I have 4, 1-week-old Buff Orpingtons and 1, 1-week-old White Leghorn. The BOs seem to always be together and the LH one is off on its own. Every once in a while they are all together and sometimes there is a BO with the LH. Is this because they tend to flock with birds of their own breed or is it because the LH was added to the group 2 days after they got home (I went back to the feed store for some bedding and this LH was the only chick left out of the shipment so I got it for free). I did change the brooder composition and bedding before I put them all together. Any ideas?
You know, it's really hard to say for sure. Observation will tell you they often flock with same breed or similar color/pattern mates. For example, I have five two-year old Welsummers, and very often my five-year old EE, who happens to look very similar is hanging out with them. Then there are my six-year old SLWs who are always with my seven-year old black and white Light Brahma. Again, similar colors. The GLWs hang together and they aren't the same age or from the same brood. More often, what I see are the ones who were brooded together will be hanging out together, and often they are different breeds. So that's why I say, it's hard to say for sure.
Mine seem to hang out by age groups/brooder mates. All of my older hens seem to stay together and all the younger ones have their own group(s).
