Dorking chicks

 I've searched the world over for Dorking chickens for months and months and months and finally found a breeder in Arizona about a month ago.  She shipped me out some fertile Dorking eggs and they're hatching as I type.

So why did I look for Dorkings so desperately?  With such a silly name why would anyone want one?  Dorkings are a very very rare bird and a very very old breed.  Dorkings were mentioned in writings as ancient as the time of Julius Caesar.  The Romans brought them to England when they took that country over and the Dorking really caught on there, especially in the town of-did you guess?-Dorking.  Hence the name.

But Dorkings aren't just a special breed because they're ancient and as rare as they are old.  They're special because they're also a fabulously tasty breed.  In a taste test, the Dorking won first place over many other breeds including the Rhode Island Red and Cornish X who tied for second.  Dorkings are famous for their moist breast meat and the texture of the breast and thigh meat.  One blogger who attended the Chicken Choosing taste test stated "This bird is known for its fine-textured, very white meat. It is also known to be docile, calm and adaptable. They are good foragers and would make a fine addition to most backyard or farmstead flocks."

The Dorkings also lay white eggs that won top marks in a small taste test and were described as having whites that were "airy, fluffy, and full of texture."