# Breeding for calmer birds?



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Is it possible to breed for calmer birds?...I have thought of this when basketing my birds as some are nice handling calmer birds than others. I do not race, so as long as they can make it home that is fine...is this a trait that you can breed for?...like picking your calmest pairs will they have calm babies?....


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

spirit wings said:


> Is it possible to breed for calmer birds?...I have thought of this when basketing my birds as some are nice handling calmer birds than others. I do not race, so as long as they can make it home that is fine...is this a trait that you can breed for?...like picking your calmest pairs will they have calm babies?....


I have found, in my loft, that the breeders that I have that are calmer than the other birds, tend to throw calmer babies. Not ALL of them, but a good portion of them.
And, my wild birds (I've got one cock named Wild Child) tend to throw the wildest little birds you ever saw. No amount of handling will tame them down. They are just high strung from the word go.


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

You will notice the more times you handle the birds they get tamer. A lot of whites tend to be a little wild acting. And that is what you raise. Yes gentle birds can be bred. bUT when those same birds are in with wilder birds they act th same. Having a loft where birds can not fly over your head is not to room where they can just fly right around you helps to Just handle your birds often and most will tame down Some just will not.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

thanks for the replies, I have some calm birds and some not and they are all together. I do really think it is a "pigeonality" thing. When I pair my birds it is good to know they can throw calm babies....i will work on that when breeding time comes....Thanks again.


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## bluecheck (Aug 17, 2006)

A lot of calm birds are also found to be calm on the nest, i.e., they don't wing slap and fight you a lot, they sort of sit there -- don't mistake this for very tame birds that will peck you because they think you are just a big pigeon (those may also be calm birds but just treat you like another conspecific.)

Anyway, calm was found about 25 years ago to be a simple recessive, so yes you can breed calm birds.


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