The Poultry Keeper

Ben · Moderator Joined: 17 Apr 2005 Posts: 1346

Information on White Dorkings

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6797 Location: isle of lewis

white dorkings have 5 toes, are quiet birds ,and rose combs
anyone find a pic Smile

suz

Ben · Moderator Joined: 17 Apr 2005 Posts: 1346

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6797 Location: isle of lewis

thanks ben your an angle ,it showed me ,what they ment by the 5 toes
suz

Green Pig · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 49 Location: Somerset

I was looking to see if there was a string covering all Dorkings in here, so was very surprised to see one for just the White Dorking. I got some info off the Dorking Breed club about a year or so ago and i think there were only about 30 or 60 (the other figure was for Cuckoo Dorkings and i can't remember which was which) registered breeding cockerels in the UK. So probably a big ask - does anyone have any? would anyone sell me a hen or two?

I currently have a SG Dorking Cockerel and 2 hens ( I will try and post a picture at some stage - maybe set up a separate string unless people mind turning this one into an "ALL Dorking" string.
They are absolutely wonderful birds- very calm but shy, and love tree climbing!! (despite their size).

The photo here came from Feathersite- which is the only good site i have found for lots of great photos of Dorkings.
Does anyone know of any other sites?

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6797 Location: isle of lewis

here's another link about white dorking it took 3 years to finally hatch these birds , http://forums.thepoultrykeeper.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=6873&start=0

cockoo's and red are next on the list ,

Green Pig · Joined: 18 Oct 2006 Posts: 49 Location: Somerset

Milkmaid,
You beat me to here.
So you want reds- there were some for sale down here awhile back - Charity Auction called the Gaggle of Geese- unfortunately it was canceled at the start of the Summer so i didn't get to see them- i shall keep my eye out for you - for all it's worth and let you know if i see anymore.

On Feathersite.com they have a spangled Dorking - now that i think has to be just an amazing bird to see - imagine what the cockerel must be like.
i think i also saw Blacks on their as well!!?

I don't mind which variety i get next, though as per my other post - i will be very interested in your whites next spring - if you have any for sale then.

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6797 Location: isle of lewis

problem is did you see where i live Wink

,all my chickens have to be sourced as hatching eggs ,and some breeders are understandably reluctant to send eggs ,others on here will tell you that i don't leave the isle Cool

,i'm going to increase my flock as they can freerange here no foxes ,and we are quite way , from water so the otters and mink don't seem to bother us ,haven't had a problem with eagles yet Wink

so i'd like to find unrelated cockeral and trap nest box ,so i'm breeding a good laying and meat bird ,i'm going to have fun with this Wink

and start on the same with the other 2 colour /type Very Happy

,what are colours you after Very Happy

mojo · Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 6:06 pm Post subject:

i tried soursing them over here all summer but to no aavail the only ones isaw where like sussex and four toed and that wont do......still will keep trying

really wildgarlic · Joined: 16 Apr 2005 Posts: 19 Location: Aberdeenshire

I've got a silver dorking cockerel.... just the one hatched from a few hatching eggs from ebay. He's a beauty... I'll look out a photo and post it. Apparently they are good crossed with light sussex (of which we have lots) for a table bird. The five toes look a bit strange!

mojo · Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2007 10:48 am Post subject:

anyone got a piccy of their silver dorking coq please( note their own bird )

tuzo2k · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 170 Location: charente sw france

Hi Milkmaid - Have you tried the RBST for information on any breeders of White Dorkings. Victoria Roberts also had Dorkings at one time - worth a try.

I obviously need to put my full attention to contacting friends and colleagues who had these breeds - hoped to make contact through various forums on poultry but will have to dig into boxes of stuff we brought to France to find their contact numbers.

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6797 Location: isle of lewis

i haven't got in touch with her ,still got to send the paper work to join the dorking club ,i phoned with a few people the reply i got from a few was we used to have them ,i got some eggs from richard jones ,
i'm still phoning around ,i'd like to build a small flock of my own to keep
anything with breeding that i have to look out for ,i will not be showing them ,unless it's at a local show but i'd still like to have the best birds i can Very Happy

as i said any advise would be greatfully recieved ,for some reason they are a breed that fasinates me Embarassed

tuzo2k · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 170 Location: charente sw france

Hi - best of luck with your 'phone calls. I will let you know if I have any success when I am in England in August/September. Am going to see my old mates some of whom keep various lines of older breeds, like the, (Modern langshan), etc. But as I said The Rare Breeds Survival Trust might be a good place to start, although at one time they were mainly concerned with rare breeds of Sheep, Cows, Pigs and the poultry took a bit of a back seat, but Peter King did help to change the balance a little. He left the RBST but I gather he has returned/in the process of returning. He is another person with whom I have lost touch since moving to France.

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 6797 Location: isle of lewis

ok i'll try chasing that line of enquiry
thanks