I've heard it both ways, Is Aggressiveness in chickens Hereditary?

[Coopa Cabana]

I know a Master Breeder that has an absolute zero tolerance policy for any agression whatsoever. I bought a pair from him, and I thought the cock was just the sweetest bird ever, until I bred him. Now it's a toss-up between him and his son! The two together are more docile and friendlier than just about all the hens I've ever had put together!

 

[centrarchid]

I think variation in aggression has four components.

First is mental state of bird. What has happened in last few minutes to get hormones riled up? My game roosters will flog you if a harem member (hen or offspring) gives stress calls but are otherwise extremely trustworthy.

Second is genetics, when all else is equal birds of some lines are more aggressive than others. Many forms of selection could promote aggression such as who wins fights most consistently for food or who has chronically elevated testosterone that keeps you in the mood to cover a larger number of hens per unit time. Most of my dominques have good social skills while the smaller California grey roosters reared under identical conditions appear hard wired to flog even me despite my posing no threat.

Third is long-term rearing enviromment. I have kept American games all my life and as a 4-year-old kid thought every hen with bitties was a total grump-britches that took for your face every time I tried to grab and run with one her young. As an adult with a very different slant on keeping games, I have found that the level of aggression is also function of how the hen herself was raised. My walk raised hens will still put spurs to you and go for my 6'3" face even when standing up if I scare small bitties. Full sisters, hand raised which is not to be confused with incubator and brooder raised, can be totally different allowing me to bend down and pickup bitties and the hen does not even fluff up or growl. Such hens will even call bitties up on my lap and brood them there.

Fourth is with same gently version of above where different people or different actions influence a given birds agressive tendencies. A gentle hen will still go after the face of a person she does not know that moves too quickly or aggressively around her bitties. Game roosters of line do same.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
I don't have an aggressive Rooster, I did have one a while ago and he was nasty in all ways an allround. He never had a good day.

How ever, I read that Aggression could be inheritated, Then I read on here the other day someone said that it doesn't work that way in chickens like it does in most other animals.

I mean I'm not talking a protective bird, or normal Rooster things, I mean a really, really mean bird. I'm not even talking fear Aggression, I'm mean "Just down right mean for no apparent reason" I know these birds are out there.

Take the pitbull, a breed that I love, but bred wrong you can get a really aggressive dog. And they are bred that way by people wanting fighting dogs. (sad but it happens)

So would you breed a really beautiful showbird if it was a very hateful nasty bird? Or would you not?

In most cases aggression is passed on to the offspring.
I am a firm believer that if you have a rooster that is aggressive to human with or with out hens he should be culled out and made into a good Sunday dinner.
The last thing you want to do is breed more bird like him.

Chris

I agree with Chris' statement. I have NO tolerance for a mean roo nor do I want it passed down to his offsprings.

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
In most cases aggression is passed on to the offspring.
I am a firm believer that if you have a rooster that is aggressive to human with or with out hens he should be culled out and made into a good Sunday dinner.
The last thing you want to do is breed more bird like him.

Chris

I agree with Chris' statement. I have NO tolerance for a mean roo nor do I want it passed down to his offsprings.

Oh I do too! I was just wanting to know basically what people thought, if aggression in chickens was or could be inherited from their parents.