Can roosters have color preferances?

[kidsnchicks]

We have RIRs, Buff Orpingtons and black Australorps. We also have a couple of ducks, a drake and a hen we think. The Drake is a brown color but the Hen is white. I have 1 of our Roos in his own little world because he was picking on the duck Hen. I never caught the other Roo doing this but now that he is the only Roo in with the group, I think he may be picking on her also or for the moment proveing that he is the top guy in the pen. Is it because she is the only white one or could there be another reason? I want to get some more chickens, can't think of what they are called at the moment, but they are white birds, would that make any difference? I would like to have the ducks in thier own pen but I can't swing that until we get moved!

Thanks

 

[ajablu]

I have a couple roosters who will only mate to the white or very light colored hens. I feel kind of bad for the hens because they are getting mated all the time and looking a little ragged and the black, brown, red hens are almost never mated by those couple of roosters. The other roos seem to have no preference though.

 

[Akane]

What was your rooster raised with? Chickens are racist.

They prefer whatever is closest to what they grew up around. I had some standard EE hens that always insisted on hanging around with white or light colored bantams because they were raised with some black tailed white japanese bantam chicks. When I got a separate bantam coop I had to move one standard EE hen in to it because she refused to hang out with chickens who were not similar to the white japanese bantams.

 

[QuailQT]

I've noticed this with my pure white Silkie/Cochin cockerel! He only ever chases after my White Leghorn hens. He definitely has a preference for white chickens.

Aren't they so funny? I get such a kick out of watching my birds!

 

[NHchicks]

I've noticed this with my growing young ones - The rooster that is obviously the offspring of our (ugly) RIR seems to stick with the darker (RIR) young hens. The rooster that is obviously the offspring of one of the NH Reds (much prettier rooster) seems to be grouping with the lighter hens. I thought it might just be coincidence, but maybe not?

 

[kidsnchicks]

All of them were raised together, I got them all on the same day, and they are the same age, with- in a day. Just assumed I guess that since the duck is the only white one he thinks there is something wrong with her? Goofy guy, he is in his own little pen waiting for my friend to come back from vacation so he can live on his farm.

 

[gritsar]

Yep, my dark brahma roo definitely prefers the dark brahma hens over the lights and buffs.

 

[Yazzo]

I've had not only chickens, but also geese that seem to be 'racist' and prefer the company of the same color......sometimes it has to do simply with the difference in breed: for example, Australorps are bigger, and thus more dominant, so they tend to stick together, whether consciously or not. But just look at the bower bird: building it's own 'lounge' out of just a single color....I certainly think that many birds do have preferences, and this has been proven with some species in scientific studies.

 

[kcaywood]

This is a funny topic. My "multicultural" flock (1 Buff Orpington, 1 Austrolorp, 1 White Leghorn, 1 EE [accidental rooster], 1 pearl guinea female) are united in their hostility against my new hen, a speckled Sussex. Since they have been together since day one and have no other members of each of their particular species, they are all tight as can be. Ha.