are chickens "racist"?

[0die]

I have noticed that my same species chickens seem to always form their own "flock".

My first round was a few RIR and Sex Link chics all at the same time. they almost immediately split up and did not mix. I took that as a good indicator the breeds will not willingly mix with other breeds unless they have no choice.

So I always get ONE of each. Never 2 or more of any breed at a time.

A couple years ago, a guy at work moved and he dumped his 3 chickens on me. I had an established flock (7) of ALL MIXED breeds. Well 2 of his 3 chickens matched 1 of mine. Within 24 hours, those 3 formed their own subgroup. His odd chicken out was then rejected by the other two of his in favor of the one of mine that was the same breed.

Your experiences?

 

[fluffycrow]

I have noticed the same. Hens seem to favour males that look like them as well

 

[MommyGirl]

I don’t see this in my flock! I usually like to get 2 each of a breed. Except for my Easter eggers I have 11 of them, but they all look different anyway. Mine seem to all intermingled with each other. I do see that hatch mates stick close usually.

 

[SueT]

Mine are fine w those they grew up with. Other age groups even the same species, are not very welcome.

 

[Red Mangrove]

Chickens always favor those that look like them. I've witnessed this countless times in my large mixed flock

One American Game mother here is constantly broody and she'll hatch large clutches of mixed eggs. Her babies will be a thoroughly mixed crowd, but upon adulthood they'll start hanging out with the other birds that look like them instead of the adopted siblings they were raised with

I had Egyptian Fayoumi for a while and they were cruel to all other breeds, except for the lavender chickens that resembled them from the neck up. They made friends with the lavenders

 

[SmiYa0126]

Yup, I have seen that! It's crazy

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Not racist. There is a benefit in the wild to having several others near you being the same color and size. Means that it can be harder for predators to pick out one individual

 

[5Australorpasaures]

When I had three different of 75 in thirds of RIR, BAR RKS, and BUFF RKS they all mixed in the run and coop. When they were cut lose for free range they got into their separate cliques and kept their distance from each other. Now have nine BLK AUS eight wks apart in age and they're all happy together.

 

[0die]

not racist in that they hate each other or fight each other. but they definitely tend to stick with their own kind.

 

[BobStuart]

I have one ISA chick who is always off by herself when the black ones go off pecking for food. It does seem like that. She used to hang with one of the black ones and then started becoming allot less social with them. She is planning something against them.