Chicken math - To trade or not to trade.

[MissMaryMac]

My neighbor has three 17week old Easter egger pullets. I have 3 buff Orpingtons, 2 silver lace wyandottes and a columbian Wyandotte, 2 australorps, a barred rock and a faverolle. All 15-17 weeks old. I'm pretty sure an austrolorp is a roo, and possibly also a SLW. Since all of my neighbors chickens will lay blue eggs, and all of mine will lay brown, we thought we might trade one for one.

Now I know that adding a single chicken isn't easy, but how bad of an idea is this? I would greatly appreciate any and all advice and ideas! Bonus points for your opinion on who might be a roo! Haha. Thanks in advance!

My lovely flock! Pretty sure the austrolorp on the right is a roo just by the larger, redder wattle and comb. What do you think?

My Silver Laced Wyandottes. Their tail feathers are different, and one has more white than the other.

 

[donrae]

I don't see why not to trade them. Looks like you free range, at least some, and that makes it easier to bring in a new bird cause everyone has lots of space. There are tons of threads here about integrating a new bird. I'd advise the "look but don't touch" method for at least a few days, then add her at night when you think everyone's good with it.

Your Wyandottes are both hens, and I'm thinking the Aussie is also. If it was 17 weeks in the picture, I'm leaning toward early maturing hen, but to be sure we'll need a better picture of the bird. Preferably a standing profile shot.

 

[MissMaryMac]

The hard part is choosing which to trade! If I get rid of one SLW or aussie, will their counterpart get sad?

 

[MissMaryMac]

Here are a few more australorp pics. Not great, I know. I can try again if need be.
From that first pic on the thread, would you guess that they're all hens? Could I have been so lucky? Haha

 

[donrae]

Everybody looks female to me, even that Aussie. She'll be the first to lay, from what I can tell.

My birds have never shown a breed preference at all. I personally don't think a bird knows what it looks like, so it doesn't know what other birds look like it. It can tell what birds look different than all the other birds it sees, I agree with that. But I think saying a chicken can cognitively say "I'm a silver laced Wyandotte, but I don't see anyone else that looks like me so I must not fit in" is taking things way beyond what they're capable of.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The tail and general body shape on that Aussie sure looks female. The comb and wattles are of some concern at 17 weeks but yeah I agree, I thick she is just getting ready to lay.

Hens will often form mini-flocks within a flock, certain birds hanging out together. I think this has a lot more to do with personality than color or breed. Certain breeds tend to have certain personality traits so they are a little more likely to hang out together, but I often see different colored birds getting together in these mini-flocks.

If you take one away from a buddy they will quickly adjust. They are flock animals and prey animals. In the wild, since they are prey animals, they often lose flock members. It really does not take them long to adjust to that. They might be bothered for a short time, but not really for long. It’s an instinctive survival thing, adjust.

 

[MissMaryMac]

Interesting! My SLWs are almost always together, and the same is usually true of my Aussies and orps. Though I think not as much as the wyandottes.

One more of Kerrigan. Pretty stoked that she is a she

 

[donrae]

If you take one away from a buddy they will quickly adjust. They are flock animals and prey animals. In the wild, since they are prey animals, they often lose flock members. It really does not take them long to adjust to that. They might be bothered for a short time, but not really for long. It’s an instinctive survival thing, adjust.

This is a really good point, and one I don't think folks realize enough. Prey animals are used to a fluid flock structure and are way more adaptable than folks give them credit for.

 

[Mrs. K]

It might work better, if you separate two birds from your flock, one to exchange and one to put with the new bird for a few days away from the flock, then introduce the pair at night in the dark.

Mrs K

 

[MissMaryMac]

It's done! I gave her my SLW with less white. She gave me the least pretty and least bearded of her three, which is a bit of a bummer, but no big deal. When I was there, she discovered her first eggs! Two small light blue eggs, so pretty! She's not sure which chicken is laying though. I put my new hen into the run by herself and the rest of the flock came to check her out from the outside. Some just looked at her, but a few were more upset, pecking at the wire.

I'm thinking tonight she'll sleep in a dog kennel in the coop so that she can be with, but apart from the rest. Tomorrow I'll keep her in the run by herself again. What do y'all think?

Here are a few pics!