Are Welsummers dingbats?

[sunrise.superman]

I have 3 Welsummers...about 6 mos old...one just started laying yesterday, the others are not far behind I think. They are, and always have been, such dingbats. They roost on the dog kennel fencing - while the dogs are in there - one of which is a chicken killing dog and the other hens demonstrate clearly that area is verboten. No hint taken by these 3. They squawk and screech for no apparent reason ALL THE TIME, flutter and fly and scatter and just act a bit nutty pretty much all the time. They'll be out scratching and pecking the yard happily with the rest of the flock and suddenly go berserk like something shocked them...yelling and fluttering and running in circles...and then go back to grazing just as suddenly. My other hens look around like WTF?

I have BJG, BO, LO, GLW, BR, Doms, OE, and a cute little Mille Fleur d'Uccle...a pile of different breeds...and they all seem to be able to chicken fairly normally and intelligently...comparatively speaking. No dingbats. The Welsummers are pretty birds and sweet enough, though not super cuddly friendly at the moment...just dumb as posts it seems...as far as chickens go. I fear for their safety at times.

Did I manage to pick exceptionally dumb ones, or it's just the breed?

 

[CascadiaRiver]

The one I had for 4 years wasn't exceptionally bright, but because she was the biggest hen weighing in at nearly 9.5lbs, she did kind of use her size and weight to push other around. But she wasn't super smart, she was intimidating with her big eyes (I used her in 4H and had to remind people that she wasn't mean, just big haha) She may not have been the dumbest for me because we have an exceptionally stupid Easter Egger mix who has been known to just end up running into walls or other birds haha

 

[Perris]

I've got two about the same age as yours, and they don't stand out behaviour wise. They are sometimes led astray by a SFH juvenile who tempts them to roost in trees (and despite their size they can fly up!) but otherwise are good, calm and quiet members of the flock. So I think it may be just the individuals you've got there. They sound like proper characters!

 

[sunrise.superman]

Mine are good flyers as well. They'll fly halfway across the yard just because...nothing in particular going on...and despite being in the coop with everyone for months now, I have to pick them off of high places in the yard and put them up for the night.

They are sweet enough and very pretty, just seem a bit spazzy. Maybe they just need time to mature? I can se one being a dork, but all 3 seem to be cut from the same cloth personality-wise.