Dorking Chickens - Australian Breed Standards.
The Dorking is one of the oldest of domesticated fowls. In 47AD, a Roman writer described the large bodied, five toed fowls seen in Britannia. The breed was long regarded as the finest producer of large, meaty, white skinned table birds. Different eating habits of the 20th century have seen Dorkings decline to the status of a very rare breed in Australia.
Male Dorking Characteristics:
Carriage: Quiet and stately with breast well forward.
Type:
Comb: Single or rose. The single comb is upright, moderately large, broad at base, evenly serrated, free from thumb marks or side sprigs.
The rose comb is moderately broad and squared fronted, narrowing behind to a distinct and slightly upturned leader, the top covered with small coral-like points of even height, free from hollows.
Eyes: full
Beak: stout, well proportioned and slightly curved.
Face: Smooth.
Earlobes: Moderately developed and hanging about one-third the depth of the wattles, which are large and long.
Neck: Rather short, covered with abundant hackle feathers falling well over the back, making it appear extremely broad at the base, and tapering rapidly at the head.
Legs: Short and strong. Thighs large and well developed, but almost hidden by the body feathering. Shanks short, moderately stout and round (square or sinewy bone being very objectionable), free from feathers. Spurs set on the inner side and pointing inwards.
Feet: Five toes, large, round and hard ("spongy" to be guarded against). The 3 front toes long, straight & well spread. The hind toe double and the extra toe well formed, viz. the normal toe as nearly as possible in the natural position, and the extra one placed above, starting from close to the other, but perfectly distinct and pointing upwards.
Type:
- Body: massive, long and deep, rectangular in shape when viewed sideways and tightly feathered.
- Back: broad and moderately long with full saddle inclined downward to the tail.
- Breast: deep and well rounded with a long straight keel bone.
- Wings: large and well tucked up.
- Tail: full and sweeping, carried well out (a squirrel tail being objectionable) with abundant side hangers and broad well-curved sickles.
Comb: Single or rose. The single comb is upright, moderately large, broad at base, evenly serrated, free from thumb marks or side sprigs.
The rose comb is moderately broad and squared fronted, narrowing behind to a distinct and slightly upturned leader, the top covered with small coral-like points of even height, free from hollows.
Eyes: full
Beak: stout, well proportioned and slightly curved.
Face: Smooth.
Earlobes: Moderately developed and hanging about one-third the depth of the wattles, which are large and long.
Neck: Rather short, covered with abundant hackle feathers falling well over the back, making it appear extremely broad at the base, and tapering rapidly at the head.
Legs: Short and strong. Thighs large and well developed, but almost hidden by the body feathering. Shanks short, moderately stout and round (square or sinewy bone being very objectionable), free from feathers. Spurs set on the inner side and pointing inwards.
Feet: Five toes, large, round and hard ("spongy" to be guarded against). The 3 front toes long, straight & well spread. The hind toe double and the extra toe well formed, viz. the normal toe as nearly as possible in the natural position, and the extra one placed above, starting from close to the other, but perfectly distinct and pointing upwards.
Female Dorking Characteristics:
The general characteristics are similar to those of the male, allowing for the natural sexual differences, except that the tail is carried rather closely. The single comb falls over one side of the face.
Colours:
Blue Silver Grey:
Male: Plumage; hackles (neck & saddle); silver white free from straw tinge or markings of any kind. Back, shoulder coverts and wing bow silver white & free from striping. Wing coverts blue. Primaries blue with a white edge on outer web. Secondaries white on outer web, blue on the inner web, and a white wing bay appearing when the wing is closed. Remainder of plumage blue, free from white mottling or grizzling.
Female: Plumage; hackle silver white, striped with blue. Breast robin red or salmon red, ranging to almost fawn, shading off to ash blue on the thighs. Body clear to silver blue, finely pencilled with darker grey (the pencilling following the outer line of the feather), free from red or brown tinge, or black dapplings. The effect may vary from soft dull blue to bright silver blue. Tail darker blue, inside feathers blue.
