Breeding for PERSONALITY. AKA Hello SWEET ROO!

[enola]

I am another breeder that keeps roosters in a bachelor pen. Even my breeding roosters are in the bachelor pen when they are not in the breeding pens. As long as they can't see the hens they are fine. There needs to be several feeders and waterers so there are no roosters being kept from the feed and water. But, it works here.

 

[fisherlady]

Has anybody put thought into selecting for hens whose temperament is desirable as well? I only have 4 birds, but I think of the group only one or two would be animals I'd want to use in a selective breeding program, despite how simply gorgeous they are, for reasons of skittishness. I know generally speaking the rule among chickens (actually, among almost all animals being bred) seems to be 'the more hens the better' with little regard to female quality, whereas male quality is highly focused upon, but to me to have a good baby, both parents need to be equally scrutinized for quality.

We are just getting set to breed a few particular breeds of birds (which will be done with normal established breeding pens) but have been very selective the last few years over the barnyard mix birds we choose to get hatching eggs from for our broodies. To me the hens personality is absolutely important (I only hatch with broodies, don't own an incubator) and so is a decent body shape for both meat purposes (so we know the resulting BYmix roosters will be good for freezer camp options) and be a hen with a decent history of egg production (though I am not looking for a 'gold comet type' super layer)
Since we butcher our extra roosters there usually aren't too many breeding age undesirables running around, but a 'bachelor pad' or 'grow out pen' for them would be a great option and is something we are planning to add in the near future.
We have a large covered area set up which is enclosed with chain link, this provides us an immediate isolation area suitable for many purposes but when we want hatching eggs we pick one of our favorite roosters and a half dozen of our best hens (chosen for personality, decent eggs, good health and decent body size). By placing them in there for a time we can control which genetics we are getting for the hatching eggs, at least from the hens side. At this point we don't keep them in that collection pen for more than a week, usually it is just 3 or 4 days to get enough eggs for the number of broodies needing eggs. I realize that it isn't the rooster who is in with them that is the sire of the resulting chicks, he is just there to keep them company and keep them feeling 'secure' while they are away from the main coop for a few days. Our older hens rarely let any of the young cockerels around them and our older roosters also help keep them in line, so I can be pretty confident that the resulting chicks are from favored hens and an older rooster who has already shown himself to be a good barnyard keeper.
Having done this now for a few years the only problem I am finding is that now many of our 'extra' roosters are really nice flock birds who I hate butchering but that is their ultimate fate if I can't sell them. We still have one or two a year (out of a couple dozen) who are more tempermental, usually the thing that puts them on the fast track to the cone is being overly aggressive to hens. I also will not tolerate a rooster who isn't at least tolerant of chicks.... they don't have to be doting baby daddies, but any rooster who is nasty to a broody or her chicks will be on the next butcher day short list.
Having kept those traits/goals in mind has helped us shape a flock (and roosters) which are laid back in general and fun to be around for us, our dogs and visitors...

 

[Toddrick]

I have one of those mean Production RIR roosters. I also had a sweet Buff Orpington hen that I crossed him with in hopes of having sweeter offspring. The chicks are almost 8 weeks old now, and it is evident that half got the sweet genes, and half got their daddy's genes.

The sweet ones will jump on the cage door and wait for me to hold them. The others will run to the back of the cage if they see my hand, even if that means squashing their mates to get away. I guess I'm glad some of them have bad personalities, because if they were all nice then I don't think I could go through with culling them, but the others do nothing but get on my nerves anyways.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Fair enough.
But maybe we can breed for a rooster who is protective and watches out for predators, while being smart enough to recognize that the one who provides food isn't actually a threat?

I don't think we're expecting to get a feathered tribble. Or a lap rooster. But I think we can all agree that a rooster who is a physical danger to humans is a problem.

So, how can we add personality into the backyard breeding mix?

All to often new chicken keepers do expect feathered tribbles or maybe its shmoos from Al Capp's cartoon Little Abner.




Chickens are neither but when folks go around catching their hens to give them a little loving, the rooster.... well the rooster he gets jealous.

After all folks a rooster is not complicated he is just a chicken and as such he doesn't understand the human concept of petting. The only petting that a rooster understands is heavy petting with a young nubile pullet.

What he does understand and understands well is that anytime his lady friends become panicked and fly, flap, and squawk bloody murder that it is time for him to spring into action. Picking up a hen who would rather not be picked up or children running and shouting by the chicken coop can and will convince your rooster that you or your grand children are a threat to his hens and he'll be ready and waiting for you the next time you are around his mistresses.

