Birds of a feather sticking together?

[Parrotchick]

I was wondering others' experiences with different breeds/species of birds interactions, if they stick with their own kind given the choice.

In my flock, the species tend to hang together, though my Muscovy drake that was raised with chickens likes to be with them when given the choice (never unsupervised because he is also sometimes interested in mating them). All the birds mingle to an extent but that's because they all range in the yard during the day. It's funny to watch how they interact/respond to each other.

My ducks have two distinct cliques-last year's 3 ducks who are inseparable, and this year's acquisitions who are much more accomodating to newcomers. Breed doesn't seem to matter, except Muscovies seem more curious about each other.

And my chickens are such a mixed lot, but I don't see any special relationships/closeness with the same breeds. Everyone runs around in a free for all. But there is one exception: My Spitzhauben rooster, a friendly and independent guy rather low in the pecking order, has been seen a lot lately with my Spitz pullet. They are the only two Spitzes I have.

I have no plans to breed, so I don't care who hangs with whom. I was just curious. And well, maybe I wouldn't mind the pitter-patter of little Spitzhauben feet. They are gorgeous and have great dispositons as well.

 

[gritsar]

Yes it's true, birds of a feather often do flock together.

In my one coop I have all one breed, brahmas. Three different colors - light, dark and buffs. Although they all pretty much stay close to each other, they do often divide up by color while foraging. My dark roo prefers the dark hens over the other two colors.

 

[centrarchid]

Mine also sort themselves in a free range setting. As juveniles they stay together with broodmates, whether kin or not and move about in discrete units and sometimes even defend portions of their home range. Upon reaching adulthood and begining of breeding season groups bust up and reform with new combinations of membership. This is also time when roosters most likely to attempt changes in social status. My red jungle fowl have split from rest of cackle gang (dominique pullets). The red jungle pullets all interested in one penned American game while the dominique pullets have linked up with another free-ranging American game rooster. Presently birds roosting with those they grew up with but any day now roost locations will abruptly change as well. My birds roost in groups that are separated by 100 feet or more. Some are starting to lay and once becoming broody with chicks, such hens will mover about within home ranges but be largely independent of others in their flock until chicks become independent.

 

[cochicks]

I only have 5, but they sort themselves too. The BOs hang together, the GLWs hang together, and the BA is kind of a loner drifting between the pairs. Funny thing is that the BA is the top of the pecking order.

 

[tigercreek]

I have 1 week old chicks and they do the same, Deles, Orps and Australorps wander around alot when awake, but seek their own kind when it's nap time. ..stan

 

[HHandbasket]

That would be interesting to find out. My girls are all different, though I do have two EE's that are completely different from each other and don't hang together at all. Hmmm... I'll have to expand my flock and try this as an experiment and keep notes... yeah, yeah, that's it, a scientific experiment... yeah, that's the ticket, yeah. Hehehe.

 

[cochicks]

Quote:

 

[ScotianChick]

My SLWs tend to stick together and so do my RIRs. Except my roo prefers to mate with the SLWs and he's a RIR.

 

[BHep]

I've also noticed that the "buddies" also have different hang-out spots. Some under a honeysuckle bush. Some by the pumphouse etc...
They also tend to roost & sleep in the same spots with their favorite buddies. It make it very easy for me to do a head-count before locking the coops up at night.

 

[dandelionheart]

We got our first four together, three BOs and one RIR - mature hens. The RIR seemed to get along fine, but certainly was the outsider. When we got the two EE pullets (white/black and copper/black laced) they were definately two seperate groups, the hens and the pullets, although the RIR was more likely to cross over. Then... we got five more, two more EE pullets and three Marans. One of the new EE pullets is white and the BOs like her a lot.

I think it is because she is pale and more like them than the others. The Marans hang together and the EEs like each other... but I'd say the black laced EEs are more of a group and the white one kind a floats between the two groups. I kinda thought it was an age thing, but that wouldn't explain Bronwen being accepted into the BOs' posse.

Maybe a self preservation herd/flock preservation thing.