Female: Plumage; hackle silver white, striped with blue. Breast robin red or salmon red, ranging to almost fawn, shading off to ash blue on the thighs. Body clear to silver blue, finely pencilled with darker grey (the pencilling following the outer line of the feather), free from red or brown tinge, or black dapplings. The effect may vary from soft dull blue to bright silver blue. Tail darker blue, inside feathers blue.
Cuckoo:
Male and Female: Plumage dark grey or blue bands (barring) on light blue-grey ground, the markings uniform, the colours shading into eachother so that no distinct line of separation of the colours is perceptable.
Dark:
Male: Plumage; hackles (neck & saddle) white or straw, more or less striped with black. Back various shades of white, black and white or grey, mixed with maroon or red (bronze is objectionable). Wing bows white, or white mixed with black or grey. Coverts (or bar) black, glossed with green. Secondaries outer web white, inner web black. Breast & underparts jet black, white mottling not permissible. Tail richly glossed black. A little white on primary sickles is permissible, but white hangers are objectionable.
Female: Plumage; neck hackle white or pale straw, striped with black or grey-black. Breast salmon red, each feather tipped with dark grey, verging on black. Tail nearly black, the outer feathers slightly pencilled. Remainder of plumage nearly black or approaching a rich dark brown, the shaft showing creamy white, each feather slightly pale on the edges, except the wings, where the centre of the feather is brown-grey covered with a small rich marking surrounded by a thick lacing of black, and free from red. Another successful colour is every feather over the body pencilled a brown-grey in the centre, with lacing round, and the breast as described above.
Female: Plumage; neck hackle white or pale straw, striped with black or grey-black. Breast salmon red, each feather tipped with dark grey, verging on black. Tail nearly black, the outer feathers slightly pencilled. Remainder of plumage nearly black or approaching a rich dark brown, the shaft showing creamy white, each feather slightly pale on the edges, except the wings, where the centre of the feather is brown-grey covered with a small rich marking surrounded by a thick lacing of black, and free from red. Another successful colour is every feather over the body pencilled a brown-grey in the centre, with lacing round, and the breast as described above.
Red:
Male: Plumage; hackles (neck & saddle) bright glossy red. Back and wing bows dark red. Remainder of plumage jet black, glossed with green.
Female: Plumage; hackle bright gold heavily striped with black. Tail and primaries black or very dark brown. Remainder of plumage red brown, the redder the better, each feather more or less tipped or spangled with black, and having a bright yellow or orange shaft.
Female: Plumage; hackle bright gold heavily striped with black. Tail and primaries black or very dark brown. Remainder of plumage red brown, the redder the better, each feather more or less tipped or spangled with black, and having a bright yellow or orange shaft.
Silver-Grey:
Male: Plumage; hackles (neck & saddle) silver white, free from straw tinge or marking of any kind. Back, shoulder coverts and wing bow silver white & free from striping. Wing coverts lustrous black with green or blue gloss. Primaries black with a white edge on outer web. Secondaries white on outer web, black on inner web, a white wing bay appearing when the wing is closed. Remainder of plumage deep black, free from white mottling or grizzling, although in old males a slight grizzling of the thighs is not objectionable.
Female: Plumage; hackle silver white, striped with black. Breast robin red or salmon red ranging to almost fawn, shading off to ash grey on the thighs. Body clear silver grey, finely pencilled with darker grey (the pencilling following the outer line of the feather), free from red or brown tinge or black dapplings. The effect may vary from soft dull grey to bright silver grey. Tail darker grey, inside feathers black.
Female: Plumage; hackle silver white, striped with black. Breast robin red or salmon red ranging to almost fawn, shading off to ash grey on the thighs. Body clear silver grey, finely pencilled with darker grey (the pencilling following the outer line of the feather), free from red or brown tinge or black dapplings. The effect may vary from soft dull grey to bright silver grey. Tail darker grey, inside feathers black.
White:
Male & Female: Plumage white, free from straw tinge.
All varieties:
In both sexes: Beak white or horn. Dark horn permissible in the dark. Eyes bright red. Comb, face and wattles and earlobes brilliant red. Legs & feet (including nails) a delicate white with a pink shade.
Weights:
Fowls:
- Male 4.55 - 6.35kg
- Female 3.60 - 4.55kg
- Male 1.19 - 1.42kg
- Female 1.02 - 1.26kg