This chicken has been around in the old English history long before poultry standards existed. Originated date is unknown and many of today’s recognized breeds were developed by using Dominique bloodlines, recognized by the Standard of Perfection in 1874. Dominique chicken breeders were well known in the USA during the mid-eighteenth century. By 1950 the Dominique chicken was thought to be extinct and revived again in 1970’s. The Dominique chicken is often confused with the Barred Rock chicken which has a straight comb and slightly straighter and darker barred markings. Dominique’s are a great bird with a notable rose comb, barred feathering similar to the Barred Plymouth Rock and a dual all-purpose chicken. Dominique chickens are generally calm, a gentle breed that makes for a good choice for raising free range chickens because of their barred feather pattern that is thought to offer some protection from aerial predators.