Are All Araucana Roosters/Blue Egg Gene Boys Jerks?

ChookieG

Crowing
Feb 17, 2021
812
4,293
351
New South Wales, Australia
Hi guys,

I have an Australian Araucana Roo that's a real jerk and very bossy. He crows the whole goddamn day and dances around me when I get close to his run and crows continuously when I approach the run. He has pinched me several times already. He's so noisy that I have to keep indoors at night and let him out only around 10am. As soon as I release him into his run, the first thing he does is rush across to the hens and mate with them and begin crowing.

The problem already started when he was a chick. The only reason I didn't get rid of him was because he was a lone chick. When I finally manage to introduce him to hatchlings 3 weeks later, the first thing he did was pull their legs from behind them. When he was growing up with them, he would often peck at the other chicks during meal times and he would often pick on one of the more submissive cockerel with no provocation.

I was told his dad has the same aggressive behaviour and I'm hoping his personality is just due unique to his family history and not purely because he carries the blue egg gene.

So my question is what has been your experience with Araucana roos or any other breed that carries the blue gene? I'm returning him to his breeder and am at the cusps of giving up on Araucanas altogether if this type of behaviour is the norm for Blue-Egg breeds. Also my OE girls are very noisy and terrible screamers. I'm wondering whether their temperament is due to the blue-egg gene as well. Mind you their mum was a very noisy White Sussex cross so I'm hoping again that's it's because of her and not related to their egg colour.
 
Hi guys,

I have an Australian Araucana Roo that's a real jerk and very bossy. He crows the whole goddamn day and dances around me when I get close to his run and crows continuously when I approach the run. He has pinched me several times already. He's so noisy that I have to keep indoors at night and let him out only around 10am. As soon as I release him into his run, the first thing he does is rush across to the hens and mate with them and begin crowing.

The problem already started when he was a chick. The only reason I didn't get rid of him was because he was a lone chick. When I finally manage to introduce him to hatchlings 3 weeks later, the first thing he did was pull their legs from behind them. When he was growing up with them, he would often peck at the other chicks during meal times and he would often pick on one of the more submissive cockerel with no provocation.

I was told his dad has the same aggressive behaviour and I'm hoping his personality is just due unique to his family history and not purely because he carries the blue egg gene.

So my question is what has been your experience with Araucana roos or any other breed that carries the blue gene? I'm returning him to his breeder and am at the cusps of giving up on Araucanas altogether if this type of behaviour is the norm for Blue-Egg breeds. Also my OE girls are very noisy and terrible screamers. I'm wondering whether their temperament is due to the blue-egg gene as well. Mind you their mum was a very noisy White Sussex cross so I'm hoping again that's it's because of her and not related to their egg colour.
This is not because of the blue egg laying gene. No offense but may I ask why this is your first assumption? I’ve had all very sweet and friendly blue egg layers. EEs always have a ton of personality in my experience but that’s mostly just liking fruit a lot or jumping on things, etc.
 
Hi guys,

I have an Australian Araucana Roo that's a real jerk and very bossy. He crows the whole goddamn day and dances around me when I get close to his run and crows continuously when I approach the run. He has pinched me several times already. He's so noisy that I have to keep indoors at night and let him out only around 10am. As soon as I release him into his run, the first thing he does is rush across to the hens and mate with them and begin crowing.

The problem already started when he was a chick. The only reason I didn't get rid of him was because he was a lone chick. When I finally manage to introduce him to hatchlings 3 weeks later, the first thing he did was pull their legs from behind them. When he was growing up with them, he would often peck at the other chicks during meal times and he would often pick on one of the more submissive cockerel with no provocation.

I was told his dad has the same aggressive behaviour and I'm hoping his personality is just due unique to his family history and not purely because he carries the blue egg gene.

So my question is what has been your experience with Araucana roos or any other breed that carries the blue gene? I'm returning him to his breeder and am at the cusps of giving up on Araucanas altogether if this type of behaviour is the norm for Blue-Egg breeds. Also my OE girls are very noisy and terrible screamers. I'm wondering whether their temperament is due to the blue-egg gene as well. Mind you their mum was a very noisy White Sussex cross so I'm hoping again that's it's because of her and not related to their egg colour.
The human aggression is genetic, but not linked to the blue egg gene.

(Just alittle bit more Specific)
Aggression is passed down, through parents, or grandparents like the blue egg gene, but both are totally separate, & aren't linked in no way.
 
Nope. Not linked to the blue egg gene.
Your rooster is bad tempered. He doesn't get any excuses.
He could pass this on to future generations, no matter what color they lay.

If I may, try to think about it as "biting" (what it is) because the search for softer terminology (like "pinched") is the brains way of trying to make this okay. Which is how people end up enduring situations they should have stopped long ago.
He's not kissing you. He's trying to hurt you. He wants you to yield ground, females, and food to him.
If you NEED him for breeding, hatch out a bunch of chicks from him, then cut off his head. Inspect those chicks diligently for signs of aggression and eat all but the best-behaved male.
 
Brilliant!! Thanks so much for your inputs everyone!! It's actually a great relief to know that the blue egg gene is not associated with temperament....why I even thought that was just out of my own experience and desperation I suppose.

I have hatched out a batch of chicks from him but am only keeping the girls as all the boys are already exhibiting unwanted aggression. I certainly don't want a repeat of him!

I'll definitely be getting a new Araucana roo in the future and ensure he has a good family history regarding temperament.
 
I have hatched out a batch of chicks from him but am only keeping the girls as all the boys are already exhibiting unwanted aggression. I certainly don't want a repeat of him!

Once you have a better male you might want to phase out this one's daughters since they can inherit and transmit the aggressive tendencies.

The only problem cockerel I've had so far was the son of a hen given to me -- whose father was aggressive.
 
Once you have a better male you might want to phase out this one's daughters since they can inherit and transmit the aggressive tendencies.

The only problem cockerel I've had so far was the son of a hen given to me -- whose father was aggressive.

Great idea....the plan now is to sell most of the Araucana pullets and just keep the most docile ones.

I have two other Roos in a separate run who are SLW siblings. They always hang out together (eat, sleep, drink) despite the fact that they're hens around. These Roos are angels compared to the Araucana jerk I've got. We're crossing the SLW roo with the OE hens and selecting for the mildest pullets and culling the rest as I've got two 24 hour layers in there and so would like to retain their genes.

In the near future we'll be starting over again with a new Araucana roo and hens in another run.
 

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