jajeanpierre 
LindaB220 TaraBellaBirds and I were discussing nasty roosters on the thread Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE! https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ort-group-help-us-through-the-emotions-please
Roosters are culled for having a nasty personality all the time. So the thought arose that we could begin to breed and cull for personality as well as egg production, meat, and/or show quality. Imagine. A chicken who is pretty, good for meat, lays lots of eggs, and won't blind your grandchild!
It's not too much to ask for!
So. OK. Let's discuss!
It has come to my attention that some people are a little bit confused by this thread, so I will summarize the main points of the pro and con arguments here:
Pro:
1) We would like to try breeding our backyard flocks in an attempt to get roosters who are not a danger to humans. We believe we can do it if we try.
2) We are not expecting to get lap roosters, or feathered tribbles.
3) We understand that it will take time, and that we will need to use careful recording techniques, and breeding pens to do this right.
4) We also understand that we will need to pay attention to any aggressive behavior in the potential breeding hens.
Con:
1) Aggressive roosters are needed to keep flocks safe from predators.
2) Selective breeding and culling are essentially the same thing. And in order to achieve our goal we would need to do constant and very deep culling.
3) We would need to have many pens, and a burdensome level of record keeping.
4) The characteristics of a gentle rooster will revert back to the mean in very few generations.
A REMINDER:
This thread is dedicated to learning how to breed for gentler behavior. We are all here to learn.
That said, if all you have to contribute is that you think it can't be done, or that you disagree that it should be done, that's fine. Those particular opinions have been noted. But the thread isn't for convincing us we can't do what we haven't even tried yet.
If you don't want to breed your flock for non-aggressive behavior, no one will tell you you're wrong. Please extend us the same courtesy. Thank you.
LindaB220 TaraBellaBirds and I were discussing nasty roosters on the thread Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE! https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ort-group-help-us-through-the-emotions-pleaseRoosters are culled for having a nasty personality all the time. So the thought arose that we could begin to breed and cull for personality as well as egg production, meat, and/or show quality. Imagine. A chicken who is pretty, good for meat, lays lots of eggs, and won't blind your grandchild!
It's not too much to ask for!
So. OK. Let's discuss!
It has come to my attention that some people are a little bit confused by this thread, so I will summarize the main points of the pro and con arguments here:
Pro:
1) We would like to try breeding our backyard flocks in an attempt to get roosters who are not a danger to humans. We believe we can do it if we try.
2) We are not expecting to get lap roosters, or feathered tribbles.
3) We understand that it will take time, and that we will need to use careful recording techniques, and breeding pens to do this right.
4) We also understand that we will need to pay attention to any aggressive behavior in the potential breeding hens.
Con:
1) Aggressive roosters are needed to keep flocks safe from predators.
2) Selective breeding and culling are essentially the same thing. And in order to achieve our goal we would need to do constant and very deep culling.
3) We would need to have many pens, and a burdensome level of record keeping.
4) The characteristics of a gentle rooster will revert back to the mean in very few generations.
A REMINDER:
This thread is dedicated to learning how to breed for gentler behavior. We are all here to learn.
That said, if all you have to contribute is that you think it can't be done, or that you disagree that it should be done, that's fine. Those particular opinions have been noted. But the thread isn't for convincing us we can't do what we haven't even tried yet.
If you don't want to breed your flock for non-aggressive behavior, no one will tell you you're wrong. Please extend us the same courtesy. Thank you.
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