Dorking

The Dorking is a medium-sized dual-purpose chicken that started out in England, kept mainly for the table but a fair enough layer of white eggs on the side. It is one of the oldest breeds with a written history in Britain, valued down the centuries as a table bird long before it ever reached Irish smallholdings. You can pick a Dorking out at a glance: short legs and a fifth toe on each foot, a trait only a handful of breeds carry.

The body is broad and rectangular, set low and close to the ground. That build carries a good depth of fine, white-grained meat, which is why cooks and market traders rated the breed so highly for so long. Birds move about at their own pace and rarely raise much of a racket in the run.

Temperament runs calm, friendly, and easygoing. Dorkings take handling in their stride and settle into a mixed garden flock without much bother. Keepers after a heritage bird with a steady head on it, rather than a commercial layer chasing egg counts, tend to get on well with this breed.

Who it suits

The Dorking suits a keeper after a calm, traditional table bird who isn't chasing a heavy egg count. Its easy nature makes it manageable for families and anyone new to keeping hens. Because the legs are short, it does better on dry, level ground than on a run that turns to mud or sits on a slope, worth weighing up given how wet Irish ground can get over the winter.

The Dorking takes its name from Dorking, a market town in Surrey in the south of England that built its name on the trade in fine table poultry. It ranks among the oldest breeds kept in Britain, raised for the table long before any poultry standard was ever written down.

Five-toed birds matching the Dorking type turn up in Roman-era accounts of Britain. The Roman writer Columella, in the first century, described square-bodied fowl with five toes, and these are generally reckoned to be forerunners of today's Dorking. The breed took its present shape over centuries on English farms.

By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the Dorking had become one of England's foremost table birds, filling markets in London and across the south. Its white skin and fine white meat kept it in demand with the table trade.

The breed was among the first poultry types recognised when formal standards were set down in the nineteenth century. Breeders developed several colour varieties, among them the Silver Grey, Dark, Red, Cuckoo, and White. Today the Dorking is kept chiefly by heritage breeders and counts as a rare or watch-listed breed in a good few countries, Ireland included.

The Dorking carries a long, broad, rectangular body set low on short legs. The breast runs deep and full, in keeping with the breed's job as a table bird. Its most telling feature is the fifth toe: every foot has an extra hind toe set above the usual four. Legs and skin are white.

The comb comes single or rose, depending on the variety. On the male the single comb stands large and upright, while on the female it can fold to one side. Earlobes are white and the wattles well filled out.

Coat and colours

Feathering lies smooth and close to the body. The Silver Grey is the variety most keepers know, with a silvery white hackle and saddle on the cock and a grey breast. The Dark variety carries a busier, more intricate feather pattern. Red, Cuckoo (barred), and White are also recognised. Whatever the colour, the white legs, white skin, and five toes stay the same across the board.

The Dorking has a gentle, good-humoured temperament. Birds stay calm and unhurried, rarely flighty, and put up with handling better than most breeds. That makes them a solid fit for a garden flock and for keepers who want birds that don't give much trouble.

Around family members the Dorking is approachable and tame, particularly if handled from chick stage. It shows no aggression towards people. Hens stay quiet for most of the year, with the usual bit more noise around laying time.

In a mixed flock Dorkings tend to sit near the bottom of the pecking order on account of their placid nature, so pushier breeds can bully them. They generally get along fine with other calm birds. Hens go broody often and mother a clutch attentively, a handy trait for keepers who want to hatch their own.

The Dorking is a hardy heritage breed, but its short legs and low-set body mean dry, clean ground matters. A wet or muddy run leaves plumage dirty and brings on foot trouble, something to watch given how quickly Irish ground can turn after rain. The breed forages well and makes good use of time on grass.

Grooming

• Check the feet often, keeping an eye on the fifth toe, which can pick up damage or scaly leg mite.
• Look over the plumage for mites and lice, particularly round the vent.
• Trim nails and the extra toe if they grow long or start to curl.
• Keep a dry dust bath going so birds can see to external parasites themselves.

Exercise

• Give daily access to a run or supervised free-ranging so birds can forage.
• Keep the ground level; steep slopes put strain on the short legs.
• Fit low perches so heavy birds aren't jumping down from a height.
• Scatter grain or greens about to bring out natural scratching.

Environment

Dorkings cope reasonably well with the cold, but the large single comb carried by some varieties is prone to frostbite, so a draught-free, well-ventilated house earns its keep over an Irish winter. Keep the bedding dry and see that birds have shade in a warm spell. Because they sit low to the ground, a clean, well-drained run pays off.

Dorkings need a balanced, complete poultry feed suited to their age and purpose. Chicks start on a starter crumb, growers move onto a grower ration, and adults take a layer or maintenance feed. Since the breed grows more slowly than a commercial table bird, steady feeding matters more than pushing for fast growth. Keep clean fresh water on hand at all times and offer insoluble grit so birds can grind their food, with oyster shell on the side as a calcium source for laying hens.

Treats and extras

Small amounts of leafy greens, vegetables, and a bit of scratch grain do no harm and should stay under roughly 10 percent of total intake. Laying hens do better with free-choice oyster shell for eggshell strength. Any bird eating grass, scraps, or whole grain needs grit to grind food down in the gizzard.

The Dorking is on the whole a hardy breed, typically living 6 to 8 years. Most health issues are the same parasites and ailments seen across garden poultry generally, with a few points specific to this breed's build. The short legs and low stance mean foot and leg health need close watching, and the large single comb carried by some varieties can come off badly in a hard frost.

Preventive care

• Keep a dry, draught-free, well-ventilated house.
• Check feet, the fifth toe, and footpads weekly.
• Offer a dust-bathing spot to keep mites and lice down.
• Keep feeders and waterers clean and rodent-proof.
• Quarantine new birds before they join the flock.
• Stick to a regular worming and parasite routine, with a vet's advice.

Dorkings are housed much like any standard chicken, though their build calls for a few adjustments. Because they sit low and carry short legs, perches should sit low and the run should be level and well drained, no small thing on Irish ground that holds water after rain. The house needs to be dry, draught-free, and well ventilated to guard against respiratory trouble and to keep frostbite off the comb in cold weather. Give generous floor and run space, since the breed runs medium to large and forages with purpose.

Setup checklist

• Dry, level, well-drained run.
• Low, wide perches to protect heavy birds and short legs.
• Clean dry bedding, refreshed regularly.
• One nest box for every three to four hens.
• A sheltered dust-bathing spot.
• Predator-proof fencing and secure housing overnight.
• Shade in summer and a draught-free roost through winter.

Dorking eggs take about 21 days to hatch, the same as other chicken breeds. The breed is known for going broody, and hens sit close and mother chicks reliably, so natural incubation under a broody hen is a sound, practical option. For an incubator, hold to standard temperature and humidity and turn the eggs regularly until lockdown in the final days.

Hatching steps

1. Pick clean, well-shaped eggs and store them no more than 7 days, pointed end down.
2. Warm the incubator to a steady temperature and humidity before setting eggs.
3. Set the eggs and note the date; mark each side if turning by hand.
4. Turn the eggs at least 3 to 5 times a day through day 18.
5. Candle around day 7 to 10 to check development and remove any clear eggs.
6. At day 18 (lockdown), stop turning and raise the humidity for the hatch.
7. Leave chicks in the incubator until dry and fluffed up, then move them to a warm brooder.