Hello! and welcome to the OEGB thread.

[Ivywoods]

CJarvis-That is interesting. I have only had experience with one truly human aggressive rooster, and that was a bantam black cochin. He was the meanest thing! You couldn't open the door without him flying at you and hitting you. We hatched a number of chicks out of him and all of his offspring are docile. Perhaps his was more behavioral than genetic. He had this tendency when we got him. Just ask Checoukan about that bird! Grumpy was his name. She kept him for me when we moved. My DH whacked that bird hard several times when it flew at him and knocked it unconscious SEVERAL times. He thought it was dead. My sister whacked him so hard once she broke his leg. She set it, splinted it, and he healed up to be just as mean as ever. He slowed down in his aggression as he got old, but he never was a friendly bird.

I guess the whole point in my rambling is that I had no idea they could pass this trait on. It makes sense, though. Breeds carry other personality and behavioral traits. Because of this I guess it would be a good idea not to use truly aggressive birds in a breeding program.

 

[HetaChick]

Like I mentioned earlier, I watched a program on behavioral genetics (the case study was however, with foxes) and they breed only the calmest most gentle ones and generations later they had foxes that were tame like dogs and even developed new colors and fur/tail types. Now I don't know as to the effect with birds, but I'm willing to bet, generations of only breeding docile friendly natured birds with other friendly and docile birds and eliminating the aggressive ones from the gene pool you would end up with tamer birds.

I think it may have a lot to do with neural responses to stimuli (like the brain releasing different chemicals when introduced to different situations) activating either an aggressive response, flight, or recognition of another flock member. I could be wrong… I'm just thinking out loud here, but genes do play a surprising role in behavior.

In other species, like humans, there have been studies of people who have never met that are related and display similar behavior and mannerisms which is interesting because it can't be purely environmental.


Sorry… got a little carried away. Aren't genetics fascinating? If I had the time, space, and money I would certainly try it out with breeding tame pet-type chickens. People breed these birds for physical traits, egg production, meat, etc but it would be interesting to see ones bred for tameness.

It probably would be beneficial for show birds to be tame, since they're handled a lot, unless physical gene traits and behavioral ones are directly linked.

 

[lilcritters]

I'm so bad... I just put another 13 eggs in the bator.....


April

 

[Cjarvis]

Like I mentioned earlier, I watched a program on behavioral genetics (the case study was however, with foxes) and they breed only the calmest most gentle ones and generations later they had foxes that were tame like dogs and even developed new colors and fur/tail types. Now I don't know as to the effect with birds, but I'm willing to bet, generations of only breeding docile friendly natured birds with other friendly and docile birds and eliminating the aggressive ones from the gene pool you would end up with tamer birds.

I think it may have a lot to do with neural responses to stimuli (like the brain releasing different chemicals when introduced to different situations) activating either an aggressive response, flight, or recognition of another flock member. I could be wrong… I'm just thinking out loud here, but genes do play a surprising role in behavior.

In other species, like humans, there have been studies of people who have never met that are related and display similar behavior and mannerisms which is interesting because it can't be purely environmental.


Sorry… got a little carried away. Aren't genetics fascinating? If I had the time, space, and money I would certainly try it out with breeding tame pet-type chickens. People breed these birds for physical traits, egg production, meat, etc but it would be interesting to see ones bred for tameness.

It probably would be beneficial for show birds to be tame, since they're handled a lot, unless physical gene traits and behavioral ones are directly linked.

if you breed them down too tame they will not show well, you want to maintain a protective rooster but not an aggressive rooster. Too calm and they do not spread thier tails well, carry thier wings well, several needed traits start to disappear, So there is a line..

 

[Cjarvis]

I'm so bad... I just put another 13 eggs in the bator.....


April

Try a couple hundred, during the fall and winter hatches I will run between 50-75 each week, when everything is in full swing in spring and early summer I often 250 or more a week. It can get a bit overwelming to raise a few thousand every year.

 

[HetaChick]

if you breed them down too tame they will not show well, you want to maintain a protective rooster but not an aggressive rooster. Too calm and they do not spread thier tails well, carry thier wings well, several needed traits start to disappear, So there is a line..

Yes, that's what I was thinking after I posted. How about with hens that are shown? They tend to be more timid anyways, but maybe less frightened of people if tame?

I absolutely love the roosters that are human-friendly, yet protect their hens. My friend had a great bird like that, he carried himself like a god; ahh, I should be so lucky.

 

[GotGame]

Yes, that's what I was thinking after I posted. How about with hens that are shown? They tend to be more timid anyways, but maybe less frightened of people if tame?

I absolutely love the roosters that are human-friendly, yet protect their hens. My friend had a great bird like that, he carried himself like a god; ahh, I should be so lucky. 

I have several little hens that will bow up to me and peck at my hands, but easily, portraying what I believe to be the perfect attitude for show. Not aggressive at all but very proud, and not in the least timid or scared.

 

[HetaChick]

I have several little hens that will bow up to me and peck at my hands, but easily, portraying what I believe to be the perfect attitude for show. Not aggressive at all but very proud, and not in the least timid or scared.

That's good! I was just thinking of some of the birds I've seen in shows, they looked terrified and extremely stressed. I'd love to show birds some day but disease control and stress worries me a little. A flighty bird would have it worse I'd imagine. Those birds sound quite confident, hmm, makes me want to see some show birds again <3

 

[bantiesrule]

Try a couple hundred, during the fall and winter hatches I will run between 50-75 each week, when everything is in full swing in spring and early summer I often 250 or more a week. It can get a bit overwelming to raise a few thousand every year.

What in the world do you do with all them???? How do you decide who to keep?
I usually hatch a couple dozen and have trouble picking out which ones I want to keep. Of course, I don't show and mine are just pets so I pick my favorites by attitude more than type. I do try to pick the better looking ones as my favorites.

(Doesn't always work that way.)

 

[hdowden]

were do you put them all and how do you manage to sell those that you dont keep thats a lot of chicks

Try a couple hundred, during the fall and winter hatches I will run between 50-75 each week, when everything is in full swing in spring and early summer I often 250 or more a week. It can get a bit overwelming to raise a few thousand every year.