Dorking at a glance
| Egg production | 170–190 eggs/year |
|---|---|
| Egg color | white, cream |
| Size | large; hen weight 7 lb |
| Temperament summary | Calm, gentle, friendly |
| Housing class | large chicken |
Strongest documented traits
Temperament
Very calm and easy to handle
calm/gentle/friendly
Source confidence: High
Winter laying
Excellent winter layer
excellent winter layer
Source confidence: High
Broodiness
Very broody
strong setters/exemplary mothers
Source confidence: High
Dual-purpose value
Excellent dual-purpose breed
eggs and meat
Source confidence: High
Foraging
Good forager
good forager
Source confidence: High
Things to consider
These are traits that may be a drawback depending on what you want from your flock. Individual birds can vary.
Egg production
Moderate egg production
170-190 eggs/year
Source confidence: High
How the planner uses this breed
The flock planner does not rank Dorking from a single overall score stored in the database. Instead, it weights individual traits differently for each household. Cold hardiness matters more in harsh winters; heat tolerance matters more in hot climates; docility receives additional weight when children will handle the birds; and housing size can prevent a breed mix from being recommended even when its preference score is strong.
Sources used for this record
Last database review: 2026-10-03. Trait values are normalized to a 1–5 planning scale; see the methodology for how uncertainty is handled.