Breeding for behavior - Speckled Sussex

[lukkyseven]

All,

I have a decent size flock of Speckled Sussex from 3 different breed stocks right now. I will be taking them from about 30 chicks down to a flock of 8 hens and a rooster. I've seen the SOP for Sussex and could always use a little coaching specifically in that area, but my main question is: Can you breed for behavior? I'm hoping I can start to work towards the SOP, but at the same time incorporate traits that I like as well (friendliness, larger eggs, disease immunity).

This thought only came to me because I have two hens that already come to me and allow me to pick them up (double green and double yellow are their names - leg bands). I just don't know if this is a trait that can be passed on through breeding. If it can, do I prioritize it over the SOP (more of a question internally than for you guys)?

Ramblings of a tired man, but thank you all for reading. I've been meaning to make this post for about a week now.

 

[RainbowHen]

You can absolutely breed for behavior. Prioritizing it over the SOP is up to you. It's your flock. I bred aggressive cockerels out of my my mixed breed flock within a few years.

 

[Ruthster55]

Breed standards for conformation, color, etc. are tighter for some breeds than for others.

Nevertheless, for any breed, human-aggressive roosters are culls.

The level of tolerance for chicken aggression varies greatly among breeds.