Chickens bullying because of color?

[HorseFeathers]

All right... this is a theory my mom (SeaChick) has. I doubt it, but just wanted to see what you all thought. It's kind of funny.

We have eight hens. Seven are quite dark-colored, and then we have one white (fat) Delaware, Una. We've noticed that Una is not only bottom of the pecking order, but also stays away from the others. My mom thinks that it's because she's the only white chicken; I think it's because she's a total idiot (a butterfly made her literally jump in the air and run away yesterday

). What do YOU think?

Happy Easter!

 

[jenjscott]

I have to agree with mom. I had a red cross bred hen that raised a clutch of cuckoo marans. When they were about grown, I put the whole crew in with my red sex links. The red hen had no trouble mixing with the flock, but they kept the marans ostracized for a good 3-4 weeks.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

It does have to do with pecking order. Chickens -- like humans -- will find all sorts of reasons to pick on the "odd bird out". For chickens, this can be centered around feather color, body size, a bird's lack of aggressiveness (it won't fight back), or even the size of combs and wattles.

 

[Camelot Farms]

I have tried to raise Light Brahma's 3 times with NO success. Whenever I have free rangers that mysteriously disappear I wonder if the other chickens are offering them up as a sacrifice to the neighbors dog.

Your post confirms my suspicion.

 

[MissPrissy]

Birds of a feather flock together. There is wisdom in old sayings.

 

[HorseFeathers]

Wow, that's really interesting! Thanks for the input.

 

[moderndayhippy]

Now it all makes sense! I have a sweet little chicken that I call Miss Molly. She is bottom of pecking order. I suspected because her comb is smaller and lighter than the others. Now I KNOW that's why.

Thanks for this thread. I will just keep babying her since they pick on her relentlessly and keep her separated from the rest of them. (We only have 5 chickens, and all 4 will be out in the run, and they'll make her stay separated in the coop, or vice versa.) Meanies!

 

[speckledhen]

This is a very telling photograph of my girls (all the SLWs and both of the RIRs are now gone to that Great Roost in the Sky)

 

[Montana-Hens]

Great pic Speckledhen----and yes it does tell the story of birds of a feather flocking together. I have a mixed flock and the "rules" here are no more than two of any single breed for just that reason.

 

[bonnylass79]

I had three RIR chicks and probably six Australorp crosses. They were all the same age, but the black chicks killed all but one RIR. She is now living in a dog crate in the house until I can figure out what to do with her. Every time I try to reintroduce her to the flock, she gets injured.

What's interesting is that the Australorp chicks have done the same thing to all of the feather legged Black Copper Marans chicks that I've put out there and they are the same color. They will find any reason to single out other chicks.