[GoldenGryphon]

I’m a fan of Dorkings. I’ve had about half my flock made up of them at any given time over the past 10 years or so. The Silver-greys from Murray McMurray have really lost a lot of the telling breed characteristics, but the chicks I got from Sandhill Preservation are wonderful. They are a short, 5-toed breed that characteristically has a “sweet meaty breast”. They are slow growing.

Depending on where you get them and what variety, there are a range of combs and colors, but I’ve found the temperament remains the same – broody hens that lay a small to medium cream/off-white egg, nice roosters with good tempers (not attacking me!) and good size.

Right now I have 8 roosters in a 32 member flock and am planning a cull. Other than some minor squabbles, and my lead roo tackling an eagle and taking some damage from that, they seem to get along and work together really well. I have watched three of the roos stand together against a dog that wandered into our yard, and watched two of them work to distract a feral cat.

As a group, they are great foragers but don’t stray too far from home. I have had trouble with Easter Eggers and Dominique who wandered off while free ranging, but the Dorkings don’t go much beyond about 5 feet from the fenced yard and seem to like staying within easy sprinting distance.

As with any living creature, ymmv. Good luck finding a good breed. I would think that most of the dual purpose/heritage breeds would be good meat producers. That is a good part of why they were kept around so long.