Dominique

I think Dominiques are underrated. Very docile, intelligent birds. They wander and work hard for their meals, foraging all day long. At first I thought the black and white pattern would be dull, unexciting, but after owning them now for a few months, they are quite beautiful after all. If handled frequently from the time they are hatched, when they mature, they actually seem to adore the attention and want to be held and petted from time to time. The only negative thing I could say is about the egg size, they have produced small to medium sized eggs so far which has been a bit of adjusting.

I highly recommend this breed. A wonderful all around bird!

Egg size is only downside - lay up to a large egg, a few extra large but they are not supposed to lay huge eggs as they are a smaller bird. Very feed efficient ounce per ounce get way more eggs product from them, and more meat product especially if they can free range. Love the breed, have a ton breed more each year I'm addicted. Very cold tolerant and lay lots of eggs in the winter when other breeds (even the other cold tolerant ones it seems) are slowing way down. I have tried other breeds known for their foraging abilities but the Dominiques make the other breeds look a bit lazy, they will be out in the orchard sunup to sundown and don't touch the food in the feeder if they have a choice. Beautiful birds you won't appreciate their beauty until you see a small flock of them on green grass an early summer morning.

They can take any weather and produce eggs every other day. If allowed to free range they will get most of their feed on their own.

Easy to care for, strickingly attractive in large groups because of their uniform color / barring. Great mamas, super friendly, talkitive, but roos can be a handful during breeding because of their size.

I purchased my first Dominiques from Cackle Hatchery in Missouri and they were very true to true Dom standard. My next pullets are on order from McMurray, because I wanted Marck's vaccinations.

My Dominiques are beautiful girls, each has a very distinct personality, the Dom hens seem to be the rulers of the roost. They have the best camoflauage from predators of any of my hens. They are great foragers, while the other hens are relaxing in the sun, my Doms are out scratching and eating bugs.

My girls were very good layers too. Mine layed a large to x-large egg nearly everyday. They also tend to be very clean chickens and keep themselves well groomed. I live in Northern NY near Canada and it gets very rainy and muddy here with lots of snow and the Dominiques keep nice and clean and they do very well in cold weather.

With Buff Orps, Dominiques are my favorite breed of hen. I'd highly recommend them.

I have a 3 of these in my flock and they are definitely the most friendly. One of them will often jump up and peck at the feed scoop as I walk into the run. Two of my three are rather old so I don't think they lay much, but the younger one is a very dependable layer. These are great hens for the beginner and are a must for any flock.

I Love Dominiques! Besides being our oldest native American breed, they are specifically suited for North America. Last summer we had temperatures to 110 F for a week, and the entire summer was the warmest on record for our area. In the winter it frequently get to below 0 F. They continue to lay about 1 egg every other day. The cockerels are fantastic eating. We process ours at about 26 weeks, and they average about 5 lbs. dressed. The pullets start laying at between 18-22 weeks. Slower developing than some other breeds, this Heritage chicken breed has time to develope flavor that you don't get in store bought chicken. Very friendly, and easy to manage. In November-December 2012, our 12 hens and 1 rooster plus 5 EEs only went through 50 lbs of feed in 6 weeks. AND they still lay eggs! Some roosters can be ornery, but cull those and keep the one with good manners. The best dual purpose breed out there.
From an old publication: Ten Reasons By Dr. H. H. Lehman From 1914 "Dominique Doings" History repeats itself. Old things become new. The good and noble cannot be suppressed. All this is true of the American Dominique. They are coming, and coming to the front rapidly again, as a leading utility fowl. Why not? They are second to none for real merit. Following are ten cardinal reasons why they deserve a front place: 1.They are an exceedingly hardy fowl. 2.They are easy to raise. 3.They breed true to color; very few culls. 4.Mature young; pullets begin to lay at the age of five and six months. 5.They are splendid year around layers and especially a good winter layer. 6.They endure cold weather remarkably well because of their small combs and busy habits. 7.They are fine meat fowls, having nice yellow skin, and are remarkably well adapted for broilers. 8.They are active and very free from disease; seldom become over-fat. 9.They compare with the smaller breeds as layers, yet are much more profitable for market fowls 10.The Dominiques are the greatest utility fowls and money makers in poultrydom. If other breeds have disappointed you, try the American Dominique. Fields , Mark A. (2012-08-16). The American Dominique: A Treatise For The Fancier (Kindle Locations 4405-4422). Mark A. Fields. Kindle Edition.

I've had my Doms for almost a year now. I've never had any aggressive cockerels or hens. They make a great dual-purpose breed and would be an excellent addition to anybodies flock.

I ordered my Dominique, Mabel, on a whim from MPC to round out my order. I'm so glad I picked her, she is such a fun chicken. She was the first to do everything-escape the brooder, sit on the water bottle, perch, eat treats, jump on your hand, roost, and lay eggs. She is so inquisitive and follows me around like a dog. I cannot get her to leave me alone when doing "coop chores". She has to be right with me sticking her nose into everything. She's really sweet and quite a pretty bird as well.

I don't have room for more than 4-6 hens at the moment but as soon as I make my country escape I'll be adding more of these gals to my flock. Great layers, sweet personalities. Like puppies-into everything!

