RACIST MOMMA HEN!

[762]

First I want to say that we have a flock that gets along super well. So well, in fact, that it's difficult to discern that there even is a pecking order.

We have a Silver-Penciled Wyandotte hen that hatched just two chicks in one of the coop laying boxes last week. She started foraging around the coop with them a few days ago and there have been no issues. Other hens come in and lay in the 6-gang hutch, and leave after to go do their chicken stuff. All good. Except today. She will not allow our two Lavender Orpington hens to enter the coop to lay! The other Wyandottes are allowed to enter and even forage around the coop with the momma and chicks (which is odd because NONE of our chickens ever just "hang out" in the coop unless they are in a nesting box). She even scratched out a sign that says "WINE DOTS ONLY", which was appalling. Ok, that's a joke but the rest is true. In fact, we hatched out two chicks about 1.5 weeks before her chicks hatched; one Wyandotte and one black split Orpington. We introduced them to momma to see what she would do. She had no problem with the Wyandotte chick but went after the Orpington chick, who ran back into my hands

Anyway, I guess I am going to have to put her and babies into the old brooder/pen so the Orpingtons aren't kicked out of the coop. I guess this is normal behavior, but I was very surprised by it since there was no problem until today, and there is almost zero conflict within our flock.

 

[Maddcatter]

First I want to say that we have a flock that gets along super well. So well, in fact, that it's difficult to discern that there even is a pecking order.

We have a Silver-Penciled Wyandotte hen that hatched just two chicks in one of the coop laying boxes last week. She started foraging around the coop with them a few days ago and there have been no issues. Other hens come in and lay in the 6-gang hutch, and leave after to go do their chicken stuff. All good. Except today. She will not allow our two Lavender Orpington hens to enter the coop to lay! The other Wyandottes are allowed to enter and even forage around the coop with the momma and chicks (which is odd because NONE of our chickens ever just "hang out" in the coop unless they are in a nesting box). She even scratched out a sign that says "WINE DOTS ONLY", which was appalling. Ok, that's a joke but the rest is true. In fact, we hatched out two chicks about 1.5 weeks before her chicks hatched; one Wyandotte and one black split Orpington. We introduced them to momma to see what she would do. She had no problem with the Wyandotte chick but went after the Orpington chick, who ran back into my hands

Anyway, I guess I am going to have to put her and babies into the old brooder/pen so the Orpingtons aren't kicked out of the coop. I guess this is normal behavior, but I was very surprised by it since there was no problem until today, and there is almost zero conflict within our flock.

Well, "you look like me, so you're cool" does exist in animals. The behavior may have just be brought out more because she's worried about keeping the chicks alive.

 

[BubbaBubbles]

Could be a simple mistake of not understanding the situation. Very common with most broody ladies.

 

[Yardmom]

Were the grown orps and wyandottes raised together as chicks?

 

[SourRoses]

"Birds of a feather flock together" is a very true adage in my experience.
It doesn't show in small flocks because there's not a lot of friends to choose from, and often less space. But if you have a flock with 20 birds of each color, even in the same breed, and free range, they will self-separate into 2 flocks eventually. With the occasional exception bird that either prefers the other rooster or gets picked on too much.
IMO, it's not for any racist reason but because they think in terms of camouflage. A flock of the same color / pattern offers safety by confusing predators what's a head and what's a tail, even whether it might be one big animal rather than individual small ones. All flocking / herd animals count on the safety of numbers this way.
An individual with a different color makes for contrast that may highlight other birds. When it comes to a broody she doesn't want any more attention drawn to her nest / chicks. Although if she is introduced to the different looking chicks right after hatch, her bonding hormones help her accept the differences.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Yes, I see this even in my smaller flock. They are well integrated, but mostly still the Australorps and Welsummers tend to hang together, the Bielefelders and SGEs tended to separate out in the brooder etc.

I did actually put the two "red" SGEs together with the Bieles and I seemed to think they were gelling better together, so that is interesting to hear that possibly confirmed from a survival standpoint, bc they bare more similar in color than the white or BnW birds.