Hatty had brought up a thread about her confusion over her Brahma. She wasn't sure if it was a pullet or a roo. After reading the posts, it got me to thinking. Iknow, I know....here we go again with my half baked ideas. Does anyone see any specific "traits" or "personalities" that they see only reflected in specific breeds? Here I will try to give my insight as to what my breeds do and then I guess we'll see if anyone sees any similarites or not after a few posts. Now my Lt. Brahmas don't do a lot of vocalization, but seem to have a lot of self confidence and are self assured. My Salmon Fav's are skittish and shy. The Spitzhaubens are just jumpy all the way around and very non-social when it comes to humans. You should see the way they go running when I come into the picture. Crested Polish seem docile and more content to be with humans. I don't know if that's because they can't see very well due to their crests or what, but they are definetely on the low end of the flocks pecking order. My EE's are very vocal and cautious when they think they are cornered, but will only hollar for a second after you pick them up. After that they are content to just sit on your lap. The Black Langshans are sweet tempered and very observant with the things going on around them. They seem to be the ones to pick up the "vibes" that something is changing or going to happen. They are the "first responders & my warning bells". Now the BSL pullets have always been stubborn and hard headed but have become more docile as they get older, although they still want things done their way. New Hampshire Reds are very vocal. Mine will talk or whine all of the time. You can literally hear them in the house on some days. Great dispositions....they kind of remind me of the "wise old spinster" who had wisdom that she enjoyed to share. My Rhode Island Whites are probably one of my favorites because they are the most loving and trusting of any of my birds. They just have the kind of personality that melts your heart. Mine are very "clean". They will constantly preen themselves, and you if you're close enough. They tilt that head of theirs, and make direct eye contact with you. If they are perched on your arm when they do this, they will then lay their heads on your shoulder after they break eye contact. I know I got long winded, but honestly what did we all do before we had chickens? I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would have such emotions for what most people would consider "livestock" or plain old farm animals.
I really like this chart...it gives some generals about personalities... http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html#s Also..just to add.... Our Australorp seems to be the most vocal and the RIR's friendliest!
I LOVE posts like this. Unfortunately, you don't have the same breeds as me (which would interest me even more, but more importantly keep my chicken envy in check!) It's hard to say much about mine, because they are changing. I don't know if it's the age or letting them free-range, or what. And I only have a single sex (I HOPE) of each breed, so my generalizations could be based on that. My BR's are the most vocal, and have always been (except for the Jap, who as a baby was my LOUDEST peeper when things didn't suit him). The BRs were always the ones to scream "chickie murder" as my DD said when picked up, and now they are the ones to come close and "talk" to me far more than the others. (The RIR's are the 2nd most talkative.) One of my rosecombs is the sweetest, but only recently. She jumps in my lap when I sit and will chirp while I pet her. The jap and partridge rock banties run from me, but those are my 3 roos, so I think that's why. The big girls stand pretty still and are easy to pick up (unless they know I'm trying to put them in the coop and they don't want to go). The Hamburg (I think my "seabright" is a silver spangled hamburg) is not friendly, loves to fly, wants to perch high, and runs constantly (I want a "roadrunner" name for her ... wish the cartoon roadrunner had had a name!). She is becoming less shy around us but doesn't want to be picked up. The black australorps are the most "pettable" though one of them has become skittish. Most of my standard hens are friendly. Once picked up they settle and enjoy being petted and talked to. Most make little noises back, and stay in the lap for a while. The banties on the other hand (except rosecomb) want to be left alone, and I can hardly ever pick them up. I don't even SEE the silver pencilled when I let everyone out to free range. I'll have to watch to see where they go! That's my (limited!) experience so far! trish