Breeding for PERSONALITY. AKA Hello SWEET ROO!

[AmericanMom]

You're missing what I'm saying.

Picking the least aggressive of a bunch of roosters is different than just getting rid of the most aggressive - the difference is in how you treat the middle. If you're just getting rid of the most aggressive roosters, you're keeping the ones that are right below that threshold in the gene pool. If you cull down to the least aggressive rooster, you're getting rid of those middle birds. It's a much more significant selective pressure.

Agreed!!! after having a mean rooster many years ago I decided never again, so when we went down the road of wanting to expand our flock we found a good rooster, problem is, he is a bit timid.. We had a problem with a hawk that would make a daily run for chicks.. One day I was out in the coop and watched this rooster (huge blue orpington) run and cower in a corner when the hawk appeared.. finding the middle ground is more important for us that having a docile rooster...

 

[lazy gardener]

Unfortunately I lost him, one of the other roos, and all but one of the pullets to a dog attack. They looked like they had died protecting they're girls. I have some eggs from them in the incubator due to hatch on Christmas, I hope I get some nice boys and pretty pullets out of him </3

HB, so sorry you lost your birds. I find dogs to be the most frustrating issue for me right now. I have a neighbor who lets their 2 big dogs run free. Several months ago, those dogs wandered into my kitchen through an open basement door, and I had ACO take them away. Since then, they've been at large on my property at least twice. Good luck with your hatch.

Funny how people want to see your flock and they don't know how to behave around chickens LOL! Kids especially, they must look very different to a rooster and move so fast that they seem much more threatening.

I remind my children constantly how big they seem to most animals. My three year old will always tell me how he "will move nicely" around the cat or the chickens!

That's one thing I forget to do when folks want to see my chickens. Your 3 y.o. is more educated than a lot of adults.

I was just going to say the same.. We always seem to have a project or two going with chickens running to and fro... Several years ago we poured a slab of concrete in front of the shop and the next morning went out to see chicken prints all through it... That flock is no longer with us, replaced four years ago but it always brings a smile knowing they are always where you don't need them to be

Projects: I have great ambition to start, not so much the finish work! always more projects than the day is long!

 

[AmericanMom]

Projects: I have great ambition to start, not so much the finish work! always more projects than the day is long!

I hear ya! We are in the process of expanding the coop, got the 10x10 roof on but at a stand still until we save up enough to by the ply board... We are pretty good at repurposing materials, the roof came off our pump house which got a composite roof this winter. when complete its going to give the cluckers and turkeys nearly 300-350 square feet of inside space, we plan to section off part of it for a broody room with an attached covered run. yes, the hawks were that bad last year, all told I lost 70% of the broody chicks!

 

[TheChickenQueen]

HB, so sorry you lost your birds. I find dogs to be the most frustrating issue for me right now. I have a neighbor who lets their 2 big dogs run free. Several months ago, those dogs wandered into my kitchen through an open basement door, and I had ACO take them away. Since then, they've been at large on my property at least twice. Good luck with your hatch.

Thanks. Yeah, we have the neighbors dogs who don't kill chickens (The neighbors have chickens), then there is our dogs which are not allowed near my birds, and the coop will be where the dogs can't even see them. And then we have the random stray dogs that come around here, we had one last year that caused a lot of problems for everyone, killed birds, chased cows, horses, etc.
Thank you again.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Thanks. Yeah, we have the neighbors dogs who don't kill chickens (The neighbors have chickens), then there is our dogs which are not allowed near my birds, and the coop will be where the dogs can't even see them. And then we have the random stray dogs that come around here, we had one last year that caused a lot of problems for everyone, killed birds, chased cows, horses, etc.
Thank you again.

Any dog that chases/kills livestock is bound to have a short life where we live. Any livestock that a dog kills is the responsibility of the owner of the dog to replace, in most States.
Quote: Unfortunately that is true. My poor kids don't have the luxury of being ignorant of how to act LOL, poor boys

, their Mommy is a tough one!

 

[lazy gardener]

Tara, for that, you have my greatest respect. So many parents let their kids run wild, like the whole world is their personal playground. They wouldn't dream of correcting their children because they don't want to stifle their spirits, or hurt their feelings. A wise parent corrects their child and teaches them how to become civilized human beings and to respect authority. Now, there's a concept from days gone by!!

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Tara, for that, you have my greatest respect. So many parents let their kids run wild, like the whole world is their personal playground. They wouldn't dream of correcting their children because they don't want to stifle their spirits, or hurt their feelings. A wise parent corrects their child and teaches them how to become civilized human beings and to respect authority. Now, there's a concept from days gone by!!

