Breeds and Varieties Personality Traits

[mrskenmore]

Hi All,

I was wondering the other day as I was researching within the wonderful world of chickens if the breeds across varieties that they come on have the same personality traits. I know each chicken be it hen or rooster is an individual but I was wondering if a partridge rock for instance would have the same demeanor as a barred rock or white rock. There must be some breeding that is done to obtain certain colors of some of these beautiful varieties. I ask as I would like to get another buff orpington, but the one I had suddenly passed away two weeks ago at year one. I don't want to get standard breeds my next go around so that the gene pool is a little diluted. Thing is she was lovely- so if I got a chocolate orpington would she have the same lovely disposition as the buff or are they not the same breeds due to other genetics playing a part for color and patterning.

Thanks in advance for any help on this matter!

 

[av8torcrj]

While I'd imagine there are true generalities to be drawn about "personalities" among breeds, my personal experience with hatchery birds is that "friendliness and approachability" depends to a degree on the particular strain as much as it does the breed itself. For instance, everyone seems to rave about how friendly speckled sussex are. My Mc Murray Sussex have been the most distant, semi-flighty and bossy/mean birds in the coop as have their Delawares. Ideals Delaware have been super friendly. Mcmurray buffs have been very friendly, Ideals very much less so. 2017 McMurray red stars are great love bugs , 2018, not so much. 2017 leghorns from McMurray have been flighty nut cakes (despite those who will defend the breed as docile), crossed with the 2017 red stars, offspring are very approachable. I've just decided chickens are like people, some are nice, some aren't. It's just luck of the draw with some enduring generalities.