well healed I couldn't even find the scar from my amateur surgery job.

My red dorkings can actually fly well enough to go over the fence we've built for their own protection. My Murray McMurray silver greys never did that.

I LOVE that you chose Dorkings because they're in need of conservation.

I haven't tried out my dorkings as broodies yet, but they're supposed to be good mammas. I hope to try out my reds this year as broodies.

I find my dorkings to be smaller than my Javas, but they're a low to the ground breed with short legs and boat like bodies. They tended to lay smaller eggs than my Javas and Dominiques, but have a pretty creamy white shell.

These are pictures of my flock just before I sold them. John, the rooster was not helping me out very much as I tried to take a photo.

 

[Just Don]

Didn't even know about the red ones. I'd like to try some dorking even if they are full grown a rooster and two hens or hatching eggs.

 

[stephendillabough]

Looking for white dorkings In USA or Canada phone 613-601-8925 thank you.