Question about a chicken's personality being passed onto chicks.

[SwampPrincessChick]

Hello!
I have a Cochin/Ameraucana rooster named Phoenix. He is not an aggressive or mean rooster, he's just shy. He will let you pet him a little, even if he doesn't like it. I am wondering, if we breed him to our Welsummer (which we are going to do in the spring), will his non-aggressive rooster temperament be passed down to all or some of his cockerel offspring? Or is a cockerel/rooster's temperament all depending on their hormones?

 

[I Like Turkeys]

I believe temperament stems from genetics, a rooster's personal desire for blood or hormones, and the situation they are in. I would certainly never breed an aggressive rooster.
His temperament should pass down, but your welsummer's disposition should also have an effect. I handle my chickens frequently as chicks, and have only ended up with two aggressive roosters. You may get aggressive males though still, some just end up cruel. It's best to remove those and keep only the polite ones if you want to keep a flock with nice roosters.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I adopted "Sally" from a farm that decided she didn't want chickens anymore. The lady never paid attention to this bird. And she was not friendly. I think she was the prettiest bird I had ever seen.

Below I was given "Silver."

I got him from a different farm. I thought he was the ugliest bird I ever owned. He was not friendly.
I hatched from Sally's egg, the hen below. She was the friendliest bird I ever had.

 

[3KillerBs]

This is my only experience with bad temperament, possibly inherited.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bad-cockerel.1533924/

 

[DarJones]

Not only temperament, but most behavior traits are inherited. Broodiness, talkativeness, the way they walk, flightiness, and aggression are all amenable to selection. Silver laced wyandottes are notable for being calm, non-aggressive, not flighty, very talkative and mediocre broodies. I crossed with blue egg laying brown leghorns that are non-broody, extremely talkative, rapid walkers, flighty, and somewhat aggressive. I have culled a few chicks just for being non-stop cheepers. Why? Because chicks that are non-stop cheepers when little turn into non-stop talkers as adults. It is also an inherited trait. I want calm and quiet chickens. So to answer your question, if a rooster shows signs of extreme aggression just after reaching sexual maturity, he goes in the crockpot pronto. I don't want his genetics in my birds. It has been 5 years with well over 1000 chicks hatched since I had an aggressive rooster.

 

[igorsMistress]

I feel like it depends on the animal. I had a wonderful rooster, absolutely no aggression toward humans and super good with the ladies. One of his sons ended up in freezer camp because he attacked people a few too many times. How an animal is raised, experiences we don’t have anything to do with within the flock, can all impact personality.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

I believe temperament stems from genetics, a rooster's personal desire for blood or hormones, and the situation they are in. I would certainly never breed an aggressive rooster.
His temperament should pass down, but your welsummer's disposition should also have an effect. I handle my chickens frequently as chicks, and have only ended up with two aggressive roosters. You may get aggressive males though still, some just end up cruel. It's best to remove those and keep only the polite ones if you want to keep a flock with nice roosters.

I forgot to tell the Welsummer's temperament She's flighty, and doesn't like human interaction.
Thanks for the information!

I adopted "Sally" from a farm that decided she didn't want chickens anymore. The lady never paid attention to this bird. And she was not friendly. I think she was the prettiest bird I had ever seen.
View attachment 3322237
Below I was given "Silver."
View attachment 3322242
I got him from a different farm. I thought he was the ugliest bird I ever owned. He was not friendly.
I hatched from Sally's egg, the hen below. She was the friendliest bird I ever had.
View attachment 3322244

So I guess it all depends on the genetics they receive, then?

This is my only experience with bad temperament, possibly inherited.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/bad-cockerel.1533924/

Thanks! So a cockerel can inherit aggressiveness from even several generations away?

Not only temperament, but most behavior traits are inherited. Broodiness, talkativeness, the way they walk, flightiness, and aggression are all amenable to selection. Silver laced wyandottes are notable for being calm, non-aggressive, not flighty, very talkative and mediocre broodies. I crossed with blue egg laying brown leghorns that are non-broody, extremely talkative, rapid walkers, flighty, and somewhat aggressive. I have culled a few chicks just for being non-stop cheepers. Why? Because chicks that are non-stop cheepers when little turn into non-stop talkers as adults. It is also an inherited trait. I want calm and quiet chickens. So to answer your question, if a rooster shows signs of extreme aggression just after reaching sexual maturity, he goes in the crockpot pronto. I don't want his genetics in my birds. It has been 5 years with well over 1000 chicks hatched since I had an aggressive rooster.

I have an un-related question, if you don't mind! Will non-stop talkers most likely lure the most predators?

I feel like it depends on the animal. I had a wonderful rooster, absolutely no aggression toward humans and super good with the ladies. One of his sons ended up in freezer camp because he attacked people a few too many times. How an animal is raised, experiences we don’t have anything to do with within the flock, can all impact personality.

Thanks! I was just wondering whether the hormones would override the cockerel/rooster's real personality

 

[igorsMistress]

I forgot to tell the Welsummer's temperament She's flighty, and doesn't like human interaction.
Thanks for the information!


So I guess it all depends on the genetics they receive, then?


Thanks! So a cockerel can inherit aggressiveness from even several generations away?


I have an un-related question, if you don't mind! Will non-stop talkers most likely lure the most predators?


Thanks! I was just wondering whether the hormones would override the cockerel/rooster's real personality

In Spring things can be a bit tense, and sometimes a roo that wouldn’t ordinarily be mean will give it a go, it’s more the intensity and frequency that are different in my experience. Some will never attack, but in Spring I don’t turn my back on any of them in small spaces.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thanks! So a cockerel can inherit aggressiveness from even several generations away?

That batch of hens was rather bossy and dominant too.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

That batch of hens was rather bossy and dominant too.

Makes sense!