Dominique chicken

Dominique

Six-month-old cockerel, center
Conservation status	FAO (2007): not at risk[1]: 152  Livestock Conservancy (2021): watch[2] DAD-IS (2022): not at risk[3]
Other names	Dominicker Dominico Dominic Pilgrim Fowl Blue Spotted Hen Old Grey Hen
Country of origin	United States
Use	Dual-purpose, eggs and meat
Traits
Weight	Male: Standard: 6–7 lb (2.7–3.2 kg) Bantam: 26–28 oz (750–800 g) Female: Standard: 4–5 lb (1.8–2.3 kg) Bantam: 24–26 oz (700–750 g)
Skin color	yellow
Egg color	brown
Comb type	rose
Classification
APA	American[4]
ABA	rose comb, clean legged[5]: 53
EE	recognised[6]
PCGB	rare soft feather: heavy[7]
Chicken Gallus gallus domesticus

The Dominique is an American breed of chicken, characterized by black-and-white barred plumage and a rose comb. It is considered to be the oldest American chicken breed,^[8]: 121 and is thought to derive from birds brought to America by colonists from southern England. It was well known by about 1750, and by the mid-nineteenth century was widely distributed in the eastern United States.^{[9]: 429 [5]: 53} It is a dual-purpose breed, but is kept principally for its brown eggs.^[9]: 429 It became an endangered breed in the twentieth century, but numbers have since recovered.^[2]

The origins of the Dominique are unknown.^[10] It is considered to be the oldest American chicken breed,^[8]: 121 and is thought to derive from birds – probably similar to the modern Dorking or Sussex breeds – brought to America by colonists from southern England. Chickens with barred plumage, with either a single or a rose comb, were well known by about 1750, and by the mid-nineteenth century were widely distributed in the eastern United States.^{[5]: 53 [9]: 429} They were known by many names – among them Blue Spotted Hen, Dominic, Dominicker, Dominico, Old Grey Hen and Pilgrim Fowl – but were commonly known as Dominique. Some of the earliest books on poultry include these as a valuable American breed.^[11]: 97 Some were exhibited at the first American poultry show, held in Boston in 1849.^[9]: 429

In the 1860s the Plymouth Rock was created by cross-breeding Black Java with large single-combed Dominiques; it was first exhibited in 1869.^[2] It was rather larger than the Dominique, but otherwise fairly similar. At a poultry show in New York in 1870, the organisers ruled that only rose-combed barred birds could be exhibited as Dominiques; those with single combs were to be entered as Plymouth Rocks.^{[2][9]: 429} In 1871 this ruling was confirmed in a Standard of Excellence for the Dominique.^[9]: 429 In 1874 the Dominique was included in the first edition of the American Standard of Perfection of the new American Poultry Association;^[2] the Dominique bantam was added in 1960.^[4]: 6

Breed numbers declined during the twentieth century, and by the 1970s the Dominique was close to disappearing. A recovery initiative was launched, and from 1983 numbers began to rise again.^[2] Until about 2003 its conservation status was listed as "critical" by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (now the Livestock Conservancy), with fewer than 500 breeding birds in North America.^[12] In 2021 it was listed as "watch" by the Livestock Conservancy, and was reported to DAD-IS as "not at risk".^[2][3]

The Dominique is of medium size, mature birds usually weighing some 5–7 lb (2.3–3.2 kg). The only recognized plumage coloration is cuckoo, sometimes known as "hawk" coloration, a regular pattern of light and dark – but not black and white – barring.^[2]

The head is carried high, and has a rose-comb with a single backwards-pointing spike; the earlobes and wattles are red, and the beak yellow.^[2] The legs and feet are also yellow.^[13]: 7

The plumage is held fairly tight to the body; because of this and the rose comb, it has better resistance to frostbite than some other breeds.^[2]

The Dominique is a dual-purpose breed, but is kept principally for its brown eggs,^[9]: 429 of which hens lay about 200 per year, with an average weight of 58 g.^[10]: 33