Awe thank you! I do know where you are coming from. I here ALL of the time "I just want my kids to be happy"......I hate this expression. Not that I don't want my children happy, but you can't have a happy child with no boundrys. I respond with "I just want my kids to be respectful and careing people, happiness will follow."

I am a bit too strict at times, I know I am and I work on that, but I correct them immediately I don't care who is around or what they think LOL!
We have no gaming systems, and very limited time on computers and TV (we are so mean!). My kids play outside and get dirty, with three boys there is no way around that LOL!

Sorry, now back to chickens

 

[TheChickenQueen]

Any dog that chases/kills livestock is bound to have a short life where we live. Any livestock that a dog kills is the responsibility of the owner of the dog to replace, in most States.

Better not tell my family that

their dog not mine. But making them pay for it would be very nice.

 

[MamaKitty913]

Tara, we have a Cuckoo from McMurray and most all our birds come from them. I know our Cuckoo is fertile but no where near SOP, and since I haven't settled on a DIY incubator yet, I have yet to see his off spring. Out of all our hens I'd like to breed my blue egg layer to a blue egg boy, from what I understand I'll have to breed a EE roo to my known blue egger girl see what their daughter does and take it from there. Now my green egg layer girl will also be mated with another good EE roo to see what their daughter is capable of, but if I want to infuse the brown egg layer male with my green egg laying hen, I should have a nice olive egg daughter. Wheew... that's alot I know! But none of the EE males are "fleshy" meat type having been bred to produce eggs by McMurray. I have to find healthy, vigorous, meaty, chicks over the next few generations, hope to produce for a good to excellent layer of green and blue eggs that will flesh out a bit faster. But also yes, we are getting an area ready also for a "meat" bird project. I don't want to have to order any more Cornish X birds, but also want fast growing birds for the table. Some of the breed's Rock and Cornish are utilized for the Cornish X, my goal is to create our own cross that dresses out at about 15 weeks around 6 # maybe 7. This would allow us to have a constant supply of chicken meat, and allow for us to have the 4 or 5 chickens a week to provide what we consume. I am also begining a BLRW breeding project that will also provide a nice table chicken more often than not lol! But I will be very careful to walk that fine line between pretty and nice vs healthy and protective. I know that the Hatchery birds are almost swear words on the BLRW thread but you have to start somewhere and Foley's are beautiful birds but $$$ is a HUGE factor, even they started somewhere. I did order 5 more Cuckoo Marans that are supposed to be girls and as of this writing (12 weeks old) fully appear to be girls. I love the Marans because they talk using so many sounds that other breeds (I've encountered) just don't do. All the Marans birds I have are healthy and using some of the old timers writing's "good" characteristics, ie. 3 finger pelvic, 3 /12 finger keel to breast bone - leaves good egg laying room except one she's sub par 2 fingers pelvic and 2 1/2 fingers keel to breast but she has huge thighs! LOL so time will tell on her.. sorry it's so long I just love talking chickens and around here everyone rolls their eyes at me starting at "Chi-" lol! Are you guy's/gals on the thread going to report on your breeding efforts to find the best Roo? I've been doing alot of reading on the Poultry Exhibition Magazine site they give alot of usefull tips about what NOT to use ie feather picking, egg eating. But also discuss SOP and general breed discriptions "good utility" as all chicken's need to be regardless of breed. And personally I enjoy my chickens that means no meanies I don't want to be scared to go garden or walk amoungst the chickens, but I try to respect them for what THEY are as well.

 

[TaraBellaBirds]

Wheew sounds like you have quite a project there!

Are your 'blue egg layers' Ameraucanas or Auracanas?
Your 'green egg layers' sound like EE's which are a hybrid Ameraucana, found in most hatcheries.
I am enjoying playing with the colored egg genes as well! I have both Ameraucanas and EE's and both have great quailities, although my EE roos have been quite aggressive and have been quickly sent to freezer camp.

It is hard to get a heritage breed bird, even a backyard cross, to fill out the way a hybrid 'meat' bird does. I plan to get a few CX again this year because I like them as roasting birds, but for the most part our meat will come from our caponized extra roos that don't make the cut for breeding.

infuse the brown egg layer male with my green egg laying hen, I should have a nice olive egg daughter.
For a 'true' olive egger most people cross an Ameraucana with a dark egg layer like the Marans!