Dominique Thread!

[PheasantsFirst]

And a picture of then from a couple weeks ago, I managed to get all six in one picture

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[Alaskan]

Here are a few pictures of our 25+ first flock! Its amazing much they have grown in just 5 months!!!

And a picture of then from a couple weeks ago, I managed to get all six in one picture!

I love the pictures!

Very pretty birds, both of you!

I will have to try to get a more recent picture of my flock. I find they are looking even more regal, and just very pretty, as they get older.


I had very much wanted to start breeding next year, but I am a bit disappointed in my cockerels. Humpf. I will need to figure out how to get them (I have 5) to each pose for a nice picture. Not sure how I will manage....but I will figure something out, maybe next weekend.

 

[Sylvester017]

Leghorns are the worst, in my experience, and they aren't that large. They are the most aggressive, cannibalistic birds I have ever kept. Ten to twenty birds in around 2,000 square feet and more and they still hunted down the lower ranking members of the flock and tried to eat their toes off. I had to beak trim them over and over just to stop the bloodshed (the method I use permits the beak to grow back - it involves only the removal of the sharp tip area.) II told my husband if he wants me to get rid of the flock after one year of lay, all he has to do is bring me commercial white Leghorn chicks. My attitude towards them as they head for the stew pot is "Hallelujah! Once less of them."

I love Leghorns for so many reasons but after having a couple in a backyard mixed flock I realize why my folks kept one breed alone - Babcock White Leghorns. All Mediterranean class fowl are assertive breeds from the lighter weight Leghorn varieties, Anconas, Andalusians, Black Spanish, to the heavier Minorcas, etc, and should not be mixed with gentler or docile breeds.

I had a wonderful White Leg layer for 3 years and she was a humane and gentle alpha until her 3rd year moult from which she emerged a bully to all her flockmates and had to re-home her. Another Buff Leg was gentle as a pullet but after a broody session came out of it even more aggressively than the White Leg and had to re-home her too - she was chasing and pulling out the beards and crests of the other gentle non-combative breeds.

There is not a more prolific hardy breed for an egg layer but Legs have to be kept amongst themselves in a flock and not mixed with gentler fowl. Legs are lightweight but can hold their own in a flock of heavier fowl - i.e., RIRs, NHRs, BRs, BOs, or Wyans because Legs are not shrinking violets and will stand up to combative breeds in the pecking order. Just don't mix Legs with docile or gentle breeds which are most usually the crested, bearded, muffed, tufted, or feather-footed breeds (i.e.- Faverolles, EEs, Ameraucanas, Araucanas, Polish, Crevecoeurs, Houdans, Silkies, Breda, Cochins, Brahmas, or any bantam breeds). Since Dominiques are on the smaller size and not overly assertive I don't think I'd mix them with Legs either.

For their smaller body size Legs still produce a tasty carcass. On my folks' farm we had many Leghorn meals and so much better than that tasteless market meat available today.

 

[Sylvester017]

I will need to figure out how to get them (I have 5) to each pose for a nice picture. Not sure how I will manage....but I will figure something out, maybe next weekend.

Good luck! You might as well try to catch the wind on camera!

 

[The Yakima Kid]

There is not a more prolific hardy breed for an egg layer but Legs have to be kept amongst themselves in a flock and not mixed with gentler fowl. Legs are lightweight but can hold their own in a flock of heavier fowl - i.e., RIRs, NHRs, BRs, BOs, or Wyans because Legs are not shrinking violets and will stand up to combative breeds in the pecking order. Just don't mix Legs with docile or gentle breeds which are most usually the crested, bearded, muffed, tufted, or feather-footed breeds (i.e.- Faverolles, EEs, Ameraucanas, Araucanas, Polish, Crevecoeurs, Houdans, Silkies, Breda, Cochins, Brahmas, or any bantam breeds). Since Dominiques are on the smaller size and not overly assertive I don't think I'd mix them with Legs either.

For their smaller body size Legs still produce a tasty carcass. On my folks' farm we had many Leghorn meals and so much better than that tasteless market meat available today.

They also pound the snot out of BRs and each other. When I had Leghorns I had all Leghorns, except for when I had a single Red Star who simply evaded them. The Leghorns would hunt down the lower ranking Leghorns and try to cannibalize them.

 

[Sylvester017]

They also pound the snot out of BRs and each other. When I had Leghorns I had all Leghorns, except for when I had a single Red Star who simply evaded them. The Leghorns would hunt down the lower ranking Leghorns and try to cannibalize them.

Another very obnoxious breed we've had experience with is the Cuckoo Marans. Sneaky bird would attack the gentle Silkies and tried to challenge the alpha Leg who promptly put her in her place. The Marans and our two Legs have been re-homed into the same egg-laying flock and the White Leg has quickly positioned herself as one of the top in the pack. She and the Marans are good egg-layers so the owner keeps them in the flock. I just feel sorry for the EEs and Ameraucanas in the flock that have to figure ways to stay away from the aggressive breeds.

 

[jtn42248]

Here are a couple of pictures of Norma, my Dominique that was the free rare breed in a day old chick order several months ago.





I thought that she had a cute little skip to her run but it turns out that her right leg is actually thicker than her left.

The issue has become that she is very aggressive toward the other hens in the flock. The flock is a mix of Blue Andalusians, Barred Rocks, Partridge Rocks, Silver Laced Wyandottes, and Columbian Wyandottes. Everyone gets along fine together but Norma seems to think she has to chase the other hens and try to mount them as if she were a rooster. My rooster (a Blue Andalusian) has now started to treat her as if she were a competing rooster and chases her with dangerous intent. Several of the other hens has also started to stand their ground and chase/attack her on occasion.

I would had to have to get rid of Norma but I don't want her to get hurt or killed and I don't want her to hurt or kill one of the other hens.

Is her behavior normal? Should I get more Dominique's and put them together in a separate coop? Will things eventually work themselves out?

They are all about 23 weeks old at this point.

 

[Alaskan]

Ooooh, I actually think that Norma looks like a rooster. Sorry.

 

[PheasantsFirst]

Just want to brag about dominiques in general, I was catching all my birds today to worm them and my doms agent that tame so they were running apps a lot. But as soon as we caught them they were amazingly calm, I got a few to sit on my arm before I let them go. Just another reason they are an amazing breed!

 

[lazy gardener]

I agree, Norma looks like Norman. Yellow legs, big wattles, lighter coloring. Also is the dead give-a-way: "Free ornamental" AKA rooster title. I don't think any hatchery would knowingly give away a pullet.