a short collection of things to keep in mind when choosing your Silver Grey Dorkings for breeding
NOTES FROM WRIGHT, NEW POPULAR EDITION 1893
- p315 White Dorking with rosecomb … as this last always bred true, while the grey speckled birds varied much in comb, and were very uncertain about the fifth claw
- p320 Dark plummage: hens: breast salmon-red, each feather tipped dark grey or black; wing black around the edges with a rich brown centre, pencilled or shaded with black; back and saddle almost black. All feathers except the breast showing the white shaft very distinctly.
- To breed the dark colour, cocks with very black hackles will be necessary
- p327 Silver Grey Every feather on the sides and back should show the white shaft distinctly and the plummage generally becomes very slightly darker as it approaches the tail, which latter is dark grey, the inner feathers almost black
- The light grey ground is closely covered over by a minute pencilling of darker grey which gives that peculiar “silvery” appearance so attractive
- select a cock as silvery as possible with pure black breast; hens of medium colour (not too pale or many of the cockerels will have grizzled breast); if size has to be compromised, let it be the male
NOTES FROM UK POULTRY STANDARD 1990s
SILVER GREY
MALE
- neck and saddle hackles – silver white, free from straw tinge or marking of any kind
- back, shoulder coverts & wing bow – silver white free from stripping
- wing coverts – lustrous black with green or blue gloss
- primaries – black with white edge on outer web
- secondaries – white on outer web, black on inner; a white wing bar appearing when the wing is closed
- remainder of plumage – deep black free from white mottling or grizzling (old males: grizzling on thighs OK)
FEMALE
- hackle – silver white striped with black
- breast – robin red or salmon 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 outline of the feather) FREE FROM red or brown tinge or black dapplings. Effect may vary from soft dull grey to bright silver grey
- tail – darker grey, inside feathers black
SERIOUS DEFECTS
- total absence of fifth toe
- legs other than white or pink-white
- feathering on legs
- spurs outside the shank
- white in breast or tail of Silver Grey male
- very long legs
- crooked or much swollen toes
- bumble foot