LGBTQ+ Poultry Keepers

[TwoCrows]

This is an interesting thread. All my chickens are already farmyard mixes, so I don't think I can breed for physical traits with much success in this hodgepodge. But I was thinking of breeding for other characteristics. In particular, I want good mamas. And a nice balance of aloof/self sufficient birds and a few warm cuddlers.

Right now, I have two broodies sitting on eggs. One is a proven excellent mama, but with a flighty personality and very self-sufficient. The other is younger, it's her first sit, but she's very devoted to it so far, and is more of a chatty/cuddly type. I'm hoping to get more like them. Think that's possible?

Of course, if a gang of cockerels comes out like the last 2 hatches here, I'll have to try again... (Please some pullets this time would be nice for a change)

View attachment 3603178
Dusty. A real sweetheart.

View attachment 3603179
Tina is All about Tina. But a great mom.

Adorable broodies! Broodies definitely come in all shapes, sizes and personality traits! Babies generally emulate their mommas, so if mom is a pufferfish and scary, her babies may be skittish. If mom is gentle and lets you approach and handle babies, usually they grow up more gentle. However all birds do have their own personalities. You could probably work with the more gentle broodies and babies and breed sweeter birds!

 

[fluffycrow]

This is an interesting thread. All my chickens are already farmyard mixes, so I don't think I can breed for physical traits with much success in this hodgepodge. But I was thinking of breeding for other characteristics. In particular, I want good mamas. And a nice balance of aloof/self sufficient birds and a few warm cuddlers.

Right now, I have two broodies sitting on eggs. One is a proven excellent mama, but with a flighty personality and very self-sufficient. The other is younger, it's her first sit, but she's very devoted to it so far, and is more of a chatty/cuddly type. I'm hoping to get more like them. Think that's possible?

Of course, if a gang of cockerels comes out like the last 2 hatches here, I'll have to try again... (Please some pullets this time would be nice for a change)

View attachment 3603178
Dusty. A real sweetheart.

View attachment 3603179
Tina is All about Tina. But a great mom.

I think it is very much possible. Good mothering instincts is something I terribly want in more of my birds as well. Just a thought I had right now. Is it possible that the type of broody (flighty or not...etc) is taught by the mother, rather than it being genetic? I'd so, it would be much easier to establish friendly devoted broodies in your tribes

 

[Shadrach]

Interesting! Hormones and genetics can cause these behaviors, just as old hens start crowing or growing spurs. But I do think they are more prone to being bullied or taken by predators being that they may not be on top of their game.

For many years now I've thought chickens are just better at social adaptation than many creatures, including humans. Take the so called pecking order. This was never an issue with the chickens ancestors because they lived in small family groups (tribes) so the pecking order is an adaptation by the females to reduce conflict in modern keeping circumstances.
There are quite a few reliable reports of males sitting on eggs, particularly when the female of the tribe has died. Not so common with the chickens one reads about on this forum but more common with game fowl keepers.
Most of the female hens I've known have some spur development; many have crowed with or without males in the tribe from pullets to seniors.

 

[fluffycrow]

Adorable broodies! Broodies definitely come in all shapes, sizes and personality traits! Babies generally emulate their mommas, so if mom is a pufferfish and scary, her babies may be skittish. If mom is gentle and lets you approach and handle babies, usually they grow up more gentle. However all birds do have their own personalities. You could probably work with the more gentle broodies and babies and breed sweeter birds!

And there's my answer! I like a healthy medium, so I'd like nothing more than Cruella's babies to emulate her brooding style as well. She is very self-reliant, she is a great forager, and as I've recently found, a very successful hunter. She has catched every fly and most mosquitoes that get into the pen. I'm very impressed with her, and it's evident. I would really like that in my Tsouloufati. IMO the foundation of a great forager takes place from day one, and without a hen to teach the young how to do it, it's hard

 

[TropicalChickies]

Adorable broodies! Broodies definitely come in all shapes, sizes and personality traits! Babies generally emulate their mommas, so if mom is a pufferfish and scary, her babies may be skittish. If mom is gentle and lets you approach and handle babies, usually they grow up more gentle. However all birds do have their own personalities. You could probably work with the more gentle broodies and babies and breed sweeter birds!

Ok, that's good to think about, thank you. I do like -- in a different way -- the less cuddly more independent hens too. The ones who do their own thing -- I respect that. So a nice balance of cuddlers and self-perservers would be my ideal result.

 

[fluffycrow]

Ok, that's good to think about, thank you. I do like -- in a different way -- the less cuddly more independent hens too. The ones who do their own thing -- I respect that. So a nice balance of cuddlers and self-perservers would be my ideal result.

To be honest I do like my males cuddly . After taking care of the female duties, however

 

[fluffycrow]

For many years now I've thought chickens are just better at social adaptation than many creatures, including humans. Take the so called pecking order. This was never an issue with the chickens ancestors because they lived in small family groups (tribes) so the pecking order is an adaptation by the females to reduce conflict in modern keeping circumstances.

There are quite a few reliable reports of males sitting on eggs, particularly when the female of the tribe has died. Not so common with the chickens one reads about on this forum but more common with game fowl keepers.

Most of the female hens I've known have some spur development; many have crowed with or without males in the tribe from pullets to seniors.



Now that you mention it, I've always had trouble figuring out the pecking order of my birds. I can only tell you with certainty that the ISA brown is the lead hen. Beyond that, it gets messy. Not sure if that can be attributed to the fact that they have so much space, or the fact that I introduce new birds early on, so the hierarchy is established right off the bat

 

[Shadrach]

That's so interesting! I've never had any birds that exhibited behaviors like the ones you said, but from the many different other examples I've read, they seem to be tolerated by their flocks, at least to an extent

If you've got most of the rest of your life spare, most of what I've written here is on By Bobs thread at the time of the events.

 

[Shadrach]

I think it is very much possible. Good mothering instincts is something I terribly want in more of my birds as well. Just a thought I had right now. Is it possible that the type of broody (flighty or not...etc) is taught by the mother, rather than it being genetic? I'd so, it would be much easier to establish friendly devoted broodies in your tribes

I would take the genetics determine behaviour with a large sackfull of salt. What genetics can tell you if you can trace far enough back is what a chicken may look like and that's about it with our current level of knowledge on the subject.

 

[TwoCrows]

Ok, that's good to think about, thank you. I do like -- in a different way -- the less cuddly more independent hens too. The ones who do their own thing -- I respect that. So a nice balance of cuddlers and self-perservers would be my ideal result.

I believe genetic traits can definitely be manipulated to some degree with breeding. So definitely give breeding a try!

Oh, and I've been meaning to ask you, how is your hen now, the one that had the crop troubles, is she fairing well?