Do your hens separate by their breeds?

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wulfdragyn

wulfdragyn

In the Brooder
May 16, 2016
22
5
16
Gray, GA
Watching my 2 Buff Orpingtons and 2 Easter Eggers and 2 Mallard Ducks roam around the yard. They tend to stick with the other that's the same breed. Is that normal? I figured the ducks just stay away from the chickens in general. The chickens came from a big mixed flock of BO's and EE's. I just thought it was kind of funny.
 
Mostly they separate by age. The layers forming one roaming flock as they graze around the yard, and the pullets forming another.

At least that's what I see most of the time.
1000
 
No,not really,usually by temperament,and I guess you can kinda call it "popularity"?Were they all raised as one whole group?

Ducks just do not stay away from chickens,or sometimes it's the other way around.My chicks from a year ago lived with ducks (The ducks had the upper hand of the group.)They fought for place with each other just as normal baby chicks together would. Unfortunately the ducks were big,and had a nice bite,so things did not always go so well as teenagers.

Roosters especially when they were little tried fighting the ducklings (The pullets were too frightened to fight the ducks,but the 2 cockerels and male duckling were always fighting.
 
Usually the pullets aren't accept in to my flock until they have reached laying maturity,at least that was what things were like with my older rooster,but he is gone now,so fresh new start with my rooster Zeus.
 
They were all raised in a big flock from a local farm. I believe one hen may be older than all the rest by 5 months and the ducks are only 8 weeks old. When I bought the hens she said they were hacked last May or October. They do have their own personalities which keeps things interesting! The BO's definitely have the higher pecking status though.
 
Dominant birds usually make the rules in town.Lead hens,second in command will literally scare off ssome birds,or are in charge of who is being accepted into the flock.
 

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