Dorking chicken farming is a very old practice, because it is one of the most ancient of all domesticated poultry breeds. Dorking chickens are large in size and they are wonderful dual-purpose bird, and valued for both meat and eggs production.
Exact origin of the Dorking chicken is a bit of a mystery. The breed is believed to have originated in Italy during the Roman Empire period. They were well distributed in many countries around the world, and today they are found throughout the world.
During the 19th Century, the Dorking chicken breed was considered as a fast grower with good conformation. But today, it is considered as a slow grower as compared to the modern fast grower chicken breeds.
Definitely, modern expectations of growth are now skewed toward the broiler production specialists. Although, Dorking chicken still possesses a good meat conformation and they are well suited to range conditions. And many of the modern chicken breeds have derived from the Dorking chicken.
In the past, the Dorking roosters were used to cross on Indian Game chickens for producing table birds. They were also used for creating some new and modern breeds such as the Buff Orpington and the Speckled Sussex chicken.
The Dorking chicken has always been prized for it’s white flesh and it’s eating qualities. And the breed is also pretty good for eggs production.
However, as the Dorking chicken is a good dual-purpose breed, so starting commercial Dorking chicken farming business can be profitable if you can manage everything perfectly.
How to Start Dorking Chicken Farming Business
The Dorking chickens are very strong and hardy birds. So starting commercial Dorking chicken farming business is just like starting a chicken farming business with any other domestic chicken breeds.
Here we are trying to describe more information about starting and operating a successful Dorking chicken farming business from purchasing chicks to caring and marketing.
Purchase Chickens
First of all, you have to purchase very good quality, disease free and healthy birds for starting Dorking chicken farming business. Today, the Dorking chickens are available in many countries around the world. So you will probably be able to easily purchase the birds.
You can purchase either day old chicks or mature birds depending on the price and availability in your area. Mature birds are sold at a very high price. On the other hand, the day old chicks are much cheaper but they require additional caring.
You can purchase the chicks from any of your nearest poultry chick suppliers (from where your local farmers used to purchase chicks), or from any existing Dorking chicken farms. You can also search your local online classified websites for purchasing the birds.
Housing
Making a very good, comfortable and safe housing system is very important for Dorking chicken farming business. Because a good house not only helps the birds to stay healthy but also helps them to stay free from all types of predators and adverse weather conditions.
You can either use easily available materials like wood and bamboo for building the house, or the house can be of full concrete setup. It actually depends on your budget. Whichever system you choose, just ensure that the house is good, safe and comfortable for the chickens.
Install good ventilation system inside the house and ensure flow of sufficient amount of fresh air and light. This will help the birds to stay healthy.
The Dorking chickens are classed as a heavy breed. So a mature bird will require around or up to 5-6 square feet housing space. And make the house in such a way so that you can easily clean the house.
Feeding
This is the most important part of Dorking chicken farming business. Because good food not only helps the birds to grow better but also helps them to stay healthy. So always try to feed your chickens with enough good and nutritious food.
You can feed your chickens either with ready-made/commercial poultry feeds or prepare the feeds of your own. Just ensure that the feeds are good and nutritious for your chickens.
Along with providing your birds with adequate good and nutritious food, always provide them with plenty of clean and fresh water as per their demand.
The Dorking chickens are good for both confinement and free range system. But raising them in free range system will help you to reduce feeding costs and it will also increase the quality of your products.
Breeding
Like many other domestic chicken breeds, the Dorking chickens are naturally very good breeders. They will produce fertile eggs for hatching if you keep good ratio of hens and roosters in your flock.
Generally one mature rooster is enough for breeding around or up to 10 hens.
Caring
The Dorking chickens are very strong and hardy birds, and they generally require less caring and other management. They are quite in nature and they are excellent foragers. However, taking additional caring will help the birds to stay healthy and grow better.
Inspect their health on a regular basis for any signs of diseases or illness. And take necessary steps if you notice anything uncommon. Vaccinate your birds timely and keep good contact with a vet in your area.
Marketing
Chicken products have very good demand and value in the market. So you don’t have to worry much about marketing your products. And you will be able to sell your products easily in the local market or any nearest town. Although you should set your marketing strategies before starting this business.
These are the common steps and ways for starting and operating a successful Dorking chicken farming business. Hope this guide has helped you! Good luck & may God bless you!
