A domestic chicken breed from Britain is called a Dorking. It has the name of the southern English town of Dorking in the county of Surrey.
Description
Dorkings have a characteristic square body shape with a long tail held diagonally and carry their long back and broad breast in a low, horizontal posture over short, muscular shanks. All of them, excluding the Red, have loose plumage. They are known for having five toes on each foot and a strong, light beak. The additional hind toe points upward and rearward.
The oldest form, Red, has tighter feathering and a smaller body and crest. Males often have a dark red back and wing bow, rich crimson hackles, and black breast, wings, and tail. Rich brown-red feathers with gold and black hackles makeup hens’ feathers. White, the other old strain, has smaller bodies as well.
As Pet
Housing
The Dorking frequently makes a fantastic exhibition bird. They carry themselves in a way that begs the judge’s attention and have lovely plumage. The Dorking enjoys remaining close to home as pets (even though they do enjoy foraging). Simply said, they won’t stray too far from their “roost.”
The Dorking chicken requires a large amount of space since it dislikes being confined. Each chicken needs at least 250 square feet.
Feeding
From eight weeks of age and older, feed your Dorking a balanced diet of grains, chicken mash, chicken pellets, and grains. To make sure they get all their nutrients, this should be given to them first thing in the morning before being let out to roam.
When chickens are younger than eight weeks old, Chick Starter is always the best option. In order to assure the quality of their eggs and to maintain optimal health, laying hens should have more protein and calcium in their meals. Dorking prefers to receive table leftovers in the form of produce and fruit. On really hot days, kids prefer these scraps even more when they are given as ice cubes.
If you feed your hens properly, they will provide a lot of nutrient-rich fertilizer for your organic garden, which will help your vegetables and flowers develop.
Grooming
In the winter, a little Vaseline may need to be applied to their wattles and comb to prevent possible frostbite in really cold climates.
These hens adore taking a bath in the dust, and they will also enjoy some herbal essences sprinkled with the loose sand to aid with bugs and extra feather oils. Regularly checking them for mites, lice, and other parasites shouldn’t be a problem because they are a pleasant bird that isn’t too bothered about being handled. To keep your chickens healthy, check their feathers at least once a week for these pests. They will enjoy their owners’ attention because they are homebodies.
Temperament
They have a reputation for being kind, quiet, and tolerant—all positive traits, but not so wonderful if you have aggressive hens like Cornish chickens in your flock. Although dorkings are known to be excellent moms and rear their chicks successfully, they can become broody hens quite rapidly.
Even adopting chicks that are not their own has been reported for them. Hens also take their time ejecting their young from the nest. They frequently continue to care for their clutches long after the chicks of other chickens have fled the chicken coop.
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