Remember that in a rooster's pea sized brain those hens do not belong to you, they are the property of your rooster. IMHO if the chicken's keepers don't understand chickens and what makes them tick, in the long run you will have better luck curbing rooster aggression if you breed or select for a strain of one legged roosters. That way you can at least stay out of his way when he goes postal on you,

but most of all telling the little day old pullets from the cockerels will be a snap.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Chickens are neither but when folks go around catching their hens to give them a little loving, the rooster.... well the rooster he gets jealous.

After all folks a rooster is not complicated he is just a chicken and as such he doesn't understand the human concept of petting. The only petting that a rooster understands is heavy petting with a young nubile pullet.

What he does understand and understands well is that anytime his lady friends become panicked and fly, flap, and squawk bloody murder that it is time for him to spring into action. Picking up a hen who would rather not be picked up or children running and shouting by the chicken coop can and will convince your rooster that you or your grand children are a threat to his hens and he'll be ready and waiting for you the next time you are around his mistresses.

Remember that in a rooster's pea sized brain those hens do not belong to you, they are the property of your rooster. IMHO if the chicken's keepers don't understand chickens and what makes them tick, in the long run you will have better luck curbing rooster aggression if you breed or select for a strain of one legged roosters. That way you can at least stay out of his way when he goes postal on you,

but most of all telling the little day old pullets from the cockerels will be a snap.

While I agree that owners need to be aware of what 'makes them tick' as you say, you can have both a protective roo and one that won't attack you. It is all about being picky. I am with enola, the second a roo shows real aggression, as in flogging, he is gone. I dont' care if I have a hen squaking up a bloody murder in my hands. A good roo will get nervous when you handle the birds but he should not attack. I am 100% confident that my rooster understands by now that I will not harm them (I do not butcher around my birds, and birds due for butcher are seperated). I am also 100% sure that he will (and has) defend the flock against a real predator. You can have it all with a good roo!

I am actually surprised at how many people are just fine with having an aggressive nasty rooster!

This is what I expect


And this is what I will get!!!!

 

[Free Feather]

I have a lot of boys, and have had many very mean boys from other people who could not deal with them. It does not bother me because the only ones that deal with them are me and the dog. I forewarn people of the "bad" ones. I like chickens, for themselves. I know I am pretty nasty alot of times and would not think twice about attacking someone who was messing around with my family, so I cannot blame them for acting like that. None of the boys raised by me were mean, just the ones I got from people who seriously did not know what they were doing.

 

[LindaB220]

I am another breeder that keeps roosters in a bachelor pen. Even my breeding roosters are in the bachelor pen when they are not in the breeding pens. As long as they can't see the hens they are fine. There needs to be several feeders and waterers so there are no roosters being kept from the feed and water. But, it works here.

Enola, I'm fairly new to this. Just getting started in the breed field. How big is your pen and how many roosters. I've got 2 adults but new ones in the spring. A lot of them probably.

 

[enola]

8 X 12 with 5 roosts that go from wall to wall for perching, roosting or just plain to get away from other roosters. There is a feeder on the end of every roost and a waterer on the other end. Plenty of places to eat and drink. All of my roosters were raised like this and when I put a mature rooster in the pen there is a little sparring, but they lose interest pretty quickly. There may be as many as 20 roosters at any given time. I raise dual purpose chickens, leghorns and Araucanas. I have never tried a game type rooster in this mix. The ages range between 2 months and my oldest rooster, 5 years. I simply do not have time or resources to cage that many roosters. Or the time to care for them. My hens enjoy life without roosters. I have breeding pens that I use when collecting eggs for hatching. I put pullets in with the laying hens when they are out of their brooders and fully feathered. I have very few problems with any pecking order problems.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

@enola Sounds like an awesome setup.
I am still working on my setup (does it ever stop LOL). I hope to have two seperate breeding pens by Spring for my two newest breeds. I also have a brooding room with a seperate brooder that I could use for probably 10 adults with room to spare and still have the babies in the brooder. I won't have need for a bachelor pen.
How big are your breeding pens? I would like something large enough for at least 5, one roo, four hens.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Another couple of choices for me are the EO Marraduna Basques. And the Lavender Australorps.

I don't know much aobut the Basques, but Austalorps are lovely! We ended up with a little roo that was wounded from another flock, he was so docile after weeks of handling that my kids could carry him around and even put him in and on toys!