Heritage Silver Grey Dorkings |
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The Dorking is among the most noble and ancient of poultry breeds. It's origins date back to time immemorial. Our earliest record of them is found among the writings of Columella, a Roman agricultural historian of the first century A.D. They are believed to have been brought to England with the invasions of Julius Caesar. It is from this importation that they receive their name as Dorking. In the region of Surrey, England, the town of Dorking boasts proudly of the Dorking chicken on their coat of arms.
Today, most Americans eat eggs and chickens from a few highly specialized breeds used by the commercial poultry industry. As family farms disappeared, so did thousands of flocks of chickens. The newer commercial breeds are more productive than the older farm breeds when the birds are confined in facilities with controlled environments. But these commercial breeds have not been selected to maintain important traits such as ability to forage, longevity, tolerance to extreme cold or heat, predator avoidance and broodiness (tendency to set and hatch new chicks). You are much more likely to find these valuable qualities in a heritage chicken breed.
The Dorking is a heritage chicken breed of old Europe. By "heritage breed" we intend those honorable, old-fashioned breeds that have played a role in Western civilization for centuries or even millennia. For the most part, their origins are obscured by the passing of one age into another. However, they have stood the test of time, and derive from the villages of ancient Britain, Gaul, and Rome.
Dorkings are considered dual-purpose breeds, which means that they are esteemed for the production of both meat and eggs, but this title is ambiguous at best. Very few breeds, if any, could be said to be the ideal for both meat and eggs. Most dual-purpose birds excel in one area and are passable in the other. Dorkings are an excellent meat bird with acceptable laying abilities. They are said to have the finest tasting meat. As broody hens, they are tough to beat and make excellent natural mothers. Because of their size and reliability, Dorkings can be used successfully to hatch out the eggs of other fowl such as turkeys, ducks, and even geese. Moreover, they are good foragers. They roam carefully over their terrain looking for various treats. Indeed, they are no slouches, but remain busy the day long in search of their fare.
Today, most Americans eat eggs and chickens from a few highly specialized breeds used by the commercial poultry industry. As family farms disappeared, so did thousands of flocks of chickens. The newer commercial breeds are more productive than the older farm breeds when the birds are confined in facilities with controlled environments. But these commercial breeds have not been selected to maintain important traits such as ability to forage, longevity, tolerance to extreme cold or heat, predator avoidance and broodiness (tendency to set and hatch new chicks). You are much more likely to find these valuable qualities in a heritage chicken breed.
The Dorking is a heritage chicken breed of old Europe. By "heritage breed" we intend those honorable, old-fashioned breeds that have played a role in Western civilization for centuries or even millennia. For the most part, their origins are obscured by the passing of one age into another. However, they have stood the test of time, and derive from the villages of ancient Britain, Gaul, and Rome.
Dorkings are considered dual-purpose breeds, which means that they are esteemed for the production of both meat and eggs, but this title is ambiguous at best. Very few breeds, if any, could be said to be the ideal for both meat and eggs. Most dual-purpose birds excel in one area and are passable in the other. Dorkings are an excellent meat bird with acceptable laying abilities. They are said to have the finest tasting meat. As broody hens, they are tough to beat and make excellent natural mothers. Because of their size and reliability, Dorkings can be used successfully to hatch out the eggs of other fowl such as turkeys, ducks, and even geese. Moreover, they are good foragers. They roam carefully over their terrain looking for various treats. Indeed, they are no slouches, but remain busy the day long in search of their fare.
We are no longer raising Dorkings.
