B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[Sazbaby]

Thanks for the input! Actually those first two pictures (the hen with the cockerel and then the lone hen) have the same hen in both pictures, I put that second one in because it shows her breast feathers very differently than in the first picture!

So, other than the one young one that looks like a typical red, I have maybe two that are "tannish" and the others would you classify as "dark headed sg" technically?Except for that wyandotte cross... lol I think we were really searching through those fast-moving chicks looking for another one for me to take when we picked her out, I'd say overall ending up with the 3 crosses (2 buff crosses were intentional picks!) and only one cockerel out of 10 is pretty good! No need to apologize!

For now, if you feel confident that the 7 (1 cockerel, 1 red, 2 tannish, 3 dark headed sg) are pure dorking (regardless of coloring), I'll be happy with that. Maybe down the road a bit further I'll look to get some true-breeding colors, but since we're mostly going for our own use with these birds, I'm not too worried about things being perfectly predictable, especially just for color. I think if I told my husband that I was going to buy more chicks he'd think I was crazy... lol we're ending up with a lot of babies here lately and need to work on some additional housing options for them before it gets out of control!! lol When you do eventually get your breeding pens put together, I might be up for some more hatching eggs when the timing is right, for now I think we've got our hands full! (Takes a lot of willpower to say that!)

I'll keep you posted in a few weeks on how those newest chicks turn out, what exactly does a "golden cockerel" end up looking like?

 

[Sazbaby]

Ok, I went back and read your reply about the golden color, I think I've got that now... would love to see a picture if you have anything that would show it!

Also, since you're the guru here for colors and genetics, what are the chances that the red cockerel I've got is related to the non- red hens I've got? Trying to figure out if he could be in the running for my keeper roo along with the 2 sg chicks coming next month... Is there any way you can logically figure that out? I can't quite wrap my head around the possibilities...

 

[ki4got]

Thanks for the input! Actually those first two pictures (the hen with the cockerel and then the lone hen) have the same hen in both pictures, I put that second one in because it shows her breast feathers very differently than in the first picture!

So, other than the one young one that looks like a typical red, I have maybe two that are "tannish" and the others would you classify as "dark headed sg" technically?Except for that wyandotte cross... lol I think we were really searching through those fast-moving chicks looking for another one for me to take when we picked her out, I'd say overall ending up with the 3 crosses (2 buff crosses were intentional picks!) and only one cockerel out of 10 is pretty good! No need to apologize!

For now, if you feel confident that the 7 (1 cockerel, 1 red, 2 tannish, 3 dark headed sg) are pure dorking (regardless of coloring), I'll be happy with that. Maybe down the road a bit further I'll look to get some true-breeding colors, but since we're mostly going for our own use with these birds, I'm not too worried about things being perfectly predictable, especially just for color. I think if I told my husband that I was going to buy more chicks he'd think I was crazy... lol we're ending up with a lot of babies here lately and need to work on some additional housing options for them before it gets out of control!! lol When you do eventually get your breeding pens put together, I might be up for some more hatching eggs when the timing is right, for now I think we've got our hands full! (Takes a lot of willpower to say that!)

I'll keep you posted in a few weeks on how those newest chicks turn out, what exactly does a "golden cockerel" end up looking like?

sorry the dark headed ones i'd say are reds. not sg. silver grey won't have any hint of yellow/tan/red, just black grey and white with the salmon breast.

for the golden, something like the colored dorkings, but not exactly. these pics are from feathersite.com

Ok, I went back and read your reply about the golden color, I think I've got that now... would love to see a picture if you have anything that would show it!
Also, since you're the guru here for colors and genetics, what are the chances that the red cockerel I've got is related to the non- red hens I've got? Trying to figure out if he could be in the running for my keeper roo along with the 2 sg chicks coming next month... Is there any way you can logically figure that out? I can't quite wrap my head around the possibilities...

since none of the ones you have are true silver grey, i'd say they're all out of either one or the other of my red roos... but that's not too big an issue. if i have extra red roos from the sandhill bunch, that would give you a new unrelated roo, but i'm growing them all out first to see what we've got quality-wise.

 

[Sazbaby]

Ok sounds good, we won't really need a roo until later down the road anyhow, so if you end up with one that is decent but not your keeper when they've grown out, let me know, might be interested in getting him and sticking with the more-red direction since it doesn't look like I've got any sg anyway! lol Thanks again for your guidance!

 

[hillrunner]

Anyone keep dorkings in chicken tractors?

Farmers only worry during the growing season, but towns people worry all the time.

 

[ki4got]

Anyone keep dorkings in chicken tractors?

my smaller breeding pens are roughly tractor-sized, 4'x8'x30" tall overall, 6' of it pen, the rest house, and i found the dorkings REALLY didn't like the confined space. even just one pair... IMO they need more room than the average chicken in order to be happy. also, they like to roost, so the tractor was a bit short for that.

my new pens i'm building will have 6x8 pen space, 6' tall, plus the space under the house, with plenty of roosts. i'm planning on putting a trio or quad in each.

 

[dalalune]

Anyone keep dorkings in chicken tractors?

Farmers only worry during the growing season, but towns people worry all the time.

All my birds are now in chicken tractors. Since free-ranging is not a wise option for my birds (the pred population here is horrible), the tractors were the next best option for me. They are small and "Spartan" but all my chooks seem to thrive in them.

 

[hillrunner]

What is Spartan if I may ask?

Farmers only worry during the growing season, but towns people worry all the time.

 

[dalalune]

... i found the dorkings REALLY didn't like the confined space. even just one pair...

I agree that the Dorkings do not like to be crowded but I have found that they do fairly well as trios in my larger tractors (4'X6' & 5'X8'). Funny, but keeping a Dorking roo, 2 Dorking hens and 2-3 Dom hens together is much easier than keeping just the roo and 3 or more Dorking hens together. The Dorks do not seem to bother or be bothered by the Doms. So far I have only managed to maintain one Dorking breeding pen with more than 2 Dorking hens in it (flock "C"). The Dorking hens seem to resent sharing their nesting/roosting areas with other Dorking hens... but I guess they do not see the Doms as a threat (?) or the Doms just do not participate in the Dorking territorial squabbles. I recently removed Dom hens from two Dorking breeding pens ("B" & "A") and tried to add Dorking hens in their place...it was a complete failure with me ending up removing the noobies and having to doctor one of them up from severe injuries inflicted by both the remaining Dorking hens and the roo...

Larger pens may be a solution to this but it is not going to be an option for my birds. I want to continue to use the tractor concept and just have to both work with the peculiar quirks of my Dorks and also select for better temperament in future breeders.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: that's strange... i don't have a problem with that at all... it was more the confined spaces, and the roo would just shut down.

with my free ranging situation right now, they all roost practically on top of each other and share nests fine. unless they're broody. then 2 broodies won't stay in adjacent nests and don't like others to use them either. LOL but i've managed to get all the broodies in 1 coop (no pen attached, it's just free standing right now), in adjacent nests even, so peace reigns in the 'egg nests'.