What exactly does "heritage" mean when it comes to livestock? Heritage livestock breeds are generally defined by the Livestock Conservancy as "...breeds of a bygone era, before industrial agriculture became a mainstream practice. These breeds were carefully selected and bred over time to develop traits that made them well-adapted to the local environment and they thrived under farming practices and cultural conditions that are very different from those found in modern agriculture." Large scale industrial agriculture has whittled down the breeds of each animal that succeed in industrial conditions to a very few - perpetuating the genetics of heritage breeds can act as a safety net for genetic diversity, as well as providing people with livestock they can raise themselves, for their own family and/or community, that will thrive in their local environment.
No dorking chick sales for 2023.
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Red Dorking Chickens
According to the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection (the guide published by the American Poultry Association which lists the characteristics of each poultry breed), the Dorking is one of the most ancient breeds of poultry, brought to Britain by the Romans with Julius Caesar. Dorkings were first recognized as a breed by the American Poultry Association in 1874. They are a dual purpose breed, which means they can be raised for both egg and meat production; however, they have been coveted for *thousands* of years as the absolute best tasting meat chicken.
Everyday Acres has a breeding flock of Red Dorkings. The name Dorking comes from the village in England where the breed was developed as the chicken we know today. Our Dorkings came from a breeding flock in North Carolina. Dorkings are an ancient heritage breed and we selectively breed them to meet the following standards:
Everyday Acres has a breeding flock of Red Dorkings. The name Dorking comes from the village in England where the breed was developed as the chicken we know today. Our Dorkings came from a breeding flock in North Carolina. Dorkings are an ancient heritage breed and we selectively breed them to meet the following standards:
- The breed standard for color, weight, and other attributes as described in the American Poultry Association’s Standard of Perfection
- As good egg layers of at least 150 eggs per year, including a proclivity to lay well throughout the winter
- Excellent meat flavor (Dorkings are known for their outstanding taste) and decreasing the amount of time it takes to grow them to appropriate weight for processing for the dinner table.