Dominique's are one of my all time favorite breeds. They are calm, docile birds, and great layers. I have one hen that is around 7 years old and still lays an egg almost everyday. Domini ques are thrifty birds, and are more lice/mite resistant than other breeds. They are also pretty good mothers, and the roosters are good meat birds. I recommend this breed for your flock!

I really don't have a bad thing to say about this breed because 1) they exceeded expectation as backyard layers (2) I don't have much experience with chickens.

My spouse and I got 6 chicks which all survived and thrived in the heat of Birmingham, AL. The chickens did well in a SMALL backyard with the exception of a few escapes before having their wings clipped. We enjoyed watching the chickens scratch in the yard. On days when we were home, we'd let them into the unfenced front yard and they always stayed close. They always produced plenty of eggs for us, and we frequently gave eggs away by the dozen. The girls lived and produced eggs well into their fifth year before we had to give them away.

I'd happily take them again.

As a child, my family had always had chickens--RIR's--and we had more than our fair share of mean roosters out of them! So, when my city-boy husband said he wouldn't mind some chickens, I said, No RIR's! (Don't hate me all you RIR fans out there--I've just been flogged too many times by RIR roos!) I did a lot of research based on the criteria we agreed on--brown egg layer, cold-hardy, not broody, good temperment. The Doms had all these traits, plus their wonderful, naturally-camoflauged coloring that protects them to some degree from predators, especially flying ones. You would think that a flock of black and white chickens with bright red combs would really stand out on a green lawn, but sometimes they have to move before I see them! We also liked the fact that they are kind of rare now, and that we are preserving a piece of history by having them.

Our roo wasn't mean as a general rule, but began to be overly protective of the food and water. He was very good to his hens, though--letting them have the choicest treats first and putting himself between them and danger (they were all chased by a neighbors dog one day, and I when I caught up to them, our roo was standing between the dog and his hens!).

I don't know if I would describe them as aloof or standoffish. They aren't lapdogs, but if I'm sitting out on my deck--especially if I'm eating something--it won't be long before I have a couple of hens perched on the arms of my chair! We can pick them up and pet them, and if they aren't exactly thrilled by it, they also don't fight or peck you for it either. Our cat is the same way, so....

I'm not sure about classifying their eggs as medium either. I use egg cartons for large eggs, and almost all of our eggs fit the spaces or are even too big for them. They did begin with small eggs, like any new bird does.

Since then, we have gotten a couple of Australorps, whom I am also very fond of, and a Silver-Laced Wyandotte that I am not fond of, as she is a crazy thing that acts like we're trying to eat her every time we come near her. So, I have to say, the Doms are my very favorites.

They may be on the small side, and they are a bit mean to the other chickens, but I have to give this breed a five out of five. I never really liked the barred coloration from pictures, but, when I put in my chick order, they only had seven breeds to choose from, so I got two of each. I was super excited to get any chicks at all, so I wasn't picky at that point. The Doms ended up being the sweetest chicks of the bunch. They were happy to sit on your lap all day if they could. When they got older, they would jump on my shoulder when I sat outside (they still try to, but cute baby chicks on your shoulder is one thing, full grown chickens is quite another).

Full grown, they are the smallest of the flock, but that doesn't stop them from bossing the other chickens around. They are always the first to come running up when I bring them treats. Lacey, the one pictured, even jumped the fence one day when I was in the front yard working on the car and came over to see what I was doing. She laid her first couple of eggs on the porch, (I like to think because it was easier for me to get them there, lol) and will happily walk right in the door if it's open (which it is when the weather is nice). The pic is fairly representational of their attitude. They are very "in-your-face" chickens, they want to know at all times what you are doing. The other Dom is a bit meaner to the rest of the flock (and the dog), so she may have to go, but I will never be able to part with Lacey, she has truly endeared herself to me.

They are on the small side (not a downside for me), and their eggs are small, but they are great layers. Their rose comb and tall tails give them a sharp look. And, I actually really like the barring in person, it can be quite striking in the sunlight.

1 beautiful Dominique hen.

I love Raven my Domique, she is very curious.

These chickens take me back in time to my childhood on my grandparents farm. Grandma always had Dominiques in her flock. They're beautiful birds with a wonderful disposition. Love em.

When I was buying my chicks 5 years ago, I mentioned to the feed store owner that I wanted friendly birds. A couple overheard the conversation and came over to join. They said “If you want friendly birds, you want Dominiques.” Then they went on about how wonderful the breed is. I wanted variety, so I ended up with a RIR, Australorp, Buff Orp, Easter Egger, and a Dominique. The Dominique became my favorite by far. I lost the Australorp a couple of years ago, but still have the others. They’re all nice, friendly hens, but my Dominique is a true pet. She will walk away from treats to come sit on my lap. She snuggles up to me as close as she can get and loves to have her head scratched, all while making sweet, soft, happy hen sounds. In personality, she reminds me a lot of the hand-raised cockatiel I used to have. Her eggs are only medium sized, but she has been a good layer. At 5 years old, she just started back a couple of weeks ago from her winter break and so far is still laying 2-3 eggs per week. She was the first to lay too. Beat any of the others by over a month. She takes a short break in December/January and then she’s back to work. I'm sure she's bound to be near the end of her "career", but she's such a pet, that I hope I'll have her around for awhile longer.