Certain breeds (Deserve the Darwin award?)

[SandyRiverChick]

Other than appearance I don't think breed means much of anything. What traits the breeder selects for when deciding which chickens get to breed means a lot more. If they know what they are doing the breeder decides which flocks lay well, how they typically behave, and how healthy they are regardless of breed. Breeds can have tendencies but only if the breeder selects for those. For example, Buff Orps have a reputation of going broody. If the breeder selects for hens that do not go broody within a very few generations you can have a flock where a hen going broody is pretty rare. If a breeder selects leghorns for going broody within a few generations you can have a flock of leghorns that have a lot of broody hens. The same goes for any trait the breed is supposed to have. If the breeder selects for it or against it makes the difference in what you see in a flock.

Hybrid vigor is a real thing in animals. Plants too. Too much inbreeding can cause issues with health, productivity, fertility, and other things. Genetic diversity is important in flock maintenance. That does not mean you need to constantly bring in new genetics from a different breed. You can typically keep replacement girls and boys from your flock for a few generations before inbreeding causes a problem. You can regain genetic diversity by bringing in a rooster of the same breed that has been genetically isolated for several generations from your flock. Spiral breeding is how many breeders maintain genetic diversity without bringing in new chickens.

The principle of hybrid vigor is real. There are different techniques to manage it.

Agree with all of your points. Thankfully when it comes to genetic diversity in dog's the Leonberger breeder community is working together on the details and process instead of just "Doodling." There is an Int'l database to track lines and prevent in-breeding. It's a fragile thing to maintain the traits of the breed and breed standard while trying to better the breed's inherent health issues. That's the dog world. The chicken world isn't alot different, just not at all managed this way.

 

[canne50]

Anyone notice certain breeds are really smart, while others are well... would be better off if they were a flower and could not move?

I have noticed this more with Easter Eggs/Green eggers. IS it normal for them to be suicidal/kill themselves? I have raised wydottes, barred rock, polish, silikie, astrolorp, rirs, ISA Reds and both types of easter egger (green and blue).

Out of all of these... the pretty egg ones seem to be the most dumb. I have had them fly into water troughs and drown. I also notice their genetics (as a babies) seems weaker, have had the most losses with them. I don't have these issues with the other breeds. Anyone else notice this, what breed?

I have only raised about 100ish chickens, so I am still a newb and this could just be a small sample size... but hot damn.

Just today my biggest and boldest EE came up to me and started a conversation after some direct eye contact.
I was peeping and pipping to my chicks while holding and taming them. She heard and wanted some comfort talk, too.
My precious Brownie, a Bantan old English game hen died last year, was a big talker, too.
Some hens may be just more docile or have been scared into the water tank.
Best to you!