Are white chickens more vulnerable to attacks?

[ChicksinMT]

Hi, I just wanted to ask if white chickens are more likely to be attacked by predators and other chickens—it seems like in my coop they’ve got it the worst. If something is going to go wrong my white chickens seem to get the short end of the stick. I have one who came with the older chickens when I was given them who was pecked terribly (she’s separated to recover at our house) and 3 out of 4 victims were white when a predator found its way in last week.

Is it just bad luck or are they easier to target in the dark?

 

[igorsMistress]

I would think easier targets in general, they stick out like a sore thumb no matter what. Poor babies. I hope the one who was pecked gets better soon!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Maybe a small percentage are more susceptible but all chickens, regardless of variety, can be easily seen by raptors and ground predators.

 

[ChicksinMT]

well maybe they have the advantage during the winter then?

These are actually the first white chickens I’ve had—mostly I’ve stuck to barred rocks—but because they were hand-me-downs—I got a variety! And it really is fun to have different colored chickens.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've had several breeds in white varieties and I didn't find them any more vulnerable.
I can remember that I had white Plymouth Rocks, white Leghorns, white Minorcas, white Jersey Giants, white Ameraucanas.

 

[Folly's place]

Breed and individual temperament, as in alertness and appropriate response to different threats, matters much more than color. Bantams are more at risk from raptors because of their smaller size though.
My white Chanteclers have done well, and lived when other 'neutral' or camo colored birds died.
Mary

 

[cmom]

I have Rhode Island Whites and White Leghorns as well as Rhode Island Reds and Brown Leghorns. I think it is more about opportunity for the predators, whatever they can catch.

 

[ChicksinMT]

I think than that I just had some unlucky white chickens then. Thanks for the input.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think than that I just had some unlucky white chickens then. Thanks for the input.

Maybe not. I know a lot of people that warn against white birds due to predation, especially from raptors but that may only be anecdotal.
Growing up, we always had about 100 white leghorns that free ranged the orchards and perennial gardens. I don't remember a lot of predation but those were different times. I think location has a great deal to do with it. We've had a resurgence of terrestrial predators and birds of prey in the last 50 years. We never had problems with mink, coyote, bears, mountain lions or even hawks 60years ago. But we do now.
Some parts of the world have few predators. We have tons.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The predator we have had the most trouble with in the 8 years we've had chickens has been coyotes. And the greatest percentage of birds lost has been the white ones, to the point that we just won't have them